Iju — OF all the various issues listed for discussion and resolution at the on-going National Political Reform Conference - Fiscal Federalism, Constitutional and Electoral Reforms, devolution of power and others, none seems as volatile and contentious as the matter of resource control.

Since the 1914 Amalgamation and the 1960 Nigerian Independence, this gathering of respectable, eminent and important statesman affords this nation a rare opportunity; provided they would be guided by fairness, justice and equity, to redesign some constitutional mechanism for managing our diversities and differences. Many Nigerians are therefore optimistic that with the calibre of conferees in attendance, the political landscape would definitely be re-defined and restructured in a direction that would strenghten the bonds of unity and assist good governance. This optimism might be wrongly placed except the rancourous issue of resource control is resolved to the satisfaction of all Nigerians. One important fact worth mentioning here is that participants in the conference are not representing the ethnic nationalities as advocated by many proponents of the conference, rather participants have merged, subsumed and reconciled the interests of ethnic nationalities within their geo-political zones. Particularly worthy of note are the groups banded together as the South - South, South-West South - East, North - Central and the Northern groupings which have flaunted particular agenda encampsulating their interests. While the first four geo-political zones mentioned are clamouring for regionalism and resource control, the Northern bloc is opposed to regionalism and resource control but want the status-quo ante.

But the opponents of resource control are quick to cite the period of Regional governments when resource or taxes from the sales of cocoa, palm oil, groundnut which were proceeds of the sweat of fairness made significant contributions to the national economy, and as such petroleum and gas should be managed for the common good.

Some of the positions being taken in respect of resource control at the National Reform Conference are dictated by selfish rather than altruistic reasons, while some are calling for the retention of the 13 per cent derivation fund as currently practised, some others are asking for gradual increases over a fifteen years period when it would peak at 50 per cent. Others are still asking for reduction without peak at qualms and in disregard to the plight of the inhabitants of the Niger - Delta who are made to bear the unfortunate brunt of gas flaring, widespread oil pollution which had done irreparable damage to their farmlands, fishing grounds and the total environment. The farming population of the Niger - Delta, as a result of the widespread environmental pollution have been rendered poor and jobless since the platform for practicing their traditional occupation of farming and fishing has been fouled and messed up. Therefore, considering the dramatic experiences of the inhabitants of the Niger - Delta from where the resources of this nation are being siphoned, something positive must be done to alleviate the suffering of the people.

The Abuja conference must exercise a lot of caution to avoid the resource control debate reducing into insignificance the apparent defects in the structure of the existing political arrangements. It is unfortunate that the Nigerian elite, not bothered about the problems of the excruciating poverty ravaging the land, shortage of essential housing and health facilities and dilapidated infrastructure and unemployment only see the Nigerian problems from their selfish prime. How sufficiently interested are the elite in the efficient functioning of the Federal system of government? From the trend of discussion at the National Reform Conference, most members fail to see that the format of government operated by a people have serious implications on the welfare of the people. Nigerians should know better that the dividends of democracy were better reaped and enjoyed under the past regional form of government. It is crystal clear that the excessive profiferations of states and local governments has induced serious poverty because 80% of the annual budgetary provisions at every level of government have been utilized provisions at every level of government have been utilized provisions at every level of government have been utilized for recurrent expenditure at the detriment of capital budgetary provision which should benefit over 98 per cent of the population. The point being made is that the agitation for and the arrangement for good governance ought to have take precedence over a system of government that would not be beneficial to the people. Whatever decision is taken on the terms of resource control, if the conference settles for a wasteful form of government, the poverty ravaging the land will never abate, particularly when month - watering salaries and allowances are paid to office holders, their appointees and hangers-on at the Federal, States and Local Government levels. The expensive presidential system of government has been extended from Federal, States to the local government levels, I wonder why it is not stretched to the family level when the man, wife and children are made to have individual pots of soup and all individual cooking utensils.

It must also be emphasized that whatever may be the decision on resource allocations; any projected increase between 13 per cent and 50 per cent in the face of corruption ravaging the land would not procure the much expected respite. It is unfortunate that the people of the Niger - Delta whose environment has been badly ravaged by pollution are being wrongly fed with the wrong impression that their underdevelopment, poverty and staunted growth are manifestations of their failure to control their resources resulting in under-funding; whereas the situation of underdevelopments has persisted because of the widespread corruption ravaging the Nigeria polity. What tenable reasons can be adduced for the ineffectiveness of the four or more development agencies, with a lot of resources experience on the lives of the people of the Niger-Delta, such as the Federal, State, Local governments, NDDC, the multi-national oil companies and numerous private developers? If these development and institutional organizations are made to invest in the available resources efficiently in these areas as they should do, the people should not be poor. Therefore, even if the resources available are increased, would corruption, inefficiency, and mismanagement of funds permit the area to be developed to the satisfaction of the populace? It is on record that no area of the Federation has anything positive to show for the oil wealth with which God has endowed this country for decades.

In as much as the Reform Conference is not packaged or designed to dismember or disintegrate the country, but to formulate the most appropriate and relevant institutional mechanism for managing diversity and differences, it must find ways of making legitimate structure of government at the levels of executive judiciary and legislature to grow, to become more dynamic and accountable and more capable of delivering service to the populace. The conference must ponder on the inequity and injustice in the structures of states and local governments in at the entire federation as a result of which revenue and resources have been unfairly distributed and allocated. It must be recalled that states and local government were arbitrarily created by the military in the past as a result of which many sections of the country were short-changed. An example that readily comes to mind is that of Lagos State whose population is larger than that of Kano State, while the one has only twenty - two local government councils, the latter has over 40 and consequently the revenue allocated to it from the Federation account is twice that of Lagos. All such industries must be redressed, and efforts should be made to discourage the impassion of regional or ethnical agenda above a Pan- Nigeria agenda that would be beneficial to the generality of the people.

There is no doubt that if there is a general determination by all those in position of responsibility to utilize the resources derivable from oil and gas to diversify the economy of this country and open up the mineral potentials of the nation, there would be improvement in the national economy to the benefit of the people. But where do we find the transparent, committed and non-partisan Nigerians to accomplish such feats? If the revenue from the Federation accounts is more judiciously used to meet the needs of the people, the struggle to control a lion's share of the resources of the nation would not be as fierce.