How Senators pay lip service to restructuring

The nationwide clamour for restructuring the country for better economic performance would soon fizzle out except the necessary legal steps are taken in that regard by the lawmakers. Restructuring is a constitutional matter, which can only be followed constitutionally. The people who have the mandate to make laws that can amend or change the constitution in any way are members of the National Assembly. Any law they refuse to make or change remains there. Clamouring alone cannot change anything, except the people have a way of forcing their lawmakers to do what they are supposed to do.

This clarification is necessary because most uninformed Nigerians think that President Muhammadu Buhari is the one who should restructure Nigeria. But it needs to be emphasised that President Buhari has no power, under the democratic dispensation, to single-handedly restructure Nigeria. The president would have been able to do that in a military government. But we are not in a military government and so, the president doesn’t have that power anymore.

However, he can only follow a democratic process by way of initiating an executive bill for restructuring, which must be sent to the National Assembly for consideration and passage. Being that Buhari, as an individual, is opposed to restructuring, no one can expect him to initiate such a bill. Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, is also opposed to restructuring. That being the case, the responsibility falls squarely on the lawmakers to do the needful.

Regrettably, no lawmaker has been touched patriotically enough to initiate a restructuring bill at the National Assembly. All they are doing is to voice their support to restructuring, which, in no way is different from what the man on the street is saying. Mere support for restructuring carries no weight. The lawmakers must show patriotism if they are really sincere.

Among the lawmakers that have voiced their support for restructuring are Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West), who is also chairman Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT); Hon. Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi (Karu/Kefi/Kokona Federal Constituency, Nasarawa State); Hon. Leo Ogor (PDP – Delta); Hon Rima Shawulu, chairman House Committee on the Army and Hon Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, chairman, House Committee on Public Relations. These, and many others, have declared their unflinching support for restructuring Nigeria, pointing out that Nigeria is held hostage by Section 44 (3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Section 44 (3) states: Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the entire property in and control of all minerals, mineral oils and natural gas in under or upon any land in Nigeria or in, under or upon the territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone of Nigeria shall vest in the Government of the Federation and shall be managed in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly.

Beyond any conceivable imagination of Nigerians, this section of the constitution, unreservedly and with total finality, confers the ownership and control of all mineral resources of the country, including those found in the adjoining territorial waters, on the Federal Government. That is to say, whatever authority at Abuja, has unwavering powers to exploit the minerals as it deems fit without hindrance or opposition. This is the crux of Nigeria economic problems.

Granted that the constitution made that pernicious provision that is totally not in Nigeria’s interest that should not be the end of the story. The constitution is not cast in iron. There is provision for amendment, which is the job of the lawmakers to deal with.