By Kola Oredipe
There was no contention
as to his brilliance on the day. He truly justified his nomination and invitation as Guest Lecturer for the 64th Founder’s Day Lecture of the University of Nigeria (UNN) Nsukka, Enugu State.
Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State delivered about an hour lecture titled, “Rethinking our future: The need for true federalism and economic renaissance”, to the distinguished audience that comprised of Professors, other senior lecturers and students of the great institution.
They were left bewildered to the masterfully presented lecture by the guest speaker, Senator Diri. What an incredible performance by a politician!
Just like every researcher and academics, preparing for a paper presentation, Governor Diri, did his home work; it was a thorough exercise writing his academic paper day and night.
And to such a disciplined man, he murdered sleep to fine tune his paper with his team. The final public presentation on Wednesday, 9th October, 2024, at the Princess Alexandra Auditorium and Unity Hall on the campus was nothing but excellent. Happy that the industry put into the work was well acknowledged by the audience.
Yes, he is used to mounting the podium as a governor, and in previous offices held, including being a past member of the two chambers of the National Assembly.
In course of the great presentation, he received intermittent applause but once he concluded, the audience gave him a standing ovation. And the filtering side talks were interesting questions among the audience about the possible background of the speaker.
Just as former US President, Barack Obama once said, “One voice can change a room.” That was the case with the delivery of the lecture according to the various feedbacks.
Top management of the institution passed a verdict saying the lecture was great and inspiring to the effect that the Governor delivered with so much confidence.
The guest lecturer spoke boldly like a radical teacher. The voice reverberated on the issues of federalism and the many shortcomings of that particular system of government being practiced in Nigeria today.
One could imagine when Professors of UNN stood to applaud the presentation, that showed excellent performance and it was indeed a scholarly presentation.
One of them said: “That was a stellar performance and an outstanding presentation by the Guest Lecturer. I have been attending the yearly series, this one is huge, rich and captivating. It was like never before. The Governor has reignited the fire in us to demand true federalism from the Nigerian state.”
There was a senior lecturer in the hall who asked, “Is the Governor a Professor of Political Science? Where was he lecturing before he became governor? He delivered the lecture with very deep insight into the issue at hand!”
The senior lecturer was right because Gov. Diri displayed a very rare intelligence, sound knowledge of the topic and deployed very good examples to drive home his points.
Even the host, the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Polycarp Chigbu, was reportedly dazed at the podium performance of Governor Diri.
Sincerely, no one in that hall would query Prof. Chigbu, if and when he decides to confer a ‘Doctoral Degree’ on Senator Diri, for the rich scholarly paper and presentation!
The Vice-Chancellor surely can get the University Senate to consider this submission. The golden fish truly has no hiding place. Diri, did not disappoint the University and the gesture of an academic reward might just be a worthy consideration!
Gov. Diri’s sound academic background gave him out as a man with deep insight into topical Nigerian political issues including the nagging political concept of federalism.
There was no contest to the fact that he is used to standing in front of large audience and students to make an address or teach.
Governor Diri was a teacher for many years where he taught both Government and Economics subjects in different secondary schools.
Here is a man who earned two teaching certificates: National Certificate of Education (NCE) in Political Science/Economics and then a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Education).
Yes, he is a teacher and in another breath, he was well groomed in minority rights activism. In 1992, he emerged as National Organising Secretary at the birth of the pan-Ijaw group, Ijaw National Congress (INC).
No doubt, the academic world has missed such a sound student who delved into partisan politics when he could have continue to impart his knowledge in the higher institution.
One of his course mates at the University of Port Harcourt, Benjamin Okaba, now a Professor and current President of INC, often chides him, “Douye was one of the brilliant students in our class and we had expected him to continue in the academics ladder but he chose politics.
Repeatedly, we told him to return to school. He was a fine teacher in the secondary school in those days.”
