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There aren’t many subject-matters as extensively and persistently discussed as federalism. As a matter of fact, ‘in its original form, the federal idea was theopolitical, defining the relationship between God and man as one in which both were linked by covenant in a partnership designed to make them jointly responsible for the world’s welfare’. Properly […]
Continue ReadingUnder the current political dispensation, the national economy is firmly controlled by the federal government. Apart from the management of the mineral resources owned by the Nigerian people, the federal government conducts domestic and foreign affairs on behalf of the country. Although the Constitution has been amended several times since 1999 by the nation’s legislative […]
Continue ReadingSince the Alliance for Democracy was founded in 1998, under which President Bola Tinubu became the governor of Lagos State in 1999, the key ideologies he and the party have pushed have been “restructuring” and “true federalism.” The two principles followed the AD when it became the Action Congress and then the Action Congress of […]
Continue Reading“I remember a friend of mine in the oil industry, who during a meeting of an economic think tank. He called the then president aside and said, ‘Mr President please stop this subsidy, we are tired of making money…We’re bringing in this fuel at an elevated cost and half of it is exported out of […]
Continue ReadingThe Nasir El Rufai-led True Federalism Committee set up by the All Progressives Congress to look into the issue of restructuring submitted its reports to the National Working Committee on Thursday, January 25, 2018. The committee in its reports called for more devolution of powers to the states and urged that the police and prisons […]
Continue ReadingA professor friend who works abroad is home-sick. He recently asked me: “I want to visit home. I am scared. What do you think? Will I be safe?” I didn’t know what to tell him. Those of us at home carefully select where to go in Nigeria and when to go there. Our country is […]
Continue ReadingThe communique of a recent meeting attended by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar; Elder statesman, Edwin Clark; Muslim Cleric, Sheik Gumi and representatives of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Middle Belt Forum; CAN and several other groups, can be summed up as follows: ‘The existential challenges being faced […]
Continue ReadingGovernor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has appealed to secession agitators in the country to consider the enormous benefits from a united Nigeria. According to Fayemi, who is the chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), restructuring remains the best option for Nigerians saying dialogue remains a major pathway to peace and progress. Speaking as […]
Continue ReadingThe pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere led by Pa Ayo Adebanjo, yesterday, vowed to lead the Yoruba nation to demand restructuring of the country before the 2023 general elections can take place. Read the full text below: BEING THE TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE STATEMENT BY CHIEF AYO ADEBANJO,THE LEADER OF THE AFENIFERE AT WHEAT BAKER […]
Continue ReadingWinston Churchill made one of his most famous pronouncements in November 1942 when he declared as follows to the House of Commons: “I have not become the King’s First Minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire”. Indeed, Churchill managed to avoid personal responsibility for the loss of any significant imperial […]
Continue ReadingFunny how we hardly reach any cross-ethnic consensus in this country, but the campaign for a return to the 1963 Constitution — increasingly becoming the backbone of the “restructuring” agenda — seems popular in southern Nigeria and Benue state. The core argument is that we need to return to regionalism: every region should control its […]
Continue ReadingNigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has said that those calling for restructuring of the country have nothing to say. In his speech at the launch of Kudirat Abiola Sabon Gari Peace Foundation in Zaria, Kaduna State, the Nigerian leader who was represented by the Executive Secretary of Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Shehu, stated […]
Continue ReadingFor the record, I am ambivalent about the restructuring question. My dream is of an indivisible Nigeria liberated to pursue its power and purpose. I know that it is fashionable to wield the sword, “restructure.” When you go on television or appear before a microphone, it seems to be the default thing to say to […]
Continue ReadingGovernors of the seventeen Southern states in Nigeria met in Delta state on Tuesday May 11 where they banned open grazing and called on President Buhari to address Nigerians on the challenges of insecurity. In a 12-point communique read by its Chairman, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, the governors said the president should be fairer […]
Continue ReadingEmeritus Professor of History, Prof Banji Akintoye is the Chairman of the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS), who also heads the umbrella body for Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, speaks to Punch on sundry issues. With due credit given to the most circulated newspaper in Nigeria, we want to bring to our […]
Continue ReadingFor the umptee Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has said the ”failure” of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari to restructure the country is fuelling agitations of secession by groups within the country. Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, 93, alleged Buhari’s stubbornness to implement federalism will only make secession inevitable while also saying Buhari was hiding in the […]
Continue ReadingIt is now most likely that only some terrible, unforeseen circumstances, would make President Muhammadu Buhari shift an inch from his ramrod stand against restructuring despite his recent panegyrics to true federalism. This will be sad given the dire circumstances Nigeria is in and the fact that there is no dearth of advice from respected […]
Continue ReadingNorthern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Saturday, warned that it would be dangerous to deny Nigerians free, fair and credible elections in 2019, a situation that might result in political conflict. The Chairman of the NEF, Prof. Ango Abdullahi expressed this concern at a news conference he addressed in Zaria, Kaduna State to mark his 80th birthday. […]
Continue ReadingNorthern Elders’ Forum (NEF) has stated that it was yet to take a stand on the lingering issue of restructuring of Nigeria. The Director-General of the Forum, Yima Sen was among the speakers at the Handshake Across Nigeria summit titled, ‘Nigeria beyond oil’, organised by Nzuko Umunna and The Core Federalists, which took place in […]
Continue ReadingWhen the advocacy for the constitutional review of Nigeria towards achieving the objective of devolution and decentralisation of power (aka restructuring) is cast as ‘meaning different things to different advocates’ the clear insinuation is that the debate is mired in confusion. Often, those who take recourse to this admonition are ideologically hostile to any progressive […]
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