Federalism is the answer, after all – Part 41

The “reason of state,” that is, the rationale for the constitution of a political community is the protection of lives and property. When the state fails in this respect, the popular sovereignty will reconstitute itself in ways to avoid “the war of all against all.” This is presently the Nigerian condition. In the last few weeks, issues of security and protection of lives and property of citizens have dominated news headlines. Reportedly, three suspected armed robbers caught in the act were lynched by an angry mob in Owerri Ebiri, in the Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State. Mr. Abutu Yaro, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, confirmed the incident and condemned the “jungle justice” meted out to the suspects. As a prelude, the residents and traders in the location were said to be at the mercy of armed robbers with no succour from law enforcement agencies. However, the commissioner was said to have ordered an investigation of the cause of the incident in ways to prevent recurrence.
 
In Plateau State, two herders were reportedly killed in Furfum village, Jos East Local Government Area of the state. The victims were said to have gone to the village to pay compensation for a farm said to have been destroyed by cattle. In what appeared, a conflicting narrative, the state police command confirmed the lynching of the herdsmen by locals but noted that the command had received a report to the effect that some suspected kidnappers went to the residence of a retired military officer at Sabon Garin Fobur in Jos East LGA and kidnapped him. Unfortunately, the retired officer and one other person were killed by the hoodlums as a result of which police operatives, STF, local vigilantes and hunters were drafted to the area for possible arrest of the suspects. While the search for the hoodlums was ongoing, it occurred that three suspects were mobbed by locals leading to the death of two persons while the third was rescued by the police. However, the police said that a discreet investigation was being conducted.

There is so much arbitrariness in the land with investigations by the police force curiously ending in a cul-de-sac. It can be argued with a great deal of empirical evidence that the police formation has collapsed. Indeed, insecurity has become endemic to the country. What is worse, security management appears to be the only source of expenditure. Other sectors have to wait and suffer reverses even as results are few and far between.

The Brazilian federation exhibits what is meant by state policing in reality. In that country, the police service is under the control of the state governments. A new Nigeria deserves no less. The current population of Brazil, a federal state, is 213, 954, 487. In the same vein, Nigeria’s population stands at 208, 994, 835. Both are members of the Forum of Federations. Brazil is run as a federation while Nigeria is run as a unitary state. Brazil is a member of the influential powerful global markets BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) while Nigeria, which appears to be the only member of the Forum of Federations that is not adhering to the principles of Federalism in its state structure, is not a member of BRICS. Which means rebasing the economy alone through your own Bureau of Statistics without restructuring your federation to reflect practice of organic federalism isn’t enough to define greatness that the world will respect. That is why the world will not revere the most populous black nation in the world until it restructures its convoluted and complicated federation that is celebrating underserved backwardness and mediocrity even at the current Tokyo (2020/2021) Olympics.