Revisit: Regional System of Government

  

Revisit: Regional System of Government

Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu

We have talked about this many times over the years, the political framework of the country, and that discourse seemed to have reared up its head again during the open sore nationwide protest that further rocked an economy struggling to get out of the woods. That protest asked us, indeed, which political practice we have on the ground that is capable of attending to the multiplicity and complexity of a great country as the country we are positioned to lead and lead aright.

Over the years, it has become the same story, whenever there is any form of lopsidedness in any area of the country the part of the country that gets heavily pummeled is always the federal tier of governance, which continue to raises the question of whether we are practising a federal system of government or something in-between we are yet to address conclusively to deal with the kind of reactions we got from the recent nationwide protest.

Since our political position and direction have not been clearly defined, issues such as the ones raised during the protest would continue to stare at us in the face where the other tiers of government seemingly denying their duties and responsibilities to the citizens of their respective states, instead, continuously pointing their fingers to the federal arm of government to do the needful when the needful rears its face.

I still maintain that the time has come for this administration to revisit that discourse we had years ago about regionalism because I think and strongly believe it is the only path we have to walk to clear the avalanche of questions we have in our chest to resolve the cold, warm and sometimes hot reactions we get when any part of the country is heated up.

I have been advocating this, and I shall continue to echo it since that time we opened the book of regionalism and began to study it until we realised all its benefits despite the fact in all ideals there are challenges.

Where power is divided between a central authority and regional entities, such as provinces, states, or territories, backed by a strong constitution, I believe we are halfway to addressing the political or economic pitfalls in the country’s advancement.

With the recent protest and all the questions that were asked, with regionalism, the journey towards the promotion of decentralization in decision-making authority is distributed among regional entities, allowing for more localized governance dealt with. Besides, their regional autonomy is by fostered regions that have a degree of self-governance, enabling them to address unique local needs and concerns, by encouraging regional development by empowering regions aiming to stimulate economic growth, social progress, and cultural preservation. All these come down to improving representation leading to regional governments providing a closer connection between citizens and their representatives, ensuring more effective representation, and relieving the pressure being placed on the federal government.

What are the key characteristics of this practice? First, Division of powers: Clear separation of responsibilities between central and regional governments. Secondly, regional autonomy: Regions have control over specific areas, such as education, healthcare, or infrastructure. Thirdly, representation: Regional governments have elected representatives, ensuring accountability and citizen participation. Fourthly, funding: Regions often receive funding from the central government or have taxation powers to support local initiatives.

Regionalism can be broken into the aspects of Federalism [e.g., United States, Germany, Brazil], Confederation [e.g., Switzerland, Canada], Devolution [e.g., United Kingdom, Spain], or, Regionalization [e.g., France, Italy]. All these countries that are practising these different forms of a regional system of government may have their issues which they continue to attend to help by their developmental and progressive framework over time, Nigeria can borrow a leaf from these countries and allow it to breathe, especially in its political setting.

Though it may be a complex practice, especially from the point of view that we have not had a clear-cut definition of the political direction we want to go and it is a practice that could be in its infancy, nevertheless, once that decision is made we will begin to see key aspects as the:

1. Central Government: The national government is responsible for matters that affect the entire country, such as foreign policy, defence, and national infrastructure.
2. Regional Governments: Autonomous entities with varying levels of power, responsible for governing specific regions, provinces, or states.
3. Division of Powers: A clear separation of responsibilities between central and regional governments, ensuring that each level of government has distinct areas of authority.
4. Regional Autonomy: Regions have control over specific areas, such as education, healthcare, or infrastructure, allowing them to address local needs and concerns.
5. Representation: Regional governments have elected representatives, ensuring accountability and citizen participation in decision-making processes.

And what are the advantages of this practice once we decide to give it serious consideration?

