The 2007 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Chief Convener of the Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government, Pat Utomi, during an interview with The Punch correspondent, spoke on the controversies trailing the formation of his coalition, and other national issues.
When he was asked if he think Nigeria’s current federal structure enables or hinders effective governance and development, Pat Utomi stated that while he was not particularly concerned about the extent of the President’s powers in Nigeria, he believed the President was far too powerful. According to him, such concentration of power often resulted in dysfunctions in execution, as the President was unable to manage the country effectively.
He pointed out that Nigeria had made notable progress in the 1950s and 1960s when the nation operated a federal system of government. However, he explained that once the military took control, they lacked the capacity to manage federalism and opted instead to centralize power, which led to a decline in productivity at the regional level.
He noted that most of Nigeria’s economic growth during the First Republic was driven by sub-national governments. By 1956, he said, as demands for self-government gained momentum, Nigeria had very few manufacturing enterprises—possibly only two factories. But between 1957 and 1960, manufacturing grew to account for 20% of the country’s GDP. He attributed this rapid transformation to the dedication and seriousness of politicians at the time, describing them as individuals committed to public service, many of whom went about their duties using bicycles.
Further talking, he said, “Onyeka Onwenu’s father was a principal of a school in Port Harcourt when he was in the federal parliament. He was running around on his bicycle. That was a federal legislator that lived in a time when manufacturing GDP went from next to zero to 20% of GDP. Look at the current federal legislators and what they give to themselves when everything is going backwards. You will then understand why Nigeria is where it is.”
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