“Yinka was a fighter. He was unapologetic about his pursuit of restructuring. We will continue to pursue those things Yinka pursued laboriously until we have a Nigeria that serves all Nigerians. We must not succumb to the agitation for secession.” – Dr. Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti State.
Sir: Two critical issues of national importance that reverberated from Osun, his home state and echoed across the country and beyond in April 2021 after he was laid to rest from the ambits of our wicked world were those of restructuring and good governance. Incidentally, these twin political paradigms, which couched the fanciful electioneering campaign promises made by not a few of our political actors-from the period of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) – still remain some elusive rainbow as at this day. One is talking of course, about none other than the passionate patriot, activist extraordinary and torch bearer of timeless Truth, Oluyinka Odumakin (now of blessed memory).
Interestingly, these two issues came up to the public sphere a few weeks back during Odumakin’s First Year Anniversary and the launching of a Foundation in his honour as well as that of a fitting biography, titled ‘Comrade’ written by his wife, Dr. Joe Okei Odumakin. There are significant lessons to learn from Odumakin’s thoughts on political restructuring as the way forward for our embattled nation.
For instance, have you given a thought to the way out of the only democratic government in the world where state governors go cap-in-hand every blessed month to the centre to take their shares from the so called federation account? It comes more like a freebie which they hardly account for, leaving the long-suffering workers and pensioners stewing in their own hell on earth, with many heading to their early graves? Have you wondered why the minimum wage has become a mirage, with some workers taking some insulting percentages of what they have duly worked hard for? What about our fragile unity going to the tatters, with the patently obvious marginalised Igbos calling for the presidency to be zoned to the South-East geo-political zone, to avert the steaming danger of disunity? Yet, more questions stare us fully in the face.
How, for God’s sake would you explain to the younger generation that we should continue with this manner of a dysfunctional government of the rich by the rich and for the rich when education is thrown to the shadows? How do you explain the long-winding ASUU strike when the demands by the patriotic lecturers still staying back in the country are denied peanuts compared to the billions of public funds being openly squandered by the political elite? And how would the much-maligned ‘lazy youths’ to repay the humungous debts that have risen to N39.55 trillion as at December 2021? This represents a N1.55 trillion or 4.1 per cent increase in three months!
The answer hangs on the balance of restructuring of the polity catalyzed with true, fiscal federalism, as canvassed by Odumakin when he was here with us.
Ayo Oyoze Baje.
