Buhari Has Done Nothing To Push For Unity – Nwabueze

An Elder Statesman, Professor Ben Nwabueze has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari for what he describes as his failure to mobilise Nigerians in the pursuit of unity, after over two years of assuming duties as the nation’s Commander-in-Chief.

He made this known on Thursday, during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, while speaking on the ongoing restructuring debate.

The Professor of Law, who also served as a former Minister for Education in the third republic of Shonekan’s Presidency, claimed Mr. Buhari had rather remained resolute in his word that Nigeria’s unity was non-negotiable.

“The President as the elected leader of the country has the primary responsibility to mobilise the whole country for unity.

“Two and half years now since he was installed as President, what has been done or what is being done?

“Nothing has been done, except to talk about unity not being negotiable. So that is the object, and that is why I consider that restructuring is an absolute and compelling necessity,” he added.

True federalism, according to the renowned legal luminary, is the only way out. “True federalism is a union of government and you cannot have a government without a constitution.

“That is a contradiction in terms. Each of the constituent units must have its own constitution. That was the way it was in 1960 and 1963.

“So we must go back to that. We cannot also have government without a coercive force and authority – government must have the power to enforce their laws. When we talk about power, we mean independent power,” he added.

While backing the call for a creation of state police, the elder statesman faulted the inability of states across the country to exercise authority through a single Police Force.

He explained further that: “A situation where the state governments depend on the one common police force is another contradiction.

“What we mean by true federalism is that the federating units must have sufficient autonomy to manage their own affairs, to govern themselves in matters that concern them. That is what the agitation is all about”.