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Tag: restructuring

  • Ohanaeze: restructuring way forward for Nigeria

    Ohanaeze: restructuring way forward for Nigeria

    The Igbo have voted for the restructuring of Nigeria, saying it is the way out of its problems. Besides, Ohanaeze, Ndigbo’s apex cultural and political organisation, yesterday rejected the declaration of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation. It described the action as “unfair, discriminatory and overhanded.”

    Ohanaeze’s President-General John Nnia Nwodo said the Southeast had been over policed to intimidate and hold down the Igbo.

    According to him, the endurance of the Igbo is being stretched beyond elastic limit.

    He said despite the October 1 quit notice given to the Igbo in the North, the Arewa Youths Council, which issued the deadline, was treated with kid gloves.

    Nwodo insisted that restructuring the country was the  way out of its problems.

    He said the agitation for restructuring was not anti-North. It was all at a lecture at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London.

    In the text, which was released to repoprters in Abuja by Nwodo’s Media Adviser Ike Abonyi, the Ohanaeze President said “never in the history of Nigeria has there been unanimity for the reshaping of the country as it is now”.

    Nwodo said: “The declaration of IPOB as a terrorist organization is in my view hurried, unfair, and not in conformity with the intendment of the law.

    “Whereas I am not completely in agreement with some of the methods of IPOB, like its inappropriate and divisive broadcast, the uncontested evidence given by the Attorney-General of the Federation in an interlocutory action claiming that IPOB attempted and/or actually snatched guns from law enforcement agents are, if proven, merely criminal offences.

    “They do not constitute enough evidence to meet international law definitions of a terrorist organisation. Happily, the United States Embassy in Nigeria only three days ago shared this conclusion and asserted that the United States Government does not recognise IPOB as a terrorist organisation.

    “This same unarmed IPOB that is being stigmatised by the Nigerian government had its members murdered in Asaba, Nkpor, Aba and Port Harcourt simply for having public demonstrations without the Federal Government ordering a judicial inquiry.

    “Instead, after I called for one and Amnesty International provided evidence that 150 of them were killed, the Chief of Army Staff set up an inquiry composed of serving and retired army officers, thus abandoning the rules of natural justice which prescribes that you cannot be a judge in your own court.”

    Nwodo spoke on the mindset of the Igbo on the proscription of IPOB. He said: “The Igbo in Nigeria feel the treatment of IPOB as unfair, discriminatory and overhanded. They see the move as an attempt to encourage a profiling of Igbos in the international security arena.

    “We know of other self-determination groups in Nigeria that are armed and have destroyed government and private sector installations and wells that government prefers to negotiate with rather than label them as terrorist organisations.

    “Fulani herdsmen, otherwise called the Fulani militants, have ravaged farms in Middle Belt, South West, and South Eastern Nigeria, killing several farmers in the process. In January 2016, they killed 500 farmers and their families in Agatu in Benue state. In Enugu State,

    they murdered more than 100 farmers in Ukpabi Nimbo in April 2016.

    “Photographs depicting them with automatic rifles trend in the entire world media, yet not one of them is facing criminal charges, nor is Operation Python Dance being conducted in the areas where they ravage and kill and the Federal Government describes them as criminals and not a terrorist organization, notwithstanding their classification by the Global Terrorist Index as the fourth deadliest terrorist group in the world (see British Independent Newspaper, 18th November 2015). The London Guardian Newspaper of 12th July 2016 indicated that Fulani herdsmen killed 1000 people in 2014.”

    The Ohanaeze President declared that the endurance of the Igbo was being overstretched.

    He said: “In Nigeria, Ndigbo, whose social-cultural organisation I lead are, notwithstanding their historical experiences in Nigeria, the most loyal ethnic group to the concept of one Nigeria.

    “We are the largest ethnic group other than the indigenous group in any part of Nigeria. We invest and contribute to the economic and social life of the communities wherever we live. We are proudly Christians but very accommodating of our brothers of other religious persuasions.

    “We are grossly marginalised and still treated by the Federal Government as second-class citizens. No Igbo man, for instance, heads any security arm of the Nigerian Armed Forces. Our area is the most heavily policed as if there was a deliberate policy to intimidate us and hold us down.

    “Our endurance has been stretched beyond Hooke’s gauge for elastic limit. The deployment of the Nigerian Army under the guise of Operation Python Dance to the South East was unconstitutional under Section 271 of the 1999 Constitution.

