Restructuring Only Way Forward For Nigeria – Emeka Anyaoku

Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary General, has said Nigeria must restructure its present government in order for it to “maintain a credible leadership position” internationally.

Speaking at the Akintola Williams Foundation (AWF) 2nd Annual Lecture on the theme: “Re-establishing Nigeria’s Leadership Position in the World,” the elder statesman said true federalism most suitable structure for “stability and development” of a “multi ethnic and multi religious” country like Nigeria.

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Mr. Anyaoku who was not impressed with the Senate’s decision to reject the motion for devolution of powers, said if appropriate steps are not taken, the country will sleep-walk into disaster.

He said: “No country can maintain a credible leadership position regionally or globally without a politically stable and sound socio-economic domestic background and so for any country to be able to exert credible influence and maintain a leadership position to be reckoned with anywhere, it must achieve a reasonable balance between its domestic and foreign policies.

“To achieve greater political stability and deserving socio economic development in the country, Nigeria must restructure its present governance as it where and must do so by returning to true federalism which our founding fathers negotiated and wisely agreed in the 1960, 1963 constitution to be the most suitable structure for stability and development of our multi ethnic and multi religious country.

“With the nature and structure of the ongoing agitations in several parts of the country, our present leadership, including especially the senate, which two weeks ago rejected the motion for devolution of powers.

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“Our present leadership seems to be indifferent to the fact that Nigeria is currently sleep walking to a national disaster, restructuring will enable us create fewer and more viable federating units for economic development.”

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