The Coordinators of the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy Barrister Jiti Ogunye (SAN) and Dr Chido Onumah have called for proper restructuring of Nigeria for the country to move forward in the interest of the citizens
Penpushing reports that the duo made the call at the Madiba Foundation for Good Governance which was the 5th edition of its Webinar Series, which examined the recent alterations to the constitution, noting that these changes give more responsibilities to state governments in areas such as railway management, electricity generation and distribution, as well as the establishment and management of prisons.
The session moderated by the Foundation’s Executive Director, Mr Frederick Adetiba, stated that purpose of this edition of the Madiba Webinar Series was to review the transfer of three items from the exclusive list to the concurrent list in relation to restructuring that some Nigerians have been clamouring for.
Penpushing further reports that a renowned journalist and author, provided a historical background to the structure of Nigeria from independence, highlighting the multiple military interventions that truncated the earlier regional structure that allowed different regions to develop at their own pace.
The Director emphasized the need for a comprehensive restructuring of the Nigerian constitution to address fundamental challenges, including socio-economic problems that the country is grappling with.
Penpushing also reports that Ogunye on his part argued that the present constitution of Nigeria was imposed on the people by the military and has all the elements of a unitary system of government, which is consistent with military rule.
The author argued that local government is not supposed to be a third-tier of the federation, contending that Nigeria is a unitary state masquerading as a federation and that a federal system comprises a two-tier system made up of the federal and the states.
Penpushing reports that both speakers were emphatic that Nigeria needs restructuring for the country to move forward, while other important topics that arose during the conversation included local government autonomy, resource control, and citizenship
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