Only restructuring can save Nigeria from breaking up -
– Nigeria as a country with the highest population in Africa has been struggling to remain united in spite of major agitations
– A senior lawyer in the country, Chief Niyi Akintola, has declared that the country only has 25 years to exist ecept something is done urgentlyurgently
Chief Niyi Akintola, a prominent Nigerian lawyer, has said the country will not last beyond 25 years except the federal government urgently agrees to restructure it.
The lawyer said with the way the country is currently structured, it would not last except true federalism is practised.
President Muhammadu Buhari with some governors
As a guest lecturer at an event to mark the 15th anniversary of the Premier 93.5 fm in Ibadan, Oyo state, on Thursday, November 3, the lawyer, according to the Nigerian Tribune, said power was over-centralised at the executive level thus encouraging corruption.
According to him, because of the over-centralisation of power, the legislature and judiciary had been rendered almost powerless and as a result, Nigeria is yet to emerge a true nation.
The report quoted him as listing social injustice, anti-intellectualism and unbalanced structure of the country as the problem to its real development.
While reportedly urging President Muhammadu Buhari to adopt a more holistic and pragmatic approach to fighting corruption, he added: “If we continue with the current structure, Nigeria will break in the next 25 years, so, we must restructure in line with true federalism.
“We have over-centralised everything whereby the executive is seen as the government and we neglect the legislature and the judiciary. Over centralisation of everything breeds corruption.”
Akintola reportedly lamented the failure of the ruling class to continue with the vision of leaders of the first republic.
He mentioned some areas where the leadership of the country was lacking to include individual freedom under the law, equality of opportunity for all, dispensation of justice to all, fair play and honesty.
For him, it is difficult to know if present leaders in the country have a sense of history as they have continued to commit the same mistakes of the past.
In his contribution, the director, Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, Professor Olawale Albert, who chaired the occasion, was reported as saying the country lacked a responsible leadership to truly bring all the ethnic groups together.
Chief Niyi Akintola, a prominent Nigerian lawyer, has said the country will not last beyond 25 years except the federal government urgently agrees to restructure it.
The lawyer said with the way the country is currently structured, it would not last except true federalism is practised.
President Muhammadu Buhari with some governors
As a guest lecturer at an event to mark the 15th anniversary of the Premier 93.5 fm in Ibadan, Oyo state, on Thursday, November 3, the lawyer, according to the Nigerian Tribune, said power was over-centralised at the executive level thus encouraging corruption.
According to him, because of the over-centralisation of power, the legislature and judiciary had been rendered almost powerless and as a result, Nigeria is yet to emerge a true nation.
The report quoted him as listing social injustice, anti-intellectualism and unbalanced structure of the country as the problem to its real development.
While reportedly urging President Muhammadu Buhari to adopt a more holistic and pragmatic approach to fighting corruption, he added: “If we continue with the current structure, Nigeria will break in the next 25 years, so, we must restructure in line with true federalism.
“We have over-centralised everything whereby the executive is seen as the government and we neglect the legislature and the judiciary. Over centralisation of everything breeds corruption.”
Akintola reportedly lamented the failure of the ruling class to continue with the vision of leaders of the first republic.
He mentioned some areas where the leadership of the country was lacking to include individual freedom under the law, equality of opportunity for all, dispensation of justice to all, fair play and honesty.
For him, it is difficult to know if present leaders in the country have a sense of history as they have continued to commit the same mistakes of the past.
In his contribution, the director, Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, Professor Olawale Albert, who chaired the occasion, was reported as saying the country lacked a responsible leadership to truly bring all the ethnic groups together.
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