Gov Oyebanji renews call for Nigeria’s restructuring, advocates return to 1963 constitution

The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, on Friday renewed the call for restructuring of Nigeria to achieve a balanced and peaceful country.

Oyebanji made the call in his address at a book presentation in Akure, the state capital.

The governor, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Abibat Adubiaro, described true federalism as the only way out of Nigeria’s problems.

He advocated for a return to the 1963 constitution, which according to him, guarantees peaceful co-existence among the different tiers of government in the country.

Many groups and individuals including, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, had in the past demanded the restructuring of the country in a bid to prevent its total collapse.

Oyebanji said: “For me, 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.

READ ALSO: Why I didn’t interfere in Ekiti Assembly crisis – Gov Oyebanji

“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 operationalisation of the concept by political establishments.

“Apart from the fact that the federal police are grossly inadequate in number, the motivation and morale are low because of the poor condition of service. Furthermore, the issue of enforcement of state that are best suited to be enforced by the state or local police systems is another reason I am in support of multilevel policing.

” I am of the firm belief that any government that is incapable of policing its area of jurisdiction upon which it legislates and superintends, is a lame duck because security and welfare are fundamental rights of the citizens guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”

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