    “Deployment of the army is only allowed in circumstances of insurrection, terrorism and external aggression, not in killing of priests, or fighting kidnapping. And in those circumstances where they can be deployed, leave of the Senate must be sought. This brazen impunity in dealing with matters which concern the South East is provocative.”

    Nwodo went on: “The Arewa Youths Council, by issuing a quit notice for Igbos to leave Northern Nigeria and declaring a Federal Republic of Nigeria without Igboland, had committed serious infractions of the law. First by declaring a new Republic of Nigeria which excises the South East unilaterally, they were committing treason.”

    He said the agitation for restructuring was not anti-North as being speculated by some Nigerians.

    His words: “The only hope for change in Nigeria today is the rising call for restructuring pioneered by the Southern leadership forum, supported lately by ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former President Ibrahim Babangida and leaders of the Middle Belt including Dan Suleiman and Prof. Jerry Gana.

    “Our expectation is that now that our President is fully recovered and back to work, he will address the situation by constituting a nationwide conversation of all ethnic nationalities to look into the 2014 National Conference report and the trending views on this subject

    matter so as to come up with a consensus proposal that the national and state assemblies will be persuaded to adopt.

    “A model based on sharing of Government revenue must give way to a new structure that will challenge and drive productivity in different regions across the country.

    “Restructuring will devote attention to the new wealth areas, promote competition and productivity as the new federating units struggle to survive. It will drastically reduce corruption as the large federal parastatals which gulp Government revenue for little or no impact dissolve and give way to small and viable organs in the new federating units.”

    The Ohanaeze chief gave a picture of what Nigeria would assume after its proposed model of restructuring.

    “Two basic models have been canvassed for restructuring in Nigeria. A conservative model aimed at maintaining the status quo has been proposed to mean simply a shedding of some of the exclusive powers of the Federal Government.

    “The second model calls for a fundamental devolution of powers to the States as federating units and a lean Federal Government with exclusive powers for defence, customs, immigration, foreign relations and a federal legislature and judiciary to make and interpret laws in these exclusive areas.

    “The regions will have the powers to merge existing states or create new ones. There will be regional and state legislatures and judiciary dealing with making and interpreting laws made in the respective political entities. This approach proposes a revenue sharing formula of 15% to the Federal Government, 35% to the State Government and 50% to the Local Governments.”

    Nwodo blamed the All Progressives Congress(APC) and other parties for not paying attention to restructuring. “To make matters worse, none of the other political parties has come up with any clear-cut route for achieving a consensus on this matter.

    “The National Assembly itself is a reflection of the deep ethnic divisions in the country and the Northern majority conferred on it by the military makes it highly unacceptable to Southern Nigeria.”

  • Nigeria ripe for restructuring, says Ohanaeze

    Nigeria ripe for restructuring, says Ohanaeze

    …Says terrorist tag on IPOB unfair, discriminatory

    The Igbo apex organization, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Wednesday said Nigeria is ripe for restructuring because  various indicators in the country points to it (restructuring).

    President-General of the group, Chief John Nwodo, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Chief Nwodo, in a paper titled “Restructuring Nigeria: Decentralization for National Cohesion,” and delivered at Chatham House, London, said the present structure had failed because it was not created by Nigerians.

    He said the south and parts of the middle belt region in the north were unanimously in support of restructuring the country.

    He said the disenchantment in the country over the existing structure would be gloomy if the desires of majority of the people are not met or continue to be deliberately ignored.

    Chief Nwodo called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rise up to the challenge and lead the process of restructuring Nigeria.

    He said: “A model based on sharing of government revenue must give way to a new structure that will challenge and drive productivity in different regions across the country. This new model must take into account that the factors driving productivity in today’s world are no longer driven by fossil oil but rather the proliferation of a knowledge-based economy.

    “The restructuring of Nigeria into smaller and independent federations limits and the devolution of powers to these federating units to control exclusively their human capital development, mineral resources, agriculture, and power (albeit with an obligation to contribute to the federal government) is the only way to salvage our fledging economy.

    “Restructuring will devote attention to the new wealth areas, promote competition and productivity as the new federating units struggle to survive. It will drastically reduce corruption as the large federal parastatals which gulp Government revenue for little or no impact dissolve and give way to small and viable organs in the new federating units.

