[size=18pt]African leaders tackle federalism in Addis Ababa[/size]

Wednesday, 15 December 2010 00:00 From Fred Eno, Addis Ababa News - National




FACED with crises, corruption and stalled development, Africa is seeking a fresh path to good governance and federalism is the continent’s watchword in this search.

The fifth International Conference on Federalism, the bi-yearly gathering of the Forum of Federations and the Global Network on Federalism, which opened in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa on Monday, has offered African leaders the opportunity to review the benefits that would accrue to the nations that embrace federalism. The theme of this year’s conference is “Equality and unity in diversity for development.” It is the first time the conference is being held in Africa since its initiation in 1999 in Mt. Tremblant, Canada.

Though Nigeria, under the Presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo was actively involved in the establishment of the forum and the global network, several delegates and journalists wondered loudly at the absence of any official representation from Nigeria at the opening of the event on Monday, which had both the Prime Minister and President of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi and Girma Wolde-Giorgis in that order present.

Also present were Presidents Omar Al Bashir of Sudan, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Abdoulaye Mohamed Abdoulaye of Somalia and the Prime Minister of Tanzania, Mizengo Peter Pinda along with senior level delegations from 48 countries and federations across the world.

But Nigeria’s conspicuous absence was to be short-lived as Obasanjo made a grand presence at the start of the conference proper yesterday morning when he showed up at the conference venue. The conference organisers had to change the programme of events, and the former president, though insisting he was attending the conference in his “private capacity as one to whom true federalism is dear to his heart,” will be delivering a keynote speech on federalism today.

Speaking to reporters, the former president said: “Federalism traverses different levels of governance and government, and there is virtually no country in the world that is not involved.” Obasanjo added that “may be the name will have to change slightly because not all countries or nations that are interested are true federalist, but they are all countries of diversity, and there is no country that does not want or need unity. So all the things we are saying and doing here are relevant to virtually all countries.”

On the federalism experiment in Ethiopia, Obasanjo was forthright in his praise for the government of Zenawi. Ethiopia has done “wonderfully well. Wonderfully well because it has identified and recognised the realities of Ethiopia, that you have many nations in one nation, and each has its own self-respect, their own cultural identity, which gives them a feeling of belonging within the larger context. This extends to the economy directly, because what Ethiopia is doing now involves popular participation in all spheres, not just politically, but also culturally, socially and economically,” he said.

He said he will comment on Nigeria specifically in his speech today, prompting the elated Nigerian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Nkoyo Toyo, to dub it “Nigeria’s Day,” as two case studies on federalism in Nigeria are also scheduled for delivery today. The first is on Nigeria’s federalism and the democratisation process and the second will be on fiscal federalism in Nigeria. Obasanjo was accompanied by Dr. Julius Ehomvire and other senior aides.

Earlier in his keynote address during the opening of the session, Zenawi described the conference as the “school of democratic federalism for all of us.” Meles said Ethiopia’s failure in the management of its diversity in the past was an existential threat that “put us backward even as one of the oldest states on earth.” He said “therefore, seeing the benefits of our experiment with democratic federalism, we are confident we are on the right path. It has empowered the people in the management of their own affairs and has enabled us to forge a common national identity.” Ethiopia, he said, “has the most equitable economy on the continent because of democratic federalism.”

No comment was made about the presence of Al Bashir at the ceremony, despite the international warrant of arrest against the Sudanese leader still in force. In fact, Al Bashir was invited to deliver a speech after Meles spoke, and the Sudanese leader was confident as he listed the series of “strategic and vital statistics” that the federal system in Sudan had achieved. Most significantly, however, was his declaration that his government was ready to accept the results of the referendum, “while still working to achieve the unity of our country in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).”


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