ABSTRACT
Nigeria adopted the federal character principle to
counteract the nationality question that has been bedevilling the polity. After
about three decades of the introduction of the principle, this paper seeks to
determine whether the application of the federal character principle in solving
national question possesses the potentials for achieving national integration
which is the prerequisite for economic development. We adopted the Marxist
theory of the post-colonial state as our framework of analysis because of its
relative proficiency in analysis of post colonial political economy and argued
that like other colonial states Nigeria lacks the capacity to moderate the
struggles which is pronounced between or among the various ethnic groups that
make up Nigeria hence the political and economic imbalances that exist among
and between different groups. These imbalances exist in almost every sector of
the economy hence most people feel marginalized. This paper was
discussed under the following headings: application of federal character
principle in state creation; application of federal principle in revenue
allocation; application of federal character principle in education sector;
challenges of federal character principle in Nigeria and conclusion. This paper
recommended that while reasonable balance between states is necessary, at least
70% of merit should be considered for appointment, admission,
sitting industries and state creation to reduce the rising mediocrity in our
national life.
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INTRODUCTION
Nigeria adopted the federal character principle to
counteract the nationality question that has been bedevilling the polity. After
about three decades of the introduction of the principle, this paper seeks to
determine whether the application of the federal character principle in solving
national question possesses the potentials for achieving national integration
which is the prerequisite for economic development.
The paper examines the application
of the federal character principle in the Nigerian public service for
sustainable development. It observes that the implementation of the federal
character principle in Nigerian public service tends to encourage unethical
behaviour amongst public officials and circumscribe merit in the area of
manpower procurement and promotion. It therefore concludes that for the
Nigerian public service to achieve its mandate of facilitating sustainable
development there is need for the government to reappraise the implementation
of the federal character principle through the enforcement of merit anchored on
public service reform initiatives that can galvanize human capacity and
governmental institutions for sustainable development.
Federal character is enshrined in the constitution to prevent tribal or regional domination of any government or its agency. With due respect, its inappropriate application creates mediocrity, inequality, corruption, lack of transparency and/or competition and above all tribal dominance by the major ethnic groups. Federal character ordinarily protects minorities, but under the constitution it is operated to protect the majority ethnic groups lack of will of competitiveness and open-mindedness. The leading ethnic groups have exploited this constitutional provision to their benefits in the areas of contract award, infrastructural development and appointment into strategic government institutions. Such actions create a few rich and powerful individuals; increase poverty, ensures uneven regional development and high incidence of graft among civil servants.
Inequitable operation of federal character could be deciphered from the arrogant declaration of president Yar¢Adua¢s proposed Lagos mega city. Whereas the goal should be to empower each of the geographical regions in the provision of social amenities, such a proposal empowers a couple of states and continuously increase ceaseless drift of young and ambitious men to Lagos. What is wrong if a village in Benue or Delta state is developed as a mega city?
Even though, the goal of federal character is to prevent tribal domination, it is only limited to major administrative appointments. Federal character does not take into account ownership of federal companies and who gets what or who gets not in government contract awards. For example, if the minister of the federal capital territory, Abuja is from Ilesha in Oyo State, which is impossible, it means that more Ijeshan owned businesses would be economically empowered more than any other tribe, be they from Oyo state or other regions as the case may be. That is in a situation where the minister and director-general or permanent secretary and cronies and their phony companies are not awarding and performing all the contracts thereto themselves as it is customary in the ministries and parastals. Government officials positioned themselves as businessmen and award all contracts to their companies and cronies without executing these contracts.
