National Conference: Delegates Advocate Federalism System of Govt

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Two Delegates at the on going National Conference, Tony Nyiam and Bisi Adegbuyi, have proposed to the conference, the restructuring of Nigerian government to practice the federalism that will accommodates its ethnic peculiarities. The duo spoke on Channels TV programme, Sunrise. 

Mr Nyiam was of the opinion that ethnicity is an important part of Nigeria which cannot be separated from its existence. He submitted that Nigerians had been carried away by the federalism as practised in America but he believed that Nigeria should have an “Ethnic Federalism” where people’s ethnicities are well recognized.

He noted that unlike America which is a country of immigrants, Nigeria should not compare itself to her. “You cannot stop a Buku man from being one”.

He emphasized that Nigeria needs a return to the federalism that recognises its ethnicity.

Bisi Adegbuyi, on his own while agreeing with the proposal of Nyiam on the need for the country to practice federalism noted, ethnicity should not be added with the word federalism.

“federalism is federalism all over the world but the way to go was for Nigeria to try and understand the agenda of each ethnicity and not to tag ethnicity as a divisive factor,” He submitted.

Adegbuyi noted that Nigeria’s past leaders and the colonial masters knew that Nigeria was made up of different nations and the country in its current state should not pretend about this reality. Citing the developments recorded by regional leaders in the 1960s, he said that empowering regional leadership would be more productive.

He agreed with Mr Adegbuyi’s earlier statement on the need to decentralize the government and empower regional governance, adding the system of governance as practised in Nigeria in the 1960s gave Nigeria its best records of development.

Nyiam emphasized the need to move “from Fiscal Centralism to Fiscal Federalism”, a situation whereby the country moves from the culture of sharing resources at the Federal level and focus on creating those resources.