A member of the Crusade For Justice Group, Richard Nwankwo, has advocated for a strong regional system of governance which will minimize the over-dependence on the Federal Government and make the centre ‘weak.’
Nwankwo, who was speaking on the proposed National Conference, on Sunrise Daily, stated that “for Nigeria to survive, you must have an extremely weak centre,” and grant power to the people to determine how they want to be ruled.
He averred that the current Federal System of governance was copied from the United States of America and is not being practised correctly, as there are several distortions in the system, here in Nigeria.
“You cannot run a presidential system of government predicated on the kind of decree we have, decree of 1999 constitution,” he said.
According to the activist, the National Conference, which has garnered both applause and criticism from different groups and individuals, is “proper at this point” and shows that the “government means well.”
However, President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision, which mandates that the recommendations made on the Conference will pass through the National Assembly, was ill-advised.
“I think the president is not properly being advised.”
Although the Advisory Committee is yet to complete its 6 week assignment of delivering a modus operandi for the Dialogue, Okonkwo stated that its activities so far fall within the picture of a properly organized conference.
However, he advised that all shades of opinion be represented.
Fewer States
Mr Nkwankwo also called for the reduction of the existing 36 states in the Federation, which he believes will reduce the cost of governance.
“It is mathematically impossible to move the nation forward with the number of states we have.
“It is also impossible to have the bloated NASS, with the kind of reckless allocation of funds going to them to talk about development,” he said.
He faulted the number of states in the country, a pattern he said Nigeria ‘copied’ from the United States of America.
“Texas is the 11th most powerful economy in the world. California is the 6th,” he said. In Nigeria, “these states are absolutely, economically redundant.”
He alleged that the states are created to appease political appointees.
Mr Nwankwo advocated that all the states in the different regions be collapsed into one.
“We want to see the possibility of collapsing all the states in the south east into one, all the states in the south west into one.”
This proposition will curtail the financial excesses and the high cost of governance in the country’s recurrent expenditure.
