Don Advocates Return To Parliamentary Government

A Professor of Political Science at the University of Lagos, Mr. Brown Onuoha, has advocated that Nigeria returns to the initial parliamentary system of governance once practiced upon independence.

He made this known while speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on the journey so far, ahead of Nigeria’s Independence on Sunday.

“Less than three years ago, we had a national conference, all on the same (issue). The British colonized us. So by the time we were having independence, we had no choice but to go the cabinet system.

“The military came in 1966. 1977/79, the military went to experiment the American system and gave us the Presidential system.

“If you take these two, where the problem has come is that by the time the military was looking at the American system, nobody bothered about the ‘social situation,” he said.

The varsity lecturer further blamed the military for derailing from the initial British concept of Parliamentary administration to embracing the America’s Presidential system.

Prof. Onuoha added, “They didn’t look at our society because whatever system you want to bring in, you have to address the uniqueness of a particular society.

“With the complex situation we had in Nigeria – Cultural, religious, and the fact that there was no national leadership, would it be right to bring in the Presidential system, with all the powers of the president?

“At that time, we had regional or ethnic leadership. The problem we have here in our country is that at each point in time, we have never had a national rallying point.”