UNLESS WE GO BACK TO REGIONAL GOVERNMENT…
I was a guest speaker at 96.3 Super FM radio station, Ijebu-ode on the station’s current affairs program ” State of the nation” with Gbenga James.
I alligned my thoughts along with Dr Olisa Agbakoba’s call for Regional government as a solution to the many Nigerian questions at the moment.
I emphasised that the military brought the nation to this our present predicament following the abrogation of regional government and replacing it with unitary system of government by the Aguiyi Ironsi’s short tenure administration
I reminded Nigerians that the same reasons given by the five Majors for the 1966 coup i.e corruption, nepotism, high-handedness by the government officials etc are still very much with us in multiple ratings
I maintained that creation of states , allignment and re allignment of ethnic boundaries introduced by the military had not been a solution to our issues of national unity rather it had heightened the tensions of minority questions in our polity till date
I remarked that several decades after independence, there had never been a truly people’s constitution that really appreciate our genuine concerns for good governance based on true federalism hence the constant agitation for resource control by some ethnic nationalities
I reiterated that the political class and the elites have failed us hence the need to retrace our steps to a new Constitutional arrangement that will guarantee freedom and even development of infrastructures.
I again re-emphasided that there is need for the Regions to control greater percentage of their resources and work out the best system of government they desire for maximum growth , development and security of lives and properties of their citizens
I also lent my voice to the need for Community policing and regional security network towards solving the current security challenges we are facing .
I queried the sincerity of our lawmakers in all the previous Constitutional reviews and amendments which had only been limited to only electoral reforms
I maintained that unless we also change our socio political value orientation about governance , it will be extremely difficult to forge ahead under a regional government too since human activities dictate the pace of good and responsive governance
I finally concluded that under a regional government it will be difficult for citizens from other regions to claim ownership of land and resources that abounds outside their regions as this will bring sanity to the current issue of farmers and herders clashes
I pointedly remarked that some desperate politicians who want to rule over the territory called Nigeria by all.means are making it difficult for us to restructure the country.
I therefore called on our law makers to rise above national patriotism and give the nation a working Constitutional arrangement that will restructure Nigeria most appropriately along regional government with a loose centre . Obviously, the present federal system of government had failed us as a nation.
These are my candid views and suggestions on this touchy national issue