    “Those campaigning against restructuring in Nigeria have painted an unfortunate and untrue picture that those of us in support of restructuring are doing so in order to deny the Northern States who have not yet any proven oil reserves of the ability to survive. This is unfortunate.

    “The new model we propose for Nigeria recognizes that revenue in the world today is promoted by two main sources namely, human capital development leveraging on technology to drive the critical sectors of the economy and agriculture.”

    Chief Nwodo, criticized the federal government for declaring the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) as terrorists organization when their activities do not merit them such status.

    He accused the government of overlooking the activities of more dangerous armed militant groups such as the Fulani herdsmen, which he said the government branded criminals.

    “The declaration of IPOB as a terrorist organisation is in my view hurried, unfair, and not in conformity with the intendment of the law. The Igbos in Nigeria feel the treatment of IPOB as unfair, discriminatory and overhanded. They see the move as an attempt to encourage a profiling of Igbos in the international security arena.

    “We know of other self-determination groups in Nigeria that are armed and have destroyed government and private sector installations and wells that government prefers to negotiate with rather than label them as terrorist organizations.

    “Whereas I am not completely in agreement with some of the methods of IPOB like its inappropriate and divisive broadcast, the uncontested evidence given by the Attorney General of the Federation in an interlocutory action claiming that IPOB attempted and/or actually snatched guns from law enforcement agents are, if proven, merely criminal offences.

    “They do not constitute enough evidence to meet international law definitions of a terrorist organisation. Happily, the United States Embassy in Nigeria only three days ago shared this conclusion and asserted that the United States Government does not recognise IPOB as a terrorist organisation.

    “This same unarmed IPOB that is being stigmatized by the Nigerian government had its members murdered in Asaba, Nkpor, Aba and Port Harcourt simply for having public demonstrations without the federal government ordering a judicial inquiry.

    “Instead, after I called for one and Amnesty International provided evidence that 150 of them were killed, the Chief of Army Staff set up an inquiry composed of serving and retired army officers thus abandoning the rules of natural justice which prescribes that you cannot be a judge in your own court,” he said.

    Speaking on the deployment of federal troops to the south east, Nwodo said: “Our endurance has been stretched beyond Hooke’s gauge for elastic limit.

    “The deployment of the Nigerian Army under the guise of Operation Python dance to the South East was unconstitutional under S. 271 of the 1999 Constitution. It is intended to provoke our people.

    The deployment of the army is only allowed in circumstances of insurrection, terrorism and external aggression not in killing of priests, or fighting kidnapping. And in those circumstances where they can be deployed, leave of the Senate must be sought.

    “This brazen impunity in dealing with matters which concern the South East is provocative.” he added.

    The discourse at Chatham house was witnessed by a cross section of Nigerians resident in Uk as well as the Obi of Onitsha Igwe Achebe.

  • Nigeria’s restructuring is a must – Clark

    Nigeria’s restructuring is a must – Clark

    Ijaw Leader,  Chief Edwin Clark has declared that restructuring of Nigeria is a must for economic growth and development.
    Clark, a former national commissioner who addressed the press in Abuja on Wednesday on the perceived lopsidedness in the federal government owned oil companies, said the country cannot continue as it is now.
    He said a situation where states continue to come to Abuja monthly to collect money is very bad.
    “When we restructure this country, you look at what you produce in your area. What is going on today is very very bad. It is not good enough, where people leave their states to Abuja to collect money without knowing where that money comes from. They don’t want to look back.
    ” In our last constitutional conference, we said that five per cent of our fund should be devoted to exploring other mineral resources.
    “Tell me one state in this country that can pay the salaries of their staff. Is it not a shame? Is that a country?  where states go to beg for money and at the end, he who pays the piper, dictates the tunes. So you are making the Federal Government more powerful. That is why devolution of powers is very very necessary.
    “But let us have a restructuring of this country. So that I know what is been produced in my area, you know what is been produced in your area so therefore if your state is not viable continuously dissolve it, join other people. We can not continue like this. Work for twelve months, working and have no pay. Nobody will take it, that is not a country, we are not running.
    “When people are talking about restructuring they know what they are talking about. We must restructure this country. And I am happy that everybody is now talking about restructuring. We are not talking restructuring to make some people our enemies or their enemies. Restructuring has been going on since 1945 in this country.
    “From Richard constitution to Macpherson  constitution,  to Littleton constitution, to independence.  Even during the military. Constituent assembly were held all for restructuring. Let them create a better Nigeria for all of us, for our children in particular.”
    Speaking on the perceived injustice and lopsidedness of appointment in NNPC and it’s subsidiaries which tends to favor the northern part of the country, Clark  insisted that recent appointments must be reversed for justice.
    He argued that a situation where the North corners 36 positions out of 55 as against 19 for the entire South is not acceptable.
    He therefore urged President Muhammadu Buhari to correct the lopsided in the appointments.
    He berated NNPC for deceiving the people in it’s  refutal of the allegation of lopsidedness in appointments.
  • Restructuring: Reps vow not to surrender power

