Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has stated that the clamour for federalism in Nigeria’s constitutional reform process is unnecessary, as the system is not suitable for the country.
Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review retreat in Kano on Saturday, Ndume said, “Today, there are 195 countries in the world, and only 25 practice federalism. So, the clamour for federalism is not necessary. If it were better, 100 out of 195 countries would have adopted it.”
He added, “Democracy means government of the people, by the people, and decisions should be made for the people. The media would do this country a great service if they downplay issues of constitutional review and instead focus on the main issues of transparency, equity, justice, and accountability—values that the citizens care about, regardless of who governs.”
“If fairness, justice, and equity are achieved, the President and the legislature would not be above the law. But right now, that’s not what is happening in Nigeria. Today, if I speak, they say it’s just Ndume, but I can‘t talk to you if I’m not a Senator.”
“Federalism has its own advantages and disadvantages. If you look at countries that have progressed significantly, they have their own systems, which are not necessarily federalism, and they have developed without being overly concerned with federalism.”
He further stated, “Our major challenge in this country is corruption. To this day, there is no law that effectively addresses corruption. Only in Nigeria are people celebrated after stealing public funds, and no one asks where the money came from.”
“In other developed countries, they ask questions about how and where you got anything. Remember, I tried to pass a law in the National Assembly on corruption, but it has not seen the light of day. There is no law today in Nigeria that effectively tackles corruption.”
On local government autonomy, Senator Ndume said, “I support local government autonomy. When we say there are three arms of government, that’s why the President went to the Supreme Court and got a judgment. But up till now, technicalities have arisen, which we need to address and sort out.”
He continued, “But remember, it’s only in Nigeria where an entire state wears uniforms and goes to their Governor to say they don’t want autonomy. In such a country, there’s a need for more awareness to help people understand their rights and free them from the shackles of misgovernance.”
“We grew up seeing local governments building roads, hospitals, and many other important things. But what is not needed is blanket autonomy, as some local governments would naturally fail because they cannot stand on their own. That’s what we are addressing in the constitutional reform to make them viable.”
“I support the idea of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducting local government elections because INEC has been underutilized. It could do more, while the state-level elections are so manipulated that one cannot understand what is going on. The fundamental issue is fairness and justice.”
