His Eminence, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has said it is time for Nigeria to change to a system of government that would reduce corruption and bring government closer to the people.
The Emeritus Catholic Bishop of Abuja stated this at a policy dialogue on new governance structure for Nigeria, organised by Abuja School Social and Political Thought (ASSPT), in Abuja.
“It is time for a change. One thing is definitely sure, we cannot continue the way we are going. If we decide to retain the system we have now, it must change the way it is been practiced.
“If the easiest way to change is to change the system, then let’s go ahead and change the system to parliamentary, with all its advantages and disadvantages,” he added.
According to him, anything that will bring government closer to the people, reduce discretion for stealing and corruption will be good for the nation.
“My understanding is that the parliamentary system is built in such a way that will not be so easy to steal such humongous sums of money, and misuse of our natural resources legally.
“The problem of this nation is that government people are stealing legally, they don’t even feel that they are stealing.
“According to my own understanding, if you take more than you deserve, you have stolen.’’
Onaiyekan cited the provision of pension for governors, saying it was not fair after being well paid to be legally entitled to houses, cars and other things, while a retired police officer goes home with meagre sum as pension.
He also said restructuring, not constitutional amendment, will save Nigeria.
The cardinal said the Nigerian constitution had consistently failed to provide a clear framework for governance and religious affairs, resulting in confusion and inefficiency within the governance system.
He also advocated decentralisation of power to allow for effective governance and decision-making at the local level. (NAN)
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