    Restructuring: Reps vow not to surrender power

    • Agbakoba: the power is Buhari’s
    • Power devolution back on agenda

    The battle for restructuring took another shape yesterday, with lawmakers insisting that the task is within their power.

    In fact, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara said they would not surrender their power to make laws, including one that will pave the way for the restructuring of the country.

    But a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), said President Muhammadu Buhari is constitutionally vested with the power to restructure the country.

    The President during his broadcast to the nation on his return from his 103 days medical vacation frowned at the level of agitation  in the country and said the National Assembly and the Council of State were empowered to restructure the country.

    Agbakoba disagreed. He said “The President has delegated the responsibility to restructure Nigeria to the National Assembly and Council of State.

    “But, this responsibility cannot be delegated. Section 5 of the Constitution vests the President with executive powers of the federation and this includes the power to restructure Nigeria.”

    But Dogara said the National Assembly would not be intimidated into abandoning its  legislative duties of providing a platform for Nigerians to agree or disagree on any proposed legislative measure.

    According to him, all the arguments about restructuring are legislative issues that would be dealt with through a constitution review.

    He backed an equitably restructured but  united Nigeria, saying those who want to agitate should do so within the ambit of the law.

    Dogara spoke on the first day of resumption after a two month recess by the lawmakers.

    Senators, who also resumed yesterday, pledged their unalloyed support for Nigeria’s indivisibility after a lengthy executive session.

    Dogara said: ”We would work shoulder to shoulder with all those working within the ambit of the constitution and the law for all Nigerians, regardless of creed or ethnicity, to be first class citizens as no nation can truly be first class if it harbours within its borders second or third class citizens.

    “Do we have a legislative response to the issues that have been thrown up?

    “Is the National Assembly involved in the debate? Can restructuring take place outside the existing legal order?

    “Indeed all the arguments about restructuring are at the end of the day, legislative issues.

    “It may be necessary in due course for the National Assembly to have a second look at the issues that have been thrown up.”

    The House declared its readiness to re-open the consideration of the devolution of power bill, which it threw out during the voting on the Constitution Amendment Bill but which many Nigerians and states seem to favour.

    The House said the purpose of the resolution to revisit the issue was to reduce tension in the polity and cement the country’s unity.

    The resolution followed the adoption of the prayers of a motion of urgent National importance brought by House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila.

    The House also resolved to immediately set up a committee to liaise with all stakeholders across the six geopolitical zones for practical solutions to the unity of Nigeria.”

    The committee, led by Deputy Speaker Yusuff Lasun, has  all other members of the House leadership as members.

    Othe members are the Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Nnena Elendu- Ukeje and Hon. Bode Ayorinde, Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business.

    The committee was given the mandate to go to all the geo-political zones and meet with the governors, traditional rulers, youth groups, civil society organisations, among others, and bring back a report for consideration and adoption.

    On the Non Governmental Organisations (NGO) Bill, Dogara pointed out that since NGOs had always promoted openness and transparency,  they should embrace this opportunity to interrogate the bill with open arms.

    He condemned attempts to misinform the public on the Bill by the NGOs, saying, “Public criticism of the content of the Bill is a welcome development and there are many who are doing just that.

    “Indeed, it is the reason why every Bill is subjected to public hearing so that the inputs of stakeholders can be obtained to ensure public buy-in.

    “I hasten to say that all Nigerians and other corporate persons, including non-Nigerians, are stakeholders and have a right to support or oppose a Bill.

    The Presidency praised the House on its resolve to keep Nigeria united.

    Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Reps) Hon. Suleiman Kawu, in a statement, said: “May I use this opportunity commend the 360 members of the House for unanimously passing a resolution to work for the unity of Nigeria in the face of daunting challenges and threats by certain groups, who are bent on causing disharmony and dis-unity among Nigerians.

    “Indeed, there is no better time to come out with such a strong position like now. In the same vein, the lawmakers resolved to work with Mr President for one Nigeria so as to take the country to the next level of development is laudable.

    “I wish to assure the lawmakers, under the leadership of Mr Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, that Mr President remains resolute and committed to bringing the change he promised Nigerians in different facets of our lives. Thus, he needs the support of the House to achieve this.”

     

  • We’re committed to restructuring, says Ambode

    Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode has reiterated the state’s commitment to the call for restructuring of the country.

    The governor said the position of the state remained the same, as stipulated in the All Progressives Congress (APC) manifesto.

    He assured the residents that the state was committed to fulfilling the stipulations in the party’s manifesto.

    Ambode, who spoke yesterday at the unveiling of the statue of the former Premier of the defunct Western Region, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, at Ikeja, the state capital.

    The governor said the story of the struggle, which led to the nation’s Independence on October 1 in 1960 would not be complete without including the mane of the late Pa Awolowo.

    He said the commitments of the late sage to the growth and development of Nigeria was further demonstrated during the post-independence era.

    Ambode said: “The position of Lagos State on restructuring remains the same, as stipulated in the manifesto of our great party, APC, which states that ‘the APC shall initiate action to amend the constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties and responsibilities to states and local governments in order to entrench true federalism and a federal spirit’; hence, we welcome the Restructuring Committee of APC presently going round the country. “We, as a people, are serious in making sure that this part of the party manifesto comes to pass.”

    The governor noted that the giant statue created by an artist, Mr. Hamza Atta, at the roundabout on Lateef Jakande/Obafemi Awolowo Way interception, is erected by the state government to celebrate the legendary achievements and contributions of the late Awolowo.

    According to him, the statue is not about beautifying the environment or serving as a tourist attraction, but more as a constant reminder to the present and future generations on the need to value the sacrifices of the nation’s heroes and strive to promote the ideals they stood for.

  • Restructuring: Letter to APC

    SIR: I commend the committee on restructuring Nigeria, of the All Progressives Congress, headed by the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, given some of the feelers emerging there-from. There is no doubt that objection to merging of states and local governments is selfish on the part of those concerned. If you consider that the entire Nigeria is not more than some three large states in America, you will have no problem with the idea that we should go back to regional/district governments of the past, somehow.

    Some governors object to state-merging because they don’t care about workers owed several months of unpaid salaries and emoluments; paucity of infrastructure, and very high debts that nobody knows how they will be paid. If the entire Nigeria is not bigger than some three large states in the USA, why should Nigeria have more than six regions or states?

    Numerous states and local governments only squander money on governance and have little or nothing for infrastructure and industrial development, as it is currently the case, with 36 states and 774 local governments. Nigeria developed, relatively, when we had regions and districts. Our schools and hospitals were standard. There were some equipments in the University of Ibadan College Hospital in the 1960s/70s, probably 80s also, that some senior doctors of today don’t know existed in Nigeria. But now, many Nigerians want to feed and enrich themselves from government coffers.

    If a good structure had been in place, Boko Haram might not have emerged in 2009. Ditto the emergence of the Independent People of Biafra. Current ugly developments make constitutional rotation of key positions imperative. The constitution prevented the alleged third term agenda of a former President. Lack of constitutional provisions made truncation of rotational presidency possible for Goodluck Jonathan.

    Kindly expedite actions and push for a new structure through the legislature. Let Nigeria wear a new look, structurally, possibly with effect from January 1, 2018, or as soon as possible.

     

    • Prof Oyeniran Abioje,

    University of Ilorin.

  • Agbakoba: Buhari cannot delegate restructuring 

    Agbakoba: Buhari cannot delegate restructuring 

    President Muhammadu Buhari cannot delegate the responsibility of leading the process of restructuring Nigeria, a former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) said on Tuesday.

    At a briefing in Lagos, Agbakoba said contrary to the President’s position that the National Assembly should lead the process, the Constitution empowers him to do so.

    He said: “The president has delegated the responsibility to restructure Nigeria to the National Assembly and National Council of State.

    “But, this responsibility cannot be delegated. Section 5 of the Constitution vests the President with executive powers of the federation and this includes the power to restructure Nigeria.”

