Emir of Kano, Alhaji Lamido Sanusi, on Thursday, raises concern over the presidential system of government being run in the country, saying it was too expensive.
He said the poor situation Nigeria found itself currently was not unforseen, adding that the remedy was for the leadership to go back to the drawing board and tailor the resources to cater to the majority of the populace and not few civil servants and elected politicians.
According to Tribune, Sanusi said this while speaking as one of the discussants at the inaugural lecture of the launch of the Endowment Fund of Oba (Dr) Sikiru Kayode Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance, in the Department of Political Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.
The event was attended by personalities, including the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who was represented by his deputy, Chief (Mrs) Yetunde Onanuga; Oba Otudeko, former Governors Segun Osoba, Gbenga Daniel and Niyi Adebayo; Chief Subomi Balogun, Chief Kessington Adebutu, Professor Akin Mabogunje, among others.
The monarch, who recalled the revelations he made in the past that very few percentage of people working in the civil service across the country and elected politicians were taking home about 80 per cent of the country’s earnings, said “the problem of this country is like turning common sense on the head.
“You sometimes wonder if anyone needs to tell any group of persons that you do not need 36 governors, 36 deputy governors, eight to 30 members of assembly, commissioners, advisers, 36 ministers, a president, a vice-president, a bicameral federal legislature, and so on and so forth..”
According to Emir Sanusi, simple arithmetic would tell anyone that a nation that had such structure was doomed to spend 80 to 90 per cent of everything it had maintaining public officers.
“I do remember as governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) when I raised this issue, about 80 per cent of government revenue being used to maintain one million public officers, leaving 20 per cent for 160 million Nigerians, my own government came out and disowned that statement, saying that the Federal Government is trying to recruit more people.
The guest speaker, Professor Mabogunje, speaking on “issues and challenges in governance in Nigeria,” also faulted the presidential system of government introduced by the military, describing it as very expensive and, therefore, unsuitable for the polity.
“I believe I have said enough to emphasise that the major issues and challenges facing governance in Nigeria at all levels is largely structural and derive from the military government wanting a federation turned upside down to align with the unified command structure of military administration.
While recalling that Singapore and China, which were in similar situation made good use of their windfall by investing in infrastructure, Professor Mabogunje, however, said “the present revenue crisis could provide a new opportunity to re-visit the present structure of governance and restore the country to a more truly federal and democratic bases.” (Nigerian Tribune)