Nigerians have high expectations about restructuring under President Tinubu. This is not misplaced given his antecedent as a champion of restructuring and a pro-democracy advocate.
As governor, he fought many battles for Nigeria’s democracy to work. He is quoted to have said recently, “I’m aware of the need to restructure Nigeria but that proper foundation must be laid before bringing the restructuring in place…if it is done in a rush without a proper foundation, the restructuring may collapse very soon but it will be done.”
Many people trust the President on the issue of restructuring; the question is when? He is a known advocate of restructuring and a democrat who will neither take the law into his own hands nor undermine the Constitution by bullying his way through. As a ddemocrat, he would like to carry the majority along the road to restructuring because many hands make light work. Already, he has shown his hands in a little way with utterances announcing his commitment to restructuring without making a hash of it.
Due to the complexity of managing Nigeria, the President is careful making more haste and less speed on the subject matter but never creating a doubt he has restructuring at heart. Understandably, he is on the hot seat and will not tackle a problem like a sideman.
To demonstrate his commitment to restructuring, one of the first bills he signed as President was the Electricity Act 2023, on June 6, 2023, his eighth day in office. Though the passage was done by the National Assembly before his swearing-in, the President wasted no time appending his signature because it aligned with his understanding of true federalism. By that act, he averred his understanding that power generation is the single most important factor in economic development. The Electricity Act allows the states to engage in power generation and distribution. A few states like Abia have immediately keyed into this and the benefits are manifesting.
President Tinubu has repeatedly made public his administration’s resolve to reform the Nigeria Police Force and enhance security across Nigeria. He restated publicly that the idea of “state policing is not just a mere policy proposal but a potential milestone in the evolution of the nation’s law enforcement framework that would create the opportunity to fashion law enforcement in a manner that would closely address the various demands of communities across the country.”
Speaking at a one-day National Dialogue on State Policing with the theme “Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria,” held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, President Tinubu urged participants to consider the implications of state police. The President was represented by the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima. He said: “We view the outcomes of today’s deliberations as crucial inputs that will guide the government’s actions towards reforming the institution of the police and achieving a safer and more secure Nigeria.
Those who remember Tinubu’s epic battles against former President Obasanjo’s regime on creating local governments, during which he dragged the federal government to the Supreme Court over the matter have renewed hope and confidence in his determination to restructure. Lagos State which he governed won the case on the principles of law and federalism but the Apex Court ruled that the steps towards its actualization were “inchoate” since they were yet to be listed in the Constitution through an amendment.
Not just that, President Tinubu will also be remembered for his battle against the federal government over ownership of lands and granting of development plans in the states. During his tenure as Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu filed a case for the Supreme Court to determine who had the power to control Urban and Regional Planning in a state. Two of the issues determined were: Whether the ownership rights of the Federal Government over land in state territories include the power to control and regulate town planning and physical development in relation to such land.
And, whether all approvals, permits, and licences granted by the 1st defendant (Federal Government) or any of its agencies for any construction, building or physical development, or use of land in Lagos State without the consent of the plaintiff are not illegal, null, and void. The Supreme Court granted the states’ power to grant building approvals and other development plans in the states where such federally acquired lands are domiciled while not denying the federal government the right to acquire lands in the states.
Discerning minds would have noticed some of the silent restructuring moves under President Tinubu. He has reiterated his commitment to restructuring Nigeria in a manner that every citizen will experience good governance.
While hosting some Yoruba elders on April 16, at the Presidential Villa, the President assured them that when the economy is properly on a firm footing, steps will be taken on restructuring so that it’ll be on a solid foundation. “As I said in Akure, our approach to it would be as if a baby is learning how to walk. If the baby is rushed, it’ll fall….” The President desires to be over the hump on Nigeria’s battered economy before proceeding to restructure. It’s a mark of wisdom not to have several irons in the fire at once.
jWhile a lot of Nigerians expect a wholesale one-fell-swoop approach to restructuring the President may in his wisdom approach it slowly due to its volatility and the disruptions it could engender in the political firmament. Nigerians anticipate a restructuring that would be driven by the executive arm of government. But that is not the only route to it as exemplified with the Electricity Act 2023. The President revisiting the Oronsaye panel report is also a restructuring of governance strategy. When the review is out there will be a watershed restructuring of governance. Some restructuring would emanate from amendments to existing Acts, some could be from the judicial interpretations by the Supreme Court. That is about to be tested in the suit on local government autonomy which the Attorney General has dragged the 36 States to court.
The Nigerian fiscal policy committee led by Taiwo Oyedele which is working on comprehensive tax reforms including reforms to the country’s Value-Added Tax (VAT) and other taxes will bring forth some restructuring. This is a silent restructuring that will speak to the issue of fiscal federalism.
Restructuring that requires constitutional amendments is being processed by the National Assembly but it’s usually a long process, going through public hearings around the country and the concurrence of two-thirds of the States in Nigeria. Issues being looked forward to for restructuring include fiscal federalism, resource control, and the devolution of powers from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list. Another key one is the issue of solid minerals and mining.