The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji has said the only way out of problems confronting the nation is for the country to return to the 1963 constitution.
Oyebanji disclosed that 1963 guaranteed true federalism and peaceful co-existence among tiers of government in the country.
The Governor stated this at a book presentation titled ‘Aketi: The courage to lead in trying time written in honour of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’ by Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
In his paper titled “Reawakening the Restructuring Debate: Setting a National Rebirth Agenda”,
Oyebanji faulted the federalism as being practiced presently in Nigeria.
He said restructuring is the call for a more perfect union that is just, fair, equitable, and functional.
According to him, restructuring is a holistic surgery for the healthy living of the country for a more effective, balanced, prosperous, and peaceful nation that guarantees happiness for all.
The Ekiti governor lambasted those who mouthed federalism when seeking office only to abandon the agitation once they got to the office.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Abibat Omolara Adubiaro, Oyebanji said, “The word ‘restructuring’ has been long belabored to the point of cliché in our sociopolitical lexicon as a nation.
He said the clamour for ‘restructuring’ or return to ‘pure’ federalism has permanently been in the public domain for over thirty years, even though agitation for it could date even longer.
He said, “For me, however, the call for restructuring is the call for a more perfect union that is just, fair, equitable, and functional. I see restructuring as a holistic surgery for the healthy living of our country for a more effective, balanced, prosperous, and peaceful nation that guarantees happiness for all.
“Even though it has been argued in some quarters that there is nothing like ‘true’ federalism and that the call for true federalism was a theoretical construct, I hold a contrary view. I do agree that every federal system is unique in its power relations between the federal government and the federating units, yet, it is correct to refer to the original federal arrangement as conceived in the 1963 republican constitution, in terms of power relations, as representing the “true” federal system for Nigeria. I do believe that our political independence forebears studied widely about all federal systems, reviewed our unique situation, and came up with what was best suited and true to our socio-cultural and historical reality. For me, the challenge is the operationalization of the concept by the political establishments.”
True Federalism, Devolution Of Resources, Panacea To Nigeria’s Problem , Says Oyebanji
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