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.”
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