Hot Source Hammed Shittu in Ilorin A former Chief of Staff to former governor of Oyo state, Late Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi, and now a Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Ilorin, Emmanuel Olugbade Ojo, has urged the Federal Government to strengthen the federal character principle to include both job opportunities and infrastructure provisions.
This according to him would enhance spatial economic development of the country.
Prof Ojo stated this in Ilorin at the weekend while delivering the 291st inaugural lecture of UNILORIN.
The lecture was entitled: “The worship of an unknown deity.”
He said, “Nigerians should imbibe a ‘federal spirit’ in all ramifications.
“This will, no doubt, enhance the principle of justice and equity, and not necessarily equality. ‘federal spirit’ no doubt will truncate ethnic chauvinism”.
He said, “The principle of federal character must be strengthened both to include job opportunities and infrastructure provisions”.
Prof Ojo added that “a radical way out is no doubt, a completely brand new federal constitution. The extant ground norm is essentially defective and an imposition by the military oligarchy, which has led to ‘federal immobilism”.
Ojo noted that, “To achieve that, Nigeria may need to organise a referendum or constitutional convention or constituent assembly, whose membership may have to be elected.”
The political scientists said further that “the Land Use Act should be repealed to allow communities naturally endowed with mineral resources to maximally benefit from them rather than the extant system that is known to be’ robbing Peter to pay Paul’.
“Royalty should be paid to the federal purse rather than federal government taking over solid minerals in state domains.
“A properly restructured federal architecture is of essence for development and national integration; power must be devolved to both the states and localities for an efficient federal system.
“The earlier this is done, the better for the polity. Local governments need to be reanimated.
“The problematic citizenship in Nigeria must be addressed once and for all.
“While ‘statism’ may not be completely abrogated, there is a need to properly conceptualise citizenship both legally and sociologically, so that, to have resided in a place for a minimum of ten years, such a citizen should not be discriminated against in any guise.
“The ever contentious revenue allocation formula must be tinkered with to complement power devolution to the lower tiers of government.
“More importantly, what we need today is a non-centralised federal system in which state governments are politically virile, legislatively strong, and financially resilient and, indeed, constituted into self-confident and self-assertive centres of respect by the political loyalty from the citizens they serve and over whom they exercise authority.”
