Nigeria Must Jettison Unitary Federalism To Develop, Says Adetiloye

A retired university professor, Professor Philip Adetiloye, has stressed the need for Nigeria to jettison unitary federalism to ensure the country’s development and growth.

He also called on non-governmental, civil society organisations and organised labour to sensitise Nigerians to fight for local and state autonomy to achieve true federalism, security, peace, and prosperity in Nigeria.
Addressing newsmen yesterday in Ado Ekiti, the state capital of the state-of-the-nation, the former university teacher posited that adopting unitary federalism was a great mistake that created hopelessness in Nigeria.

The professor of Crop Science, who believed that Nigeria needed to be reformed to avoid balkanisation, said, “It is not possible to get out of the present state of hopelessness by continuing with the same tragic error of unitary federalism.

“No honest Nigerian in his right frame of mind, whether he or she is a Yoruba, Igbo, Ibibio, Hausa or Fulani, can build enduring or sustainable democracy and prosperity for Nigerians under the present unitary federalism.

“Therefore, it may not follow that rebuilding Nigeria’s infrastructure, roads, electricity, railways and refineries will guarantee justice, fairness, peace and sustained national development under the present administration in Nigeria if Nigeria remains under unitary federalism”.

He said local and state government autonomies needed institutional frameworks for economic growth and prosperity.

“The legislative arm of government should urgently define the responsibilities of local, state and federal governments within a truly federated union and pass the autonomy bill for local and state governments into law without foot-dragging. Local government areas can only succeed when they have financial autonomy”.

While urging the federal government to lower fuel prices to reflect the income level of the middle class, he also called for the scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps NYSC, saying it has outlived its purpose of uniting Nigerians.