    Agbakoba said President Buhari would be compelled to reconsider his position if all Nigerians, especially key Northern and Southern leaders, agree on restructuring.

    He urged the South, which he said appears to have reached a consensus on restructuring, to engage the North and persuade Northern leaders on the need for a new Nigeria.

    Agbakoba faulted the military action against the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), saying it has complicated the issues.

    He said were he the President, he would have engaged IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu and face the issues rather than “crushing” the group, which he said is “gaining international traction”.

    To him, the agitation for true federalism and complaints about marginalisation went beyond IPOB.

    The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also blamed Kanu for misusing what he described as a good opportunity to push for a referendum, which he said international law allows.

    Agbakoba said agreed with eminent constitutional lawyer Prof Ben Nwabueze (SAN) that Nigeria needs a new constitution anchored on a new political order.

    “The way forward for Nigeria is for the citizens, in exercise of the power inherent in them as a sovereign people, to make, through a referendum, a new constitution, constituting a new political order.

    “The process must be led by the President as the elected leader of the people,” he said.

    Agbakoba said Nigeria was increasingly becoming a fragile state, with conflict and agitation everywhere, and most parts of the country feeling either marginalised or excluded, leading to calls for restructuring.

    According to him, besides restructuring the political arrangements and have new region, the economic and administrative governance need to be restructured.

    Agbakoba said restructuring must address other connecting issues, such as the bloated size of the public service in which 80 per cent of the national budget is used to service three per cent of the population.

    “The Orosanye committee reviewed 263 statutory agencies of government and asked government to scrap 102 agencies. Government should implement the Orasanye report immediately.

    “Government should then focus on its core mandate, which is, policy, execution and regulation and stay completely away from business matters. This will empower a new set of economic actors (civil society and the private sector). This type of restructure is critical for economic development,” Agbakoba said.

    On how the restructuring should be done, he said it must have a national outlook in which every constituent part of Nigeria is carried along.

    “The president should initiate the restructuring project by providing context. Restructuring can be implemented by executive and administrative orders and also presenting the 2014 National Conference Report to the National Assembly.

    “The 2014 National Conference Report actually examined and resolved a lot of the restructuring issues. So, we should start with the report,” he said.

    Agbakoba said the restructuring process must resolve fiscal federalism and determine how to create a balance between the federal and federating units in revenue sharing.

    He suggested that Federal Government allow states control over natural resources in their domain.

    An alternative, he said, is to isolate hydrocarbons, and create transitional provisions (a sunset clause) to transfer ownership to oil bearing states over a period, but in the meantime review percentage derivation.

    A third possibility, he said, is to demarcate onshore hydrocarbon to be left to the littoral states, and offshore to the Federal Government.

    According to him, there is the need for “subnational groups” to develop a blue print on restructuring so as to have charity.

    “A fifth challenge is to recognise the difference between devolution of powers and redistribution of powers. The relevant concept for restructuring is redistribution and not devolution of powers. The concepts are mixed up.

    “Redistribution is when power is rearranged between the federal and regional governments. Devolution relates to powers given up by the unitary government to the regions. Nigeria is a federation and not a unitary state,” Agbakoba said.

    On former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s advise to Agbakoba to join politics, the former NBA president said: “When I met Obasanjo, I said: ‘Thanks for the reply, but know that to contest for a political office today requires all kinds of resources.

    “There is no way that a young man can become Nigeria’s president if the obstacles that are on ground do not shift. Obasanjo has the capacity, in collaboration with others who should be concerned with bequeathing the legacy of a strong Nigeria. If they part the red sea, people like us will cross it.”

  • Restructuring: States step up push for more powers

    Restructuring: States step up push for more powers

    North rejects more states

    New revenue formula wanted

    Advocates of more power for states seem to be winning their age-long battle.

    Their position is being vindicated at the various consultations on restructuring organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    In the North, which an elderstateman yesterday said was not afraid of restructuring, some  states supported the devolution of power, a rework of the revenue allocation formula and a united Nigeria.

    It was all at the APC’s   restructuring consultation in North West (Sokoto), North Central (Ilorin) and North East (Bauchi).

    Kwara, Kogi and Niger states were in Ilorin. Bauchi, Gombe and Yobe had their session in Bauchi.

    Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states met in Sokoto for the consultation on Nigerians’ position on restructuring, which many believe is the antidote to the dismemberment of Nigeria.

