Gov Wike, FG and Nigeria

Very recently Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State arrested pilots of Caverton helicopters and insisted that some employees of Exxonmobil should not set foot in ‎his state but could remain in their aircraft which he gave permission to land, open their doors to pick their family and ‘go wherever they want to go’ since he did not want to manage the possible risk their moving into, and around his state could cause. As far as he was concerned no corporate, whether or not in the oil sector, should feel too big to obey the law. Two federal privileges were harassed by his action based on what is on the exclusive list of the laws of Nigeria.

The Federal Government has exclusive control over aviation, including airports, safety of aircraft and carriage of passengers and goods by air. It also has exclusive preserve over quarantine. Other areas of interest are also the Federal Government’s exclusive preserve over mines and minerals, oil fields, oil mining, geological surveys and natural gas.

Under Nigeria’s federal system of government, elected governors are the chief security officers of the states but the Federal Government appoints the states commissioners of Police, chiefs of any military -Army, Navy or Air Force command and heads of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) and National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) among others in that state. These officers do not report to the state governors but rather work with them. The fact that a state governor can be stripped completely of all his security details through a federal instruction, exposing him to any and all forms of attack, has been abused in the past. Governors on their part have had to enact protective laws, through the state houses of assembly or exhume some almost forgotten laws to protect their citizens and themselves. The neighbourhood watches all over the country are examples of such creations. Federal laws have a way of making state governors look and feel quite powerless.

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Ordinary logic would have supported Governor Nyesom Wike’s quick response to the information that in the thick of a national lockdown, the pilots of the helicopter which was flying around should be arrested. It is also logical to assume that if roads have been locked down, then aircraft movement should also be locked down. But Wike and his ‎people were wrong. The constitution does not permit his interference in aviation matters. He may only be informed about aircraft movement as a matter of privilege; even if in whatever number the aircraft would fly over the governor’s private or official residence. Perhaps this is why the response from the minister of aviation to questions regarding the arrested pilots was somewhat condescending when he assured that the pilots would be freed soon. 

Now, referring to this and other federal responses, Gov Wike’s is asking that had he been the governor of Lagos State, a state governed by the ruling party at the federal government, would he have been treated the same way he is being treated now. Legally speaking, Gov Wike as any other human can be, was wrong in his action: he was also wrongly advised. But does that mean the federal laws are prim and proper?

Kogi State has continued to wallow in industrial poverty despite housing what would have been the biggest steel complex in Africa, Ajaokuta Steel Complex. To support the expected industrial growth from Ajaokuta’s full take-off, the Federal Government spent billions of dollars on Oshogbo Steel ‎Rolling Mill, the Katsina Steel Rolling Mill, Delta Steel Rolling Mill and Jos Steel Rolling Mill. These mills were to receive semi-finished steel. Products and process for end use or export. All the mills died and had to be disposed of. Ajaokuta project itself is now neither here nor there, about forty years after its ideation. Some people argue that had Ajaokuta steel project not been on the exclusive list, the state government would have successfully developed the nation with it.

This same argument, and the flagrant abuse of constitutional privilege by some Nigerians led to agitations by late Ken Saro-Wiwa of old and their offshoots like Asari Dokubo regarding control of the Niger Delta’s oil wealth. Needlessly, lives were lost. 

The quarrel between the Federal Government and Gov Nyesom Wike should not be allowed to continue. This is the time for big and powerful voices ‎to intervene, even if through the social media, and end this slow quarrel that could snowball into something bigger. At no other time is the call for true federalism and amendments to the constitution more pertinent.