…No, Governors Are The Problem with Nigeria- Danjuma
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has called for the restructuring of the country along lines of geo political zones, adding that the enormous concentration of power at the center is fundamental setback to the country’s attainment of greatness.
He also backed the establishment of state police stressing that there was nothing wrong with it as far as it was not abused.
Atiku while speaking as chairman at an award ceremony organised by Leadership Newspaper with the theme; is the opposition a serious alternative in Nigeria? stated that the current centralised federal structure is “clearly not working”.
He however added that “decentralisation should not be an invitation to breakup”
Atiku who contested presidential nomination with president Jonathan in
2011 further described the office of the Nigerian president as the most powerful in the world as it can be used at his pleasure without resistance.
Atiku who blamed the military for making the office of the president too powerful recounted his experience under his former boss Olusegun Obasanjo.
“The office is the most powerful in the world because he can literarily unleash all the security agencies on an individual, undermine the National Assembly. This is not in the realm of speculation, it has been happening.
I experience it. I had a political face off with my boss. It must not continue.”
In his clamour for a review of the federation along geopolitical zones he canvassed for the states to be converted to provinces as the existing state structure might not suffice.
He also decried the lack of human capital development in the country, Atiku said “we have natural resources but without human capital Nigeria or even the Niger Delta cannot be like Singapore. Development of human capital is very important. Nigerians should demand for good governance at all levels of the government. Over 40 years we have been behaving as though nothing can be achieved without oil. We have left production for distribution or sharing.” He said
He also described as unnecessary the uproar caused by the unveiling of flags and coat of arms by some states, stressing that they are free to express their local identity within the Nigerian structure.
He also lambasted the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for calling for uniform wage structure across the states.
“It is absurd that all states should have a uniform revenue structure. It is misguided for NLC to think that uniform wage structure should be adopted.
Atiku also called on “true democrats to put pressure on the National Assembly to pass a law that will establish a two party state which will cut across the various divides in Nigeria.
He blasted the judiciary for not living up to expectation.
But another guest at the event, Former Minister of Defense and elder statesman, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, disagreed with Atiku saying that governors in the country are the most powerful political group in the country, and that until they are contained the country is doomed.
He explained that the enormous powers of the governors are so evident in the selection of presidential candidates, nominating ministers to the center, installing sole administrators as Local government chairmen.
Danjuma said “There is nobody including you that can emerge as PDP candidate unless the governors want you. The governors are the most powerful group of people in the political system.
“Until you phase out that fact and find solution to it we are going nowhere.”
On his part, former governor of Lagos state and leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, lamented the system which allows the President to appoint State Resident Electoral Commissioners, instead of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He also canvassed for the strengthening of electoral institutions, maintaining that the ACN is ready to work with other opposition parties to wrestle power from PDP.
“Why will INEC chairman not be able to appoint REC in states. Why should they be appointed by the president who is partisan, how would they not rule Nigeria for 60 years. If they are the ones appointing REC how do we have an electoral system. Power should be struggled for. The institutions should be strengthened, we are ready to work with other opposition to wrestle power.”