Federal character has no limitation on the power of the executive in the allocation of resources or even in the privatization and sale of government properties. The 1999 constitution like a military decree has so empowered the various executive arms of government to the extent that the assemblies are mere rubber stamp political gathering institutions without any set mind of their own. We have all seen in the last 8 years of President Obasanjo¢s supremacy that whosoever heads the presidency, controls resource allocation and location of industries without due regard to common economic principles of localization of industries and consultation with the national assembly. Obasanjo in establishing the new gas plant at the boundary between Ondo and Ogun state ignored this principles by depriving the people of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers of economic development, taxation and job opportunities in spite of the environmental impact that gas exploration wreak on these communities. There is no way these communities would benefit from such policies. The end result could be an endless struggle of pipeline vandalization and hostage taking as it is now customary in that region. Even the sale of Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries was a subject of controversy until the present establishment of Yar'Adua rescinded the transaction. Let us call a spade a spade and stop the oppression of the Niger Deltas who lack responsible and selfless leadership to project their grievances. This lacuna was first reverberated by the past governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abdulkadir Kure in the wake of 2006 south-south and south-east aspiration to acquire Aso rock ego, power and brutality, wherein he said that south-south had no credible leadership.
HISTORY OF FEDERAL CHARATER IN NIGERIA
Federal Character
Federalism emerge either through
coerced authority of a foreign power hence institutive federalism or through
voluntary agreement of the constituent units hence constitutive federalism.
Nigeria federalism conforms to the former type as the Nigerian federal
constitution was imposed by the British colonial power. Meanwhile, the US
federalism was an example of the latter type of federalism as constituting
states wilfully joined the confederation and subsequently federation. Federal
character suggest an attempt to build a nation where equal opportunities abound
and where every individual must feel that he has equal chance to participate
without bias of ethnic affiliations (Talih, 1987:2-3). Federal character is
both a reaction as well as a system. It is a positive reaction to correct those
practices of the past, especially in the conduct of public management which
tended to exploit the diversities of the nation and by so doing cause ill
will. Also it is a reaction to those practices which tended to reflect
selfish and parochial consideration, especially those negative forces which
placed the self interests above national interest. The federal character
principles involve a deliberate plan to construct means of ensuring the proper
distribution of amenities and government projects in the country.
Afigbo (1987:21) identified some stages of evolution
of federal character which is originally a colonial heritage. The stages
include: The period of informal Federation 1900-1946; The period of formal
federation, first phase, 1946-1966, and The period of formal Federation second
phase: 1967- present. Afigbo noted that the principle arose out of a compromise
among the protagonists of the 1976 CDC. It was seen as an oily formula to
silence the troubled waters in Nigeria and the panacea to the issue of
political economic instability which obstructs the balancing of the North and
South on the one hand and the various ethnic groups mainly the three dominant
ethnic groups (Igbo, Yoruba and the Hausa/Fulami) and also other minority
ethnic groups on the other hand.
Olagunju (1987:33) also defined
Federal Character as a deliberate design to accommodate less dominant but often
forcibly expressed interest… Essentially, it is a design which is aimed at
depoliticizing new demand through an institutional arrangement hence this
principle should be modified and gradually applied even to the private sector.
Similarly, Ezenwa (1987:87) noted
that federal character arose out of the need to correct the anomalies that
emanated from the random and uneven distribution of natural and economic
resources and thus doubtful of whether such principle could correct such
anomalies that have already been inculcated and imbibed by the various ethnic
groupings in Nigeria. He however pointed out that this inequality which found
succour in areas of revenue allocation and educational advancement worsened
after independence.
Laudably, Ikejiani and Ikejiani
(1986:7-8) noted that multi-ethnic and multi-racial affiliations in the country
is the root cause of constant crises and blamed governments for not trying to
arrest the ugly situation. They believed that the panacea to this problem lay
in the adoption of federal character concept as it relates to the location,
staffing and admission of student’s into tertiary institutions in the country,
employment and appointments or elections.
Many scholars have equally called
for the creation of more new states along ethnic lines such that no ethnic
group shall be dominated by another. At this instance, one might begin to
wonder whether Nigeria is the only multi ethnic country in the world. Notably,
Canada and USA are also multi-ethnic countries yet they have not faced the kind
of ethnic problem Nigeria faces. Thus the federal character principle is
adopted in Nigeria to hold the federating units firm as Nigeria.