    The common position in all the centres is that there should be devolution of power from the Federal Governemt to states.

    The consultation being coordinated by a committee headed by Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, started on September 18. It will end on October 9.

    The governments of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara advocated that some aspects of health, transport, fire service, among others, should be devolved to the states with resources attached. The Federal Government should focus on defence, foreign affairs, security and currency—a position canvassed by many eminent citizens, including frontline politician Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    The three Northwest states are controlled by the APC. Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) attended the session. Zamfara State was represented by Deputy Governor Ibrahim Wakala.

    Also yesterday, elder statesman Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, an adviser to Second Republic President Shehu Shagari, said on a television programme that the north is not opposed to restructuring.

    Sokoto’s position, presented by former Deputy Governor Chiso Abdullahi, rejected the creation of new states, because many states are not viable.

    He said the presidential system should be preserved with fiscal federalism while power rotation and zoning should be maintained to foster national unity.

    He also advocated a unicameral legislature with advisory role given to traditional rulers.

    To Sokoto State, the  revenue allocation formula should be adjusted to give the Federal Government 43 per cent, states 35 per cent and local governments 23 per cent.

    Kebbi State equally rejected creation of new states and bicameral legislature. It suggested that zoning should be on the basis of North and South.

    Kebbi’s proposal on revenue sharing is Federal Government 40 per cent, states 40 per cent and local government areas 20 per cent. It is in support of devolution of power to states.

    Zamfara State also suggested that the status quo should be maintained on state creation, derivation, devolution of powers, presidential system of government and land tenure system.

    The chairman of the APC Restructuring Committee for North-west, Plateau State Governor  Simon Lalong, said all the views collated would be taken back to the APC national headquarters.

    “At the end of the exercise, all the views collated will be analysed and this will form the opinion of the APC and the Federal Government,” he said.

    Zamfara State said it was solidly for Nigeria’s unity.

    Speaking on Chanels Television, Yakasai said:  ”I have never known any known northerner who is opposed to restructuring. But what we want to know is what are the details? We are tired of going into something blindly only to turn out in regrets.

    ”I have been asking the promoters of the idea of restructuring to explain what the blueprint is What will Nigeria look like after restructuring? What we have been asking for is a blueprint for restructuring.

    Yakasai, who backed the call for Nigeria to return to the 1963 constitution, added that the country must maintain the four regions adopted by that same constitution in 1963.

    ”Now some people have started to speak out. Emeka Anyaoku said we should go back to 1963 constitution where we had four regions- North, West, East and Midwest. Then there was a gathering of some Afenifere leaders in Ibadan and they said we should go back to the 1963 constitution but they created six regions.

    ”In 1963, we didn’t have six regions. We either eat our cake or have it. If we want to go back to 1963 situation, then we go back to four regions.

    ”If we want to create more then we use the provisions of 1963 constitution to create more (states), whatever number we want to create,” he said.

    Answering a question on resource control, the elder statesman said: “I can tell you that whoever is having this kind of thinking is a short sighted person.”

    He condemned those calling for the creation of more states, adding that they were doing so not to develop the poor but to win elections or get elective positions.

    ”There are so many states and each one is consuming 70 per cent of its revenue on bureaucracy. How can you develop on that? All countries in the world are not spending 70 per cent of their revenues on bureaucracy.

    ”All the 19 states plus Abuja (in the North) spend 70 per cent of their revenue on bureaucracy – salary, allowances and so on – not on development. They did not develop agriculture. They did not develop even power to provide for industries.”

    But the Chairman, Political Committee, Afenifere, Prof. Banji Akintoye, urged the Federal Government to create structures to address calls for restructuring.

    He accused the APC nine-member committee on restructuring headed by Governor El-Rufai of embarking on delay tactics to dampen the debate on restructuring.

    Akintoye said: “If the Federal Government is committed to seeing the will of the people done, the thing to do is to create some sort of structure for sorting out this whole question of restructuring. That is how to do it. There is no other way.

    ”It is difficult to believe that you put a person like the young governor of Kaduna State, El-Rufai at the head of an arrangement like that and you want us to trust that you really want the thing (restructuring) to happen. No, there are other leaders of the party. Former vice president is a member of the party. Bola Tinubu is a national leader of the party. Those people would have been more credible in that type of situation.

