THE MYSTIFYING PROBLEMS OF NIGERIA; CONFEDERACY IS THE WAY FORWARD
“We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the seas like fish but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers” 
– Martin Luther King Jr.
Right from the amalgamation of 1914, the story of the entity now known as Nigeria has been one of the good, the bad and the worse. The political riots, inter-ethnic rivalries in the light of nationalist struggles played a hard one on the unity of Nigeria. The coup d’état, electoral crises and the civil war which shook Nigeria to her marrow all threatened the existence of a one Nigeria.
Since 1960, Nigeria has been sailing through the ocean of chaos amidst turbulences and thunderstorm, therein she has tenaciously longed for the shore not minding the scare of the tumultuous tempest. With a fast-growing population so resourceful, a steady economy, a favourable climatic condition devoid of natural disasters, landmass so fertile and beaming with mineral resources, from the North to the West and from the East to the South, the amalgamation was never a mistake. It was indeed a divine conglomeration of everything good and worthy.
At a time when the rest of the world is coming together, why should we as a nation that has come this far consider breaking up? Especially when the destiny of Nigeria is to unite and not to divide. If Nigeria could make it out in one piece despite the pulling weight of the civil war, then I dare say that nothing can bring Nigeria down anymore.
Need I remind the advocates for the secession of the Nigerian state that our diversity is more like a zipper; while the teeth represent the several differences that pull us apart, so do they bring us together. The beauty of our beloved nation has been the sustenance of peace in diversity. The historical, social and political backgrounds that we share, the labour of our heroes past, our numerical strength and the resources we own jointly and severally are all pointers to the facts that we are destined to be one.
If for few seconds we are to assume without critical consideration, that Nigeria should split, along what line shall it work? Is it on the basis of culture, language, religion, ethnicity or geographical proximity? Division on the basis of culture, ethnicity, language or religion will create more problems rather than solve any pre-existing one. Division based on geographical proximity will only take us back in time to the era of regional government; we have indeed seen the best of that.
If we truly need a panacea to the numerous challenges of Nigeria, secession can never be the answer. It is only when we unite that we can truly cope with the challenges that we persistently face.
Nigeria as a developing federal state is going through the natural problems that flow directly from federalism. In a heterogeneous country like Nigeria, one cannot but expect inter-ethnic rivalries, nepotism, corruption of unimaginable proportion and electoral crises. These many vices will consequentially translate into problems such as insecurity, unemployment, poverty, moribund health services delivery, bureaucracy among others. It is only inevitable that Nigeria experience such phase in the quest for collective development as a sovereign state.
The spate of political crises and power tussle between the Federal and State Governments, inequality between the states, unnecessary duplication of duties and federal character all account for disloyalty to the country as a whole, since citizens are more loyal to their home states.
In the light of the peculiar challenges of Nigeria and in order to form a more perfect union which will ensure more domestic tranquility, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and posterity, this writer posits that a modification and or a change in the form of government is apt for the Nigerian situation.
A modification in line with the concept of true federalism or a total change in the form of government to Confederacy offers the feasible solution to the many problems of Nigeria. Confederalism in this case does not refer to the loose political arrangement in which autonomous countries come together to form a union in which major power is reserved exclusively for the component states (countries) while the center remains weak. The Confederalism presented here creates the mental image of an entity to be known as the United States of Nigeria. Every state shall be entitled to an equitable share of the nation’s wealth thus empowering each state to manage its resources towards optimum productivity. Each state will develop at its own pace and capacity and government will be brought nearer to the people.
They may not have employed the term “confederacy”, but countries like Switzerland, Belgium, Canada and USA are all practicing modified federalism which caters for their respective peculiarities. Nigeria should do the same to salvage her falling realm.
For unity to be real, it must stand the severest strain without breaking. For this nation to be bound in freedom, peace and unity the necessary must be done.