1. Increased Local Control: Regional governments can respond more effectively to local needs and concerns.
2. Improved Representation: Citizens have a closer connection to their representatives, ensuring more effective representation.
3. Enhanced Regional Development: Regional governments can stimulate economic growth, social progress, and cultural preservation.
4. Better Resource Allocation: Resources can be allocated more efficiently, as regional governments have a deeper understanding of local needs.

 Challenges:

1. Coordination: Ensuring coordination and cooperation between central and regional governments can be challenging.
2. Funding: Regional governments may rely on central government funding, creating dependencies and potential conflicts.
3. Inequality: Regional disparities in resources, infrastructure, and opportunities can persist or even worsen.
4. Conflicts: Tensions between central and regional governments can arise, particularly if there are disagreements over power, resources, or policy.

A look into the various components of regionalism and their key characteristics.

First, Federalism:

1. Dual sovereignty: Both the federal government and regional governments have independent powers and spheres of authority.
2. Division of powers: Powers are divided between the federal government and regional governments, with each level having distinct areas of responsibility.
3. Autonomy: Regional governments have a degree of autonomy to manage their internal affairs.
4. Shared powers: Some powers are shared between the federal government and regional governments.

Advantages of federalism:

1. Promotes regional diversity: Allows regions to maintain their unique cultural, social, and economic characteristics.
2. Encourages local governance: Gives regional governments more control over local matters, allowing for more effective governance.
3. Provides checks and balances: Divided power helps prevent any one level of government from becoming too powerful.
4. Fosters cooperation: Encourages collaboration between federal and regional governments.

Examples of federal systems:

1. United States
2. Germany
3. Brazil
4. India
5. Canada

Overall, federalism offers a framework for balancing national unity with regional diversity, promoting local governance, and addressing unique regional needs.

Confederation

1. Member states retain sovereignty: Each state has significant autonomy and control over its internal affairs.
2. Central authority is weak: The central government has limited powers, and decision-making is often consensus-based.
3. Voluntary association: Member states can join or leave the confederation as they see fit.
4. Limited powers: The central government typically has powers only in areas such as foreign policy, defence, and trade.

Examples of confederations:

1. Switzerland: A confederation of 26 cantons with significant autonomy.
2. Canada (1867-1982): Initially a confederation of provinces, later transformed into a federal system.
3. United Arab Emirates: A confederation of seven emirates with significant autonomy.
4. European Union (some aspects): While not a traditional confederation, the EU has some confederal elements, such as member-state sovereignty and voluntary association.

Advantages of confederation:

1. Preserves state sovereignty: Member states maintain control over their internal affairs.
2. Flexibility: Confederations can be more adaptable to changing circumstances.
3. Promotes cooperation: Encourages collaboration among member states.

Devolution

Devolution aims to:

1. Decentralize power: Transfer decision-making authority from central to local governments.
2. Increase regional autonomy: Give local governments more control over their affairs.
3. Improve representation: Allow local governments to better represent their constituents' interests.
4. Enhance accountability: Make local governments more accountable to their constituents.

Types of devolution:

1. Administrative devolution: Transfer of administrative responsibilities.
2. Political devolution: Transfer of political power and decision-making authority.
3. Fiscal devolution: Transfer of financial resources and taxation powers.

Examples of devolution:

1. United Kingdom: Devolution to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
2. Spain: Devolution to autonomous communities.
3. Italy: Devolution to regions.
4. South Africa: Devolution to provinces.

Advantages of devolution:

1. Increased local control: Local governments can respond better to local needs.
2. Improved representation: Local governments can represent their constituents more effectively.
3. Enhanced accountability: Local governments are more accountable to their constituents.
4. Promotes regional development: Devolution can stimulate local economic growth.

Regionalization

The goal of regionalization is to:

1. Promote decentralization: Transfer power and decision-making authority from central to regional governments.
2. Foster regional development: Encourage economic growth, social progress, and cultural preservation in each region.
3. Improve representation: Allow regional governments to better represent the interests of their constituents.
4. Enhance accountability: Make regional governments more accountable to their constituents.