At Nsukka, Senator Diri proved to the audience he was very abreast of the issues beyond his written paper and gave lucid examples and further notes on federalism.
He shared his position and sentiments to the audience about the many shortcomings of the federalism being practiced in Nigeria and argued that the current governance structure in Nigeria cannot deliver the future the vast majority of Nigerians desire and deserve.
Gov. Diri did not mince words when he recalled that “Federalism is a system of governmental organization whereby two or more independent states agreed to form a common government while retaining their distinctive autonomy.”
This is the clear vexation point in Nigeria where the people in various federating states have been subjugated by a domineering federal power. This remains the basis for so many crisis across the nation.
The various ethnic, cultural and religious groups are living in mutual suspicious and since power at the centre has become so influential, the struggle for political leadership remains source of conflict and unresolved aggression.
Successive governments in Nigeria have bastardized the principle of federalism and the constitution has helped to pauperised the federating units making them “beggars” to the resources they have equal stakes with others.
Governor Diri spoke to the noticeable significant differences between the global principles of federalism and the actual practice of federalism in Nigeria.
He was bold, despite being a sitting governor, telling the audience pointedly of the ingredients of true federalism and agreed that because of the plurality of the states, the federal system of government was apt to Nigeria.
“In the truth essence, federalism remains the only basis upon which Nigeria can remain united despite its diversity and peculiar conditions”.
And Governor Diri, who has been in the trenches advocating Niger Delta issues and calls for fairness and equity from the Nigerian state, asserted that the greatest problem of federalism in Nigeria today is about the general principles of not applying its true nature and global practice in the relationship between the Federal and State Governments.
The drafters of the current 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended, have concentrated so much power at the centre against the letters and spirits of the concept of federalism as practiced elsewhere.
Like the activist he is before being elected Governor, Senator Diri raised the very critical issues to be addressed for the country to return to the path of growth and economic prosperity devoid of mutual suspicion and general insecurity.
What a state of imbalance when resources from a particular region are centrally gathered and shared among all federating units with some states taking more than States where such resources are found like the case with crude oil and gas in the Niger Delta.
“For instance, the Land Use Act, as it operates today, is anti-people and anti-development to deny people the blessings that accrue from their land. It is most wicked and a grave injustice”.
“Things now happened as if we have forgotten the boom era of the defunct regional system in Nigeria where each region controlled their resources and only paid taxes to the centre. This is what is called true federalism”.
The governor noted, in his lecture, that every state in Nigeria is blessed with natural and mineral resources as well as peculiar needs and should be allowed to harness their resources, manage them and develop at their own pace while contributing a percentage to the government at the centre.
“The nation must deliberately agree on the devolution of powers from the Federal Government to States, legally empower states to create Local Government Areas according to their financial strength, and the establishment of State Police to deal with cases of internal security”.
“Other issues include resource control, abrogation of Federal Allocation System, full Fiscal autonomy, and electoral reforms separating conduct of various election and resolution of disputes arising from election cases involving various courts”.
For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Diri said he wholeheartedly support the Nigerian state and its continuous unity and existence but there must be a shift in the political governance structure where federating units can freely operate and express themselves.
The rich lecture delivered by Governor Diri has reawakened the spirit of Nigerians to the reality that confront the people daily. Yes, from the lecture, new advocates of true federalism in Nigeria have been born.
As the nation strive for a more perfect union, the leaders at every level of government, particularly members of the National Assembly, must rise to the occasion to set in motion for a truly people-centred Constitution that will reflect the true principles of federalism.
Gov. Diri stated, “Consequently, we must rethink our future and build a political culture where the promise of federalism is not a mere illusion of unity, but a powerful catalyst that drives our passion for success and unlocks untapped potential.”
Indeed, the people are searching for a new Nigeria where every federating units and their people can evolve and innovate to develop at their own pace with the adoption of global practice of federalism.
Oredipe, is Director-General, New Media to the Governor.