EFFCTS OF FEDERAL CHARATER PRINICIPAL IN NIGERIA
PUBLIC SERVICE
Application of Federal Character Principle in State
Creation
In Nigeria,
federal character principle is not sidelined in State creation because the
Federal Character Commission recognizes the division of Nigeria into North and
South (East and West). In state creation, Nigeria has 18 States each between
North and South. Since the origin of federalism and regionalism in Nigeria in
1946, the major regions have been the North and South. The further division of
the South into East and West was for British administrative convenience and
political consideration (weaken the South by further dividing them without
doing same to the North). These three administrative units, Northern Province
houses the Hausa-Fulani ethnic nationality, the Western province houses the
Yoruba ethnic group while the Eastern province houses predominantly people of
Igbo. Though these three groups were not the only existing ethnic groups in
these regions, the dominance of these three overwhelmed the minority. No wonder
only these three groups were considered when the 1946 constitution was imposed
on Nigeria (Ugwu 1998:16).
The emergence of this unholy trinity from the old duality of 1914, subsequently
busted into 36 states and the minority groups continue to mount pressure for
more states. The conflicts origination from request for creation of more state
is so horrific that one might begin to question the rationale for Nigeria. No
wonder Awolowo (1947) noted that:
It is only
the accident of British suzerainty which had made Nigeria one country or one
nation socially or even economically…. Socially and politically there are deep
differences between the major tribal groups. They do not speak the same
language and they have highly divergent customs and ways of life and they
represent different stages of culture.
Notably, colonial constitutions were concerned with only the major
ethnic nationalities. It was not until July 1966 when Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon and
team struck and took over government of Federal Republic of Nigeria in a
counter military coup that the emphasis on this unholy trinity began to dwindle
and the minority voice was heard. Gowon’s regime reversed some of the unjust
decisions against the minorities in Nigerian. He gave people from minority
ethnic groups political appointments and subsequently broke up the unholy
trinity which gave the three major ethnic groups controls over the minorities
in Nigeria. In May 1967 Gowon carved out 12 states in Nigeria, 6 for the South
and 6 for the North from the unholy trinity plus the mid-West that was created
in 1963.
After the General Murtala Mohammed blood free coup of
1976, he further carved out more 7 states to total 19 states in Nigeria
favouring the North with 10 states and South with 9 states. In 1987 General
Babangida created 2 more states 1 from North and 1 from South to give Nigerians
a 21 states structure. In August 1991, he further created 9 states to give
Nigeria a 30 states structure and balancing number of states between the North
and South to 15 states each. In 1996, General Sani Abacha completed the
creation of 6 new states to give to Nigerians the 36 states structure with 18
states from the North and South respectively in observance of the federal
character principle. Today, Nigeria is loosely divided into six geo-political
zones. While each of these geopolitical zones has between six and seven states
as the case may be, the south –east zone has only five states. This tendency
has warranted an intense call from the south east residents and representatives
for the creation of one more state in the region in respect of the federal character
principle.
Application of Federal Principle in Revenue Allocation
Disparities in income, social and economic
opportunities are traceable partly to natural endowment, partly to the formula
for distribution of national resources and partly to historical legacies of
colonial administration. The federal character is also applied in
allocation of revenue in Nigeria. This is because any heterogeneous society
like Nigeria without a justifiable formula for sharing resources between groups
is bound to experience wars and all sorts of socio-economic slouches.
It is in recognition of the importance of fair and equitable distribution of
national cake to ensure political and economic stability in Nigeria.
Nigerian constitution clearly stipulates some
responsibilities to the central government and other power are reserved to the
states or local governments while some others functions are shared by the three
of them. The constitutions also make for a controlled distribution of the revenue
and recourses of the nation to these levels of government. Federal character
principle also guide the government expenditure in each region or state. This
determines the spread of government services to the people (See Section 162
Sub-Section 1-10 and Section 163 Sub-Section a and b of 1999 Constitution of
Federal Republic of Nigeria).
Application of Federal Character Principles in
Education Sector
Notably, the
different ethnic groups, regions and subsequently states that have existed and
exist in Nigeria developed at varying pace in different sectors and the
educational sector is not an exception. Since the British government stepped in
to educate Nigerians as clerical staff to help in keeping the colony in a
subordinate position for colonial continual exploration, Nigerians have
continued to struggle for this limited chances for education. However, British
government education style in Nigeria was alien and enslaving, hence, Lord
Lugard noted that:
The chief
function of government primary and secondary schools among primitive
communities is to train the more promising boys from village schools as
teachers for those schools, as clerks for local native courts and as clerks for
the administration (Ene, 1968).
