As the National Conference gathered momentum in 2014, I did not just write in newspapers — I wrote then and submitted documents to the National Conference Secretariat — formal memoranda on downsizing behemoth federal structure.
Many Nigerians were making good contributions. Some argued for scrapping Presidential System because expensive, and reverting to Westminster Parliamentary model bequeathed by British Colonial Masters in 1960.
I argued then in my submission to National Conference Secretariat and in Sahara Reporters, Vanguard and many others on April 9, 2014: Although Presidential system is expensive, it is in this system that Democracy is best practiced because of separation of powers. In Parliamentary system, there is no separation of powers; rather, fusion of powers. Members of Executive are drawn from Parliament, and as such, no checks and balances. This system thrives in Britain because UK is a Monarchy where Her Majesty the Queen serves as Head of State and symbol of Unity and Sovereignty.
I warned then: Expensive must not mean behemoth. Federal structure must be downsized. My documents to National Conference Secretariat detailed how.
Upon invitation to serve in new government in 1999, I came with huge expectations and experience from preceding administration. Great expectations for equity, justice, peace. But those expectations diminished and evaporated. The behemoth I warned National Conference Secretariat about in 2014 was already visible in 2001 when Pastor E.A. Adeboye’s Democracy Day sermon at Villa Chapel became wake-up call.
I wrote then: “A country fixed together with falsehood can never progress.”
12 YEARS AFTER SUBMISSION TO NATIONAL CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT — HAVE WE DOWNSIZED?
From 2014 submission to 2026 — twelve years after National Conference Secretariat received my documents — have we downsized?
No. We upsized waste.
In my National Conference Secretariat submission I proposed: 36 states excessive weight — merge into 6 regional governments; House of Representatives resource-sapping but valueless — scrap wholly; Senate billions waste — trim to two per state = eight; Office of Vice President glorified errand boy — dissolve; Federal Ministries heavy burden — cut to eight max — headed by career civil servants, not clueless political appointees; Deputy Governor to be properly defined or junk it; no state more than eight ministries — career heads; each state no more than four Local Governments — four councilors — chair rotated every two years; term limits two terms; exclusive list cut to defence, foreign affairs, security, commerce, currency only; revenue formula inverse — oil states lion share.
Twelve years later, National Conference Secretariat report gathered dust — same behemoth: Federal 52.68%, states 26.72%, Local Governments 20.60% — feeding center, starving grassroots. Ministries increased, NASS billions, hunger native, unemployment second flag, naira in ICU. Career civil service sidelined. State police still debated. VAT, solid minerals, inland waterways centralized. Chapter 2 still non-justiciable. Plea bargain still shields looters.
Cost of governance killing productivity — my 2014 National Conference Secretariat submission prophesied it.
TURNED AROUND WITH 3Cs — For 66th Independence:
1. Conscience — Why we must downsize:
As Major General Mobolaji Koleosho PhD (RTD) reminded us: Way forward is to fear God and do right thing. Righteousness exalts a nation — Proverbs 14:34.
Conscience is platform, not ladder. Behemoth feeds patronage, not people. We suppress conscience for party loyalty — but judgement of God, as I wrote in Three Verdicts — published by Sahara Reporters — is not negotiable.
2. Competence — How to downsize — From National Conference Secretariat documents:
Competence is HOW to do what is right. My 2014 National Conference Secretariat submission blueprint remains competent solution: Cut exclusive list, enlarge concurrent — state police, state education, economy, taxation, health. Make revenue inverse — derivation lion share. Review 52.68% formula. Make Chapter 2 justiciable. Abolish plea bargain. Establish State Appeal and Supreme Courts final. Reduce Federal Ministries to eight — career heads. Devolve intra-state roads, inland waterways, lottery, solid minerals, VAT, PAYEE. Reduce legislatures by half, part-time. Curtail foreign trips, estacodes, security votes, entertainment. Stop governor pensions. Reduce PAs, SAs, vehicles. Break national grid to regional grids, gas infrastructure to private, deregulate downstream.
Lean center, productive federating units.
3. Character — Courage to downsize:
Courage when it costs you. History will remember who kept behemoth after receiving downsizing documents. Posterity will ask: Where were you when National Conference Secretariat received memos for lean government? Character asks: If decision becomes history, will I be proud?
As I wrote: History records decisions, courage, silence, sacrifice. Posterity will not forget. History teaches silence in face of injustice is complicity.
2027 — FLAWLESS ELECTION AS VEHICLE:
66th Independence must deliver 2027 flawless, transparent election — BVAS, IReV, real-time — no falsehood in figures. No behemoth rigged with falsehood can downsize itself. No election rigged with falsehood can produce truth. Open scrutiny is proof of leadership, not attack.
Roosevelt 1933: “Necessitous men are not free men.” Necessitous Nigerians at 66 not free — lean government is freedom.
DREAM:
Like MLK, I have dream — of Nigeria where my 2014 National Conference Secretariat submission finally implemented — 6 regions, minimal ministries, career civil service, state police, state courts, resource control, fiscal federalism — planting trees we may never sit under.
From 1999 outerbox huge expectations evaporated, to 2004 stepping down, to 2014 National Conference Secretariat submission, to 2020 Way Forward, to 2025 Three Verdicts, to 2026 archives — leaving fragments as Prof Pius Adesanmi posited — for archaeology.
Nigeria will rise — not by falsehood of big government — but by truth of lean government and righteousness — and flawless elections that produce down-sizers.
Arise O Compatriots — Downsize to Grow — For 2027.
Richard Olanrewaju Odusanya is Public Affairs Analyst and convener CIVICS ARCHIVES — WITNESS 2026. He served in engine room of 1999 transition and submitted formal memoranda to 2014 National Conference Secretariat on downsizing federal structure. Author of Federal Structure: Need To Downsize (Sahara Reporters April 9, 2014) and The Way Forward (Sahara Reporters August 20, 2020).
References:
2014 Original: https://saharareporters.com/2014/04/09/nigeria-federal-structure-need-downsize-richard-olanrewaju-odusanya
Way Forward 2020: https://saharareporters.com/2020/08/20/way-forward-richard-odusanya
Three Verdicts: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14z8Qqo89Zb/
Bridge: https://bit.ly/3V6uMN3
Pius Tribute: http://bit.ly/4xGLe3Y
