Posted by By MUYIWA OYINLOLA on
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Victor Attah has said that the ongoing National Political Reforms Conference (NPRC) is capable of resolving the various imbalances and irregularities in the nation's federalism.
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Victor Attah has said that the ongoing National Political Reforms Conference (NPRC) is capable of resolving the various imbalances and irregularities in the nation's federalism.
He thereby noted that its report should be subjected to the National Assembly and the Council of States, 'so that for once, we can make a constitution of the people, by the people and for the people. Let us see the conference as the process of reviewing our system in order to strengthen our union," he canvassed.
The governor made this remark Monday in Lagos while being conferred with a Fellowship Award of Lagos State University Masters of Business Administration (LASUMBA), at the commemoration of its 10th anniversary. The governor noted that there is no hope for the nation until we embrace true federation.
While delivering the anniversary lecture titled: ‘The Practice of Full Tenets of True Federalism As Pre-requisite for lasting Democracy in Nigeria,' Attah stressed that the sustenance of the nation's nascent democracy rests on the practice of true federalism.
He therefore berated the present form of federalism as currently being practised in the country noting that except urgent steps are taken, the nation may lose its hard earned democracy.
As a panacea to sustaining our democracy, he called for 'true federalism which will guarantee and sustain unity in diversity in a heterogeneous society like Nigeria."
He therefore called on the Federal Government to take a look at the present structure and organisation of the Nigeria police, with a view to repositioning it for effectiveness and efficiency.
'I want to restate the need for the state police commands to be responsible to the governor in their respective states. The state police commands and their various commissioners should only refer to a higher authority as in the zones on matters affecting more than one state or extending beyond the boundary of a state or federating unit. This will promote sustainable democracy in Nigeria," he noted.
Moreover, he called for an Independent Electoral Commission to conduct free and fair elections periodically, stressing that sustainable democracy requires meaningful and extensive competition among individuals and political parties.
'Elections play a crucial role in the understanding of democracy and stability of federal states, is premised on the credibility of its elections. The sanctity of the electoral system is the only guarantee we have that the people will install the government that they want and thus sustain democracy."
Accordingly, he called on the electorate to support the introduction of the electronic voting system as being proposed by the NPRC. He noted that its advantages overweigh its disadvantages, especially since 'the world has gone digital.