•Exclusive List must be reviewed –Atiku

Job Osazuwa

Former secretary general of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, and President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nwodo have thrown their weight behind restructuring of Nigeria.

Anyaoku urged Nigerians to vote for a candidate in the 2019 election who will restructure Nigeria.
He said this at the Senator Abraham Adesanya’s 10th Memorial Symposium with the theme:

“Leadership and the Future of Nigeria,” held in Lagos, yesterday.

“I urge all intending voters to regard an unambiguous specific commitment to the restructuring of Nigeria’s present governance architecture as the prerequisite for voting for any political party and their candidates.

“Nigeria will not achieve enduring political stability or realise its deserved development potential with this present non-conducive and central-imposed government. I believe that restructuring Nigeria’s present governance architecture by returning to the provision of its 1960 and 1963 constitution arrangement will not only help in the emergence of a leadership that will pave the way for a national rebirth but will also put the country on a more assured path to political stability and faster socio-economic development.

“Taking into account the historical and current developments, especially the continuing outrageous killings in the Northern part of Nigeria, I believe that with more viable federating units with their regional police forces, can better monitor and enforce the security of the citizens.

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“A restructured Nigeria will make it easier to do away with a political class that is mainly driven by self-centred concern and encourage the emergence of a class of leaders that are capable of inspiring and forming affinity with the people. Leaders who will be capable of delivering their political promises and meeting the needs of the people as well as articulating a vision to sustain those needs,” he said.
Anyaoku said Adesanya was a symbol of authentic combination of loyalty to one’s ethnic group and country.

Nwodo, on his part, said whoever must lead Nigeria must be detribalised with a unifying character. We cannot run a federation where the head of all the security apparatus come from one side of the country.

“Any leader who does not recognise that the cause of our backwardness and bitterness is that we don’t have restructuring, don’t vote for him,” he said.

The late Adesanya’s daughter, Mrs. Modupe Adelaja, described her father as a role model who didn’t amass wealth for himself but was contented with what he had. She said her father believed in defending the common man.

To former president Olusegun Obasanjo, Adesanya was a man of integrity and transparency who didn’t lobby for anything from those in power.

Also, former vice president and presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, described the current composition of the Second Schedule of the constitution as not development driven.
Speaking on his advocacy for a proper restructuring of Nigeria, Atiku noted that his approach towards achieving the restructuring agenda will be to review the contents of the Exclusive, Concurrent and Residual lists.

“A serious-minded government that knows how to listen and build consensus can restructure Nigeria for the benefit of all and this I undertake to do when I become the president. Indeed, the federal government can voluntarily withdraw from most of the items listed in the exclusive lists of our constitution. I believe that the benefits accruing from these first steps will help us as we move towards the changes that require amendments to our constitution.

“The major task is recomposing the second schedule which does not encourage development and when you enjoy a cordial relationship with the National Assembly and see it as an independent partner in progress rather than as a competitor, you can achieve great things,” he said.