Meanwhile, the significance of education is outstanding as educational
attainment has a correlation with occupation of top economic and political
positions in both the public and private lives. In 1955 and 1957, both the
Western and Eastern regions respectively introduced the Universal Primary
Education while the North was entirely left out. By independence, education had
become an issue for the federating units in Nigeria.
In 1974, the National Policy on Education was formed. The main thrust of
education in Nigeria was to achieve integration of the individual into a sound
and effective citizenry and equal educational opportunities for all citizens at
primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Hence the aim of this outfit was to
inculcate national consciousness and national unity, the right type of values
and attitudes for the survival of the individual and the Nigerian society
(Adamu, 1978).
Again deliberate attempt has been made to institutionalize the federal
character principle in Nigeria’s public affairs. In the educational sector
where for instance, the Northern Nigeria is obviously disadvantaged while the
South is advantaged, a policy is often recommended to right this wrong. Buggs
(1987:142) argued that the panacea for this inequality lay in adoption of the
federal character principle in staffing, locating schools and admission of
students into schools. Thus he recommended one state one university in
Nigeria. Today, more students are admitted in Nigerian universities based
on the logic of locality and educationally least developed states than those
admitted on the basics of merit
Challenges of Federal Character Principle in
Nigeria
Lack of
adequate representation by the federating states in Nigeria constitutes the
greatest threat to national integration and economic development. Remarkably
the choking socio-economic competition among the various ethnic groups in
Nigeria manifest in ethno-regional conflict and tension that characterize
Nigeria since 1960. Thus the relationship between these groups is characterized
by fear and suspicion of domination of one state or ethnic group by another.
This leads to national disintegration and consequent canonical
underdevelopment.
Meanwhile, this suspicion and fear between groups is historical. However, it
became pronounced when Sir Fredrick Lord Lugard began the process of subjecting
ethnic groups with a history of mutual distrust and hatred together as one
Nigeria. Remarkably, these ethnic groups are not of equal population and hence
some tend to dominate others thus exploit others. Today we talk about the Igbos
, the Hausa/Fulani and the Yoruba as the major ethnic groups and the Urobo,
Itshekiri, Ijaw, Igala, Kanuri, Nupe, Tiv and more than 200
others are referred to as the minority. These inherent competitions for
control of the limited resources has the tendency to destabilize hence
disintegrate the polity and stifle economic development. This explain, why
Dudly (1973) argued that political stability is the inevitable consequence of
the failure of constitutional and institutional rules to find firm roots in the
society and in the wind of the political actors. This political instability is
a consequence of the nature and character of the post colonial states. The
Nigeria state could not perform the primary role of state, rather, it become
part of the struggle which it ought to moderate. This tends to discourage national
integration which is a prerequisite for economic development.
Conclusion
Notably,
political and economic imbalances exist among and between the various states or
ethnic groups that make up Nigeria. These imbalances arose from the nature and
character of the post-colonial Nigerian state. These imbalances exist in almost
every sector hence most people feel marginalized. The emergence of various
militia groups in the Niger Delta is an indication of the existence of
rivalries between groups over share of national cake. States of the majority
ethnic groups seem to be so strong that they can hold the minorities to a standstill.
This therefore denies the minority groups of their constitutional right of self-development
and actualization. It is in view of correcting this abnormality that the
Federal Character Commission was self-up to upheld federal character
principles. The Commission was set up to ensure that government decisions
reflect federal character on sitting industries, building roads, awarding
scholarships, appointment of public office holders, admission, employment and
revenue allocation.
The Nigerian state therefore to over-emphasizes, the federal character while
deemphasizing merit and hard work and promote defend mediocrity and
parochialism in running of the various sectors of the economy. Based on
the above discussion we recommends that while reasonable balance between states
is necessary, 70% of merit should be considered for appointment,
admission, sitting industries and state creation. This balance should be struck
such that unequal things should not be equalled or equal things unequalled to
avoid intense contradiction which does not support national integration and
economic development.
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