Nigeria Is A Permanent Failed State! (2)

Continuation of previous post ...

 The same top brass military generals who hijacked and shared the Nigerian oil blocks amongst themselves were also the same that wrote or amended the Constitution to their taste. They created the States, Local Government Areas, and the six geopolitical zones in a way that gave North endless advantages over other federating ethnic nationalities of Nigeria, particularly the oppressed and endangered South East (Igbo land). They shared our national resources like a war booty. They ate and wined as kings and emperors and the left-over or crumbs that fell down from their dining tables were captured by the South- West geopolitical zone ( Yorubas, with 6 States, 18 senatorial districts, and 18 senators representing them) and South-South geopolitical zone (Ibibios, Efiks, Ijaws, Urhobos, Isokos, Edos, Itsekiris, and other ethnic nationalities, with 6 States, 18 senatorial districts, and 18 senators representing them). While the whole North with three geopolitical zones (North-Central has 6 States and Abuja Federal Capital Territory, all has 19 senatorial districts, and 19 senators representing them, North-East has 16 senatorial districts with 16 senators representing them, and North-West has 7 States, 23 senatorial districts, and 23 senators representing them. Hence, Nigeria has 6 geopolitical zones with a total of 109 senators. The whole North (North-Central, North-East, and North-West geopolitical zones) has a total of  58 senators. The whole South (South-East, South-West, and South-South geopolitical zones) has a total of 51 senators. If you add 58 senators to 51 senators together, you will get 109 senators. 

 Nigeria has 360 Federal Constituencies, which are represented in the House of Representatives, the Lower House of the National Assembly. The people who created the geopolitical zones to their advantage against the South also brought in the same lop-sided equation in the creation of the Federal Constituencies. Democracy uses two-thirds majority votes to make decisions and pass bills into law. It means that no bill can be passed into law without the consent of the North because majority of the senators and members of the Federal House of Representatives are from the North. It means that it is IMPOSSIBLE to win a presidential election in Nigeria without the support of the North, too. It enables the North to exercise permanent dominance over the South. Hence, the top brass military junta of the North shared Nigeria as it pleased them. Drunkards wrote the Nigerian Constitution in a harlot's chamber! For decades, they are in control of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Customs & Excise, Immigration, Airports and Seaports. They are always in charge of the three tiers of government-- executive , legislature, and judiciary, either directly or indirectly. If it does not favour them, they resort to a coup d'etat to oust the ruling executive. They are the untouchables of Nigeria. They have the whims and caprice to decide everything in Nigeria. Britain taught the North to dominate the military and use force to rule Nigeria. And it worked out for them!

They siphon crude oil from Port Harcout near the Atlantic coastline in South-South and pass the crude oil through underground pipes spanning thousands of kilometres to Kaduna Refinery in the North-West, for refining and consumption in the North. Does locating a refinery in Kaduna not defy the laws of Economics which said that factories should be built near the sources of raw materials? The Federal Government does not receive one cent from Kaduna Refinery for decades. Yet, it is the Federal Government which undertakes the maintenance of the derelict facility for them. The other remaining refineries located in Port Harcout and Warri are not usually maintained. They are underfunded scraps. Nigeria with a cornucopia of in-ground mineral resources, especially crude oil, cannot provide petrol and other petroleum products for her citizens with ease. Petroleum products, especially petrol, is costlier in Nigeria than in Ghana and other West African out-region countries which do not have crude oil in their lands. That is a paradox! Instead of upgrading the obsolete refineries, the Federal Government will resort to refining their own crude oil abroad and ship the products to Nigeria and sell them to the citizens at cut-throat prices. Nigeria is a permanent failed State!

Few years ago, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was discovered to have failed to remit $20 billion in oil revenue to the Federal Government; some said that the amount was misappropriated or spent without appropriation. The matter was also swept under the carpet as usual. What about the Malibu Oil Scandal in Nigeria? This scandal involved the corrupt allocation of oil blocks and kickbacks, highlighting the depth of corruption in Nigeria's oil industry. 

• Government Funds Diversion:

Most Nigerian State Governors, except only few, have been accused of withholding above 90% of funds allocated to Local Government Areas, thereby undermining development at the grassroot levels. It is possible that the fiscal misconducts of State Governors prompted the regime of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant autonomous status to all Local Government Areas of Nigeria. Many State Governments across Nigeria have borrowed so much funds from both foreign Governments and international finance houses to aid their infrastructural development policies. Unfortunately, they did not use over 95% of the borrowed funds to build public facilities. Instead, the greedy Governors, Commissioners, past State Governors, and political godfathers shared the borrowed monies. Many of them, up till this moment, have not been able to satisfactorily service those foreign debts. It is not only State Governments that failed to service foreign loans given to them in Nigeria. The Federal Government is still owing a lot of foreign debts. For example, Nigerian Government is owing China billions of United States Dollars. The Chinese Government once threatened to seize all Nigerian airports, seaports, and universities, and refineries, to recover her money. 

Now, after stealing State Governments' resources for one whole term or tenure of 4 years, or two terms or tenures, which is 8 years, the State Governors always bribe their ways back to the Senate to continue stealing funds and acquisition of wealth (this time at the Federal Government level). At the Senate, they stand on the head of fairness and equity, and turn upsidedown, depending on what they stand to get. They pass bogus and questionable bills into law only to make themselves richer and the Nigerian citizens poorer and beggarly. Paradoxically too, while the Federal Government of Nigeria is busy selling billions of barrels of crude oil ceaselessly for many decades, it also continuously secure foreign loans without using the loans for the benefits of the citizens. Failure to service those foreign loans lead to accumulated debts which their successors will be compelled to service or pay. All the revenues, the ones generated from oil reserves and foreign loans, are not ever found in circulation in the country. Neither do they reduce the cost of food, transport, utility bills, school fees, medical bills, and others. The cost of living is extremely high in Nigeria inspite of our cornucopia of in-ground mineral resources. In the abundance of water, the pool is thirsty! Today, the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not reflect separation of power and rule of law. The executive, legislature, and judiciary are all bundled together. They move in a unidirectional way. They are subject to the executive. The legislature and judiciary do Tinubu's biddings without any objections because of the money they stand to receive from him. While they have acquired billions of United States Dollars, the Nigerian citizens are hungry and begging for food on the streets. Nigeria is a permanent failed State!

Please, kindly share this post with your friends and loved ones. Thank you very much. 

 To be continued ...