Types of regionalization:

1. Administrative regionalization: Division of a country into administrative regions for efficient governance.
2. Political regionalization: Creation of regional governments with political powers and representation.
3. Economic regionalization: Organization of economic activities and resources at the regional level.

 Examples of regionalization:

1. France: Division into 13 regions with elected councils and powers.
2. Italy: Division into 20 regions with autonomous powers.
3. Brazil: Division into 5 regions with economic and administrative powers.
4. China: Division into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, and 4 municipalities.

Advantages of regionalization:

1. Promotes regional identity: Fosters a sense of regional belonging and identity.
2. Encourages regional development: Stimulates economic growth and social progress in each region.
3. Improves governance: Allows for more effective and efficient governance at the regional level.
4. Enhances representation: Provides a stronger voice for regional interests.

Here's an overview of federalism in the United States, Germany, and Brazil:

• United States:
• Federal system established by the Constitution (1787)
• Power is divided between the federal government and 50 states
• Federal government responsible for:
• Foreign policy
• National defence
• Interstate commerce
• Federal laws

 States responsible for:

• Education
• Healthcare
• Transportation
• Law enforcement
• Strong tradition of state autonomy and local governance

Germany:

• The federal system established by the Basic Law (1949)
• Power is divided between the federal government (Bund) and 16 states (Länder)

Federal government responsible for:

• Foreign policy
• National defence
• Economic policy
• Social welfare

States responsible for:

• Education
• Culture
• Internal affairs
• Local governance
• Cooperative federalism, with strong collaboration between federal and state governments

Brazil:

• The federal system established by the Constitution (1988)
• Power is divided between the federal government and 26 states, plus the Federal District

Federal government responsible for:

• Foreign policy
• National defence
• Economic policy
• Social welfare

States responsible for:

• Education
• Healthcare
• Transportation
• Law enforcement
• Strong emphasis on decentralization and regional autonomy

All three countries have a federal system with power divided between central and regional governments and each has a constitution that outlines the division of powers

Applying a Regional System of Government to Nigeria can be beneficial in several ways:

1. Decentralization: Divide the country into regions, giving them autonomy to manage local affairs, resources, and development.
2. Regional Autonomy: Allow regions to have control over their resources, infrastructure, and economic development.
3. Improved Representation: Ensure that each region has a voice in the national government, promoting inclusivity and diversity.
4. Efficient Resource Allocation: Regions can manage resources more effectively, reducing waste and corruption.
5. Cultural Preservation: Regions can preserve their unique cultural identities and promote local traditions.
6. Economic Growth: Regions can develop their own economic strategies, promoting local industries and entrepreneurship.
7. Security: Regions can take ownership of security challenges, working with local communities to address issues.

Benefits for Nigerians:

1. Increased participation: Citizens have a greater say in local governance and decision-making.
2. Improved public services: Regions can provide better healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
3. Economic opportunities: Regions can create jobs and stimulate local economies.
4. Cultural preservation: Citizens can preserve their cultural heritage and traditions.
5. Security: Citizens feel safer with regional ownership of security challenges.
6. Accountability: Regional governments are more accountable to citizens.
7. National unity: Regions work together to promote national unity and cohesion.

Challenges and considerations:

1. Balancing regional autonomy with national unity
2. Addressing resource disparities between regions
3. Managing regional tensions and conflicts
4. Ensuring inclusive representation and participation
5. Building regional capacity and institutional frameworks
6. Addressing corruption and ensuring transparency
7. Fostering cooperation and collaboration between regions

By addressing these challenges and considerations, a Regional System of Government can bring numerous benefits to Nigeria and its citizens, promoting decentralization, regional autonomy, improved governance and the continual tension and pressure on the federal government, especially in times of crisis as we witnessed in the recent nationwide protest against bad governance.