THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL PERSPECTIVES OF FEDERALISM: THE POSSIBLE

CONTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL STRUCTURES TO A RESOLUTION OF CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL PROBLEMS AND CONTENDING ISSUES IN NIGERIA

Abdur-Rahman Olalekan Olayiwola

Department of Political Science

Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria

E-mail: nusramurana@yahoo .co.uk

ABSTRACT

The debate on Minorities, Federalism and Politics in Nigeria has continued unabated. The result of many disputes about Nigerian Federalism, ethnic minority-majority contradictions, possible solutions to inclusive state and sustainable national development, is, arguably, what the French call a ‘dialogue of the deaf, where nobody hears the other side’s argument. This paper examines the theoretical and conceptual perspectives of Federalism and the possible contributions of Federal structures to a resolution of contemporary political problems and contending issues in Nigeria as far as minorities-majorities relations are concerned. The paper begins with a theoretical exploration of the Federal Government conceptualization and practice generally and particularly in Nigeria. It examines the contending issues in Nigeria and notes that minorities have not been treated fairly under the Nigerian Federal Structure, The paper notes that since 1954 when the minorities in the country first bombarded the colonial government with an avalanche of requests for the creation of autonomous divisions in order to ensure equity and justice in an unfolding Nigerian Federal Structure, the demands for the creation of additional states and localities have become a fad. Yet, empirical indications abound to confirm that minorities in Nigerian federalism have suffered tremendously from structural imbalance, political power, economic development, domination, distribution of power and resources, participation in nation’s affairs, allocation of development projects, provision of amenities, and appointment into key political offices to mention just a few. Attempts have been made by successive governments – both civilian and military to address the minorities question, fear, dissatisfaction and agitations. Such attempts have included Federal Character or quota system provided for by the 1979 and 1999 Constitutions as amended. The experience of ethnic minorities world wide has also shown that several approaches can be adopted to manage the problem. These include assimilation, ethnocide, genocide, constitutional safeguards, reversal of status and territorial solution, which otherwise is known as, state and locality creation. How best can the minorities-majorities issues be addressed in Nigerian Federal Structure? What are the contending issues relating to minorities-majorities relations in Nigeria and how best can they be tackled? This paper attempts some answers. The paper concludes by making recommendations including;

1. That the Nigerian Constitution should be further amended to guarantee a stronger constitutional provisions that will protect the rights of minorities and majorities.
2. That the Federal Character principle, quota system, rotation of political power among a
   host of other attempts to address the issue of minorities-majorities relations in Nigerian
   Federal Structure should be made justiciable so that rights provided for are capable of being enforced in courts of law.

That Nigeria must convene a National Constitutional Conference on the National
Question of minorities-majorities relations and make a collective national resolve to
make Nigeria work and decide once and for all either to live together or sink together.

• That the issues of religion, ethnicity, minorities within minorities, majority monopoly of
  power-political, economic, military, census manipulation, political intimidation, creation
  of more States and more Local Governments, and Revenue Allocation to mention just a
  few should be resolved.
• That we are running against time and time is of the essence. We need to move fast and now to avert terrible horrible ethnic cleansing incidents the type that occurred in Rftwanda and Bosnia and are currently happening in the Middle East and Palestine to mention just a few parts of the world.