Asaba Resolutions: Contesting blocs should put the interest of the Federation forward

The recent resolution of Southern State Governors under the aegis of the Southern Governors Forum, is one recent political subject raising concerns with reactions from various quarters. It is apparent that the development has begun to tear apart and raise formations with build up of political blocs. While some blocs have commended the move of the Governors, some have taken critical positions against the resolutions. It would be recalled that the Governors in the South under the aegis of the Southern Governors Forum, reconvened last week in Asaba, following an earlier virtual meeting. The Asaba meeting which lasted for over four hours was attended by 15 out of the 17 Governors in the region where far-reaching decisions  aimed at tackling the worsening records of insecurity in the Country were reached. Among the decisions reached by the Governors bothered on resolutions on the ban of open grazing in the South, restructuring of the Federation, respect for Federal Character, the sanctity of the unity of the Country, State Police and Convocation of a national dialogue.

Flags that the recent development have begun to tear apart lawmakers into blocs within both chambers of the National Assembly is taking turn. The division by perspective of interests is taking a deep turn among those who believe their region is particularly disadvantaged by the prevailing status quo and thus demanding a change in social and political formations, and those who are better satisfied with the status quo. Lawmakers from the North Central whose region have apparently suffered huge brunt from the escalation of social menaces such as the escapades of herdsmen have been reportedly noted to be bending towards a bloc in support of the recent resolutions which among others, seek to stop the operations of open grazing which has for long been a channel by which mischievous elements among nomads have been unleashing terror across States in the Federation.

The fact that the Federation has been plunged in the web of social deformities by the scourge of insecurity which has rendered the fabrics of societal formations restless, is too glaring to be disputed. Since, it appears the Federal Government is seemingly too far away to attend to some of these matters as local issues that may be assuming some peculiar dimensions across States or better still, geo-political zones or regional basis, the need for the Governors as the Chief Security Officers of their respective States to rise to the challenge may never be a subject that may be contested. Hence, the convergence of Governors along regional lines may be justifiable based on the need to address matters bearing resemblance across the region which demands approaches which are unifiable within their domain.

The fact of the necessity to take governance in the Country to the height of proactive orientations is indisputable. The years of the prevailing reactive orientation of governance have only led the entire Federation to the precipitating state of chaos which have caught the entire Country in the web of entanglements which in turn have debilitated the formative fabrics of the society. It will thus be insensitive on the part of the Southern Governors, if they hold forth till apparent threats collide with other social ills to brew forces of strings informing unmanageable situations as it is being experienced presently in the Northern part of the Country.

It would be indisputable that the worsening and escalation of banditry and terrorism in the North never rose to the height of brewing storms in a night, but rather the menace was only an extension of the offshoot of seasons of insensitive disposition of the appropriate authorities to respond decisively to signals of security threats. Hence, the posture of docility to security intelligence was a deficient approach to governance which has only plunged the entire Country into crisis. It is glaring that the storms of insecurity in the North have largely portend various socio-economic and political impacts across the Federation. Since the Country is a Federal system where States are bonded by the central, it becomes unavoidable that the extension of such impacts from one part of the Country to another is not far from perspective.

The deployment of human and economic resources to attend to fatalities from attacks as well as sponsoring of military operations are loading channels expenditures, sapping resources which naturally should be directed across States for even development. Hence, the need for the Governors to take proactive and decisive measures to secure their respective States and under a larger umbrella their region, cannot be argued to be unnecessary. Such move is essential to avoid the extension of security menaces currently suffered from some parts of the Country to other parts at uncontrollable levels which have the tendencies to entirely  break down the entire fabrics of the Federation. Hence, it is important for all stakeholders across board within the political architecture to give reason to perspectives and thoughts in the interest of the possibilities of the continued existence of the Federation, rather than reducing the necessity to myopic perspectives informed by arguments which with depth of consideration may be informed by sectional interests against the broad long term interest of the Federation.