Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has backed the call for the restructuring of Nigeria for true federalism.
The governor said it was strange that the All Progressives Congress, which was at the fore-front of the agitation for true federalism was now against restructuring as the ruling party.
Fayose, in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Sunday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, stated that Nigeria was returning to full-blown unitary system of government “under the present APC government of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
He said, “It is on record that the APC said at a debate on ‘Addressing the rising insecurity in Nigeria, what is the master plan?’ organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) on December 18, 2014, that it would ensure true federalism and ensure adequate community policing through the establishment of state-controlled police so as to curb the protracted security challenges in the country.
“Sad enough, now that it is the ruling party, the APC is no longer talking about true federalism, especially the state police that it canvassed while in the opposition.”
Governor Fayose, who said States must be strengthened for the country to develop, noted that Nigeria developed faster in the 50s and 60s when it was practicing confederal system of government, with the regions running its own affairs almost autonomously.
“A situation where there are mineral resources in a State and the State cannot do anything about them without approval from the Federal Government will not foster the development that we all yearn for.
“A situation where the federal government has turned itself into lord and master over other federating units in the country, using federal agencies to oppress even State governors is not acceptable.
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