The June 18 meeting of the National Council of State and the nation-wide broadcast by President Olusegun Obasanjo, later in the day, did not in any way detract from the air of expectancy that pervades the entire society today. If anything, they were an affirmation that the preoccupations of constitutional experts, leaders of thought and analysts in the past few days, urging an expeditious re-evaluation of the foundations of our nationhood, are valid concerns of the polity, and that constructive engagement of relevant forces is indeed feasible.

The Council, comprising former Heads of State, the sitting President, all governors and others, unanimously approved a proposal by government for a comprehensive review of the local government system – its structure and roles and related matters. Pursuant to that, the President who, in his address, claimed that ``successive councils have grossly under-performed’’, has constituted an 11-member technical committee headed by Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Umaru Sanda Ndayako, to study all aspects of governance and to make appropriate recommendations for the review of the Constitution as would accommodate the restructuring of the local councils.

Gradually and assuredly, this, the State and a critical segment of opinion leaders are approaching a convergence, long cherished but elusive. A review of the Constitution to, among other things, exclude the third tier from the revenue allocation formula, as intended, is a remarkable step toward equity, the rallying-cry of all crusaders of true federalism. One hideous legacy of the dictatorial past, which generated so much disaffection among federating units on account of its manifest arbitrariness, shall have been obviated, some harmony restored, and a clearer conception of the nation’s ultimate goals secured.

The terms of reference of the technical committee, spanning all aspects of governance, suggest that issues hitherto canvassed as subject matter for a dreamt-of Sovereign National Conference (SNC) are on the cards. The envisaged constitution review would hopefully address the nagging issue of devolution of powers from the centre to the constituent parts, particularly the states. These political units have to be strengthened to operate effectively as the building blocks of our ideal federation. Popular expectation is that there would be a drastic transportation of items from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List and individual states would be in a position to plan and develop their resources at their respective paces. That, precisely, was the arrangement the founding fathers of our nation bequeathed for a stable, prosperous polity. Nothing new.

As we commend this worthwhile initiative of the government, we have to emphasise that constitution review is a project of uncommon complexity and importance. The authorities have to deploy consummate skill and resources to ensure that at every point of the exercise, citizens are adequately informed and convinced about the desirability of the steps. Sovereignty, as the saying goes, belongs to the people. They have to be made to appreciate that the spirit of give-and-take is crucial, if we must discard the unwholesome and enervating a contraptions the military have foisted on the nation since their unfortunate incursion into governance 37 years ago. May our leaders at every level of society remain focused and dedicated as we forge ahead.