    “When you go and put a man who is avowedly opposed to restructuring to come and head a party’s committee that will collect information about restructuring, there is doubt about what they are really after. Even though I hope they will come out with something good for the country I doubt that they would.”

    Bauchi, Borno,Gombe, Yobe, backed calls for restructuring at the Bauchi centre of the consultation.

    Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar expressed strong belief in one and united Nigeria.

    Represented by Deouty Goveror Nuhu Gidado, the governor submitted that the youth should be given priority in a restructured Nigeria with true federalism.

    Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Special Services, Government House, Damaturu, Lawal Usman Hassan

    In its memorandum the Bauchi State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress submitted that the organized labour was not in support of any move towards the creation of additional states in view of the present Nigeria economic realities.

    Gital also said the local government councils in the country should be granted autonomy should in order to facilitate and fast track development.

    According to him, the organised labour is strongly of the view that Nigeria should continue with the current presidential system of government, which he said encourages democracy, guarantee political stability, independence of the President, proper use of talent and there is check and balance.

     

  • Restructuring: Lawmaker advocates regional administration

    Restructuring: Lawmaker advocates regional administration

    A House of Representatives member, Rep. Ajibola Famurewa (Osun-APC) has called for regional administration in restructuring the country, saying Nigeria will achieve more in that system of government.

    Famurewa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja that regional system was necessary as most of the states were not viable.

    According to him, in my state, we believe in restructuring and we are advocating for regional government, not states.

    “This is because we realised that most of our states in Nigeria are not viable and we achieved more when we were operating at regional level than now that we have 36 states.

    “So, in my state, we believe that we should restructure towards regional administration; that will not cancel the office of the governor or whatever we have presently.

    “But, let us have a regional administration that will oversee the whole region in the form of premiers that we had in the first republic,’’ he said.

    The lawmaker also said that the issues around devolution of power during the Constitutional amendment process in the House of Representatives needed to be looked into.

    “If you are talking about restructuring, we need to sit down and look at it.

    “Let us restructure along that line, shed weight from the centre to the states or regions or whatever we agree on; I believe in that.’’

    He said that there were some responsibilities on the Federal Government that were supposed to be at the state level, adding that states should handle their own as well as the Federal Government.

    “There are some responsibilities on the Federal Government that are supposed to be at the states’ level and let the states do their own and let the Federal Government do its own, concurrently.

    “So, if you are talking about restructuring in that area, I agree. If you are talking about restructuring in terms of resource management, I also agree.

    “I have gold in my constituency now; I don’t have control over it neither does my state government have control over the resources in my state.

    “It belongs to the Federal Government; we are supposed to have a say, and that is a section of restructuring.

    “So if you are talking of restructuring, let us define it clearly. What are we restructuring? Knowing this will guide us to know what to say,’’ he said.

  • North not against restructuring – Yakasai

    North not against restructuring – Yakasai

    The north is not against restructuring as some people want the world to believe, an elder statesman, Tanko Yakasai, has said.

    The former Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters to ex-President Shehu Shagari, spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily monitored in Abuja on Monday.

    He said what the north is asking for is the blueprint on the restructuring.

    He said: “I don’t know any northerner who is opposed to restructuring. What we want to know are the details. We are tired of going into something blindly only to turnout in regrets.

    “I have been asking the promoters of restructuring to explain the blueprint. What will Nigeria look like after restructuring? What we have been arguing for is a blueprint for restructuring.

    Yakasai, who backed the call for the return of 1963 Constitutions, said the country must maintain the four regions adopted by that constitution.

     

    “Now some people have started to speak out. Emeka Anyaoku said we should go back to 1963 Constitution where we had four regions – North, West, East and Midwest. Then there was a gathering of some Afenifere leaders in Ibadan and they said we should go back to 1963 Constitution but they created six regions.

    “In 1963 we don’t have six regions. We either eat our cake or have it. If we want to go back to 1963 situation then we go back to four regions.

    “If we want to create more then we use the provisions of 1963 Constitution to create more (states) whatever number we want to created.

    “I can tell you that whoever is having this kind of thinking is a short sighted person,” he added.

    He condemned those calling for the creation of more states, adding that they are doing so not to develop the poor but to win elections or get elective positions.

    The former presidential adviser urged state governments to focus on agriculture instead of coming to Abuja to collect monthly allocations that they spend on salaries.