Former Nigeria Vice President and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar has said that the Federal Republic of Nigeria as currently constituted is not working.
He insisted that greater autonomy to states is the panacea to the country’s multi-faceted internal crisis.
Atiku, who spoke on Tuesday, at the official launch of a book: “We Are All Biafrans,” written by activist, journalist and scholar, Chido Onumah, in Abuja, said that Nigerians have suffered for too long under a poorly-designed structure.
“Nigeria is not working as well as it should. And part of the reason is the poor way we have structured our economy and governance, especially since 1960.”
The former Vice President said the federal government’s powers dwindles those of states, adding that it difficult for states to carry out customized initiatives for their individual residents.
He said that such situation needs to change, adding: “the federal government is too big and too powerful relative to the federating units. That situation needs to change and calling for that change is patriotic.”
Atiku advised Nigerians to desist from condemning those clamouring for a weak center in Nigeria’s political system, saying: “we must refrain from assuming that anyone calling for restructuring of our federation is working for the breakup of our country. Absolutely not. And I reject that notion.”
The APC chieftain, who chaired the book launch, said the federal government cannot foster national unity even with its enormous power and that it is worsening the country’s circumstances.
“An excessively powerful centre does not equate to national unity. Absolutely not. If anything, it has made our unity more fragile, our government more unstable and our country more unsafe. We must renegotiate our union in other to make it strong.”
Atiku called on Nigerians to embrace a restructured Nigeria which he said, will also reduce the importance politicians place on elections into federal positions.
“Greater autonomy, power and resources for state and local authority will give the federations units greater freedom and flexibility to address local issues for their priorities and peculiarities. It will reduce the premium placed on capturing power at the centre. It will reduce insecurity. It will promote healthy rivalry amongst federations units.”
Meanwhile, Chido Onumah, the author of “We Are All Biafrans,” said that the book took him three years to put together.
The launch was attended by former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, civil society leaders, Jubrin Ibrahim and Nnimo Bassey.
The book, which explains how the agitation for Biafra is actually a metaphor for all the tribes in the country, was reviewed by Chidi Odinkalu, a professor of law and former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission. [myad]