Nigeria: Let The States Take Charge – Gambari

By - LCR 25 November 2024 Comments (0) 2 Mins Read

A former Chief of Staff to Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, has advocated for further decentralization of power between the federal and state governments.

The diplomat argued that the concentration of power with the federal government is too much, adding that the current situation is a result of prolonged years of military rule.

According to him, with the democratic dispensation in full swing, there is a need to consider matters that are on the exclusive and concurrent lists so state governments can assume greater responsibilities and local governments can also be strengthened.

He made the submission while speaking as a guest on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, on Channels Television.

The elder statesman said, “We have to decentralise power. The power of the central government is become so much. We have to find a way of decentralisation; it’s not necessarily by creating 50 more states or 200 more local governments but those things that could be done competently like education, agriculture, and others, let the state take charge.

“It’s not by accident that power has become so concentrated at the centre; it is the prolonged military rule. They (heads of state) nominate governors and so on. But now, we are in a democracy, and I sincerely believe that we have to take a second look at that so that matters that don’t need to be on the exclusive or concurrent lists are not there.

“We must strengthen local government authorities. The local government autonomy is a good step but it is not just about money because if you don’t strengthen the capacities of the local governments and also the process as to which people become chairmen of local governments, you can throw money there, and it goes down the drain.”

The diplomat said the progress and development of Africa relies on Nigeria, and the country must, therefore, pull its weight accordingly.

“The future of Africa depends on Nigeria. Because according to the United Nations, Nigeria will become the most populous country in the world by 2050, we are already the not populous in Africa.

“It’s not late. The country, by God’s grace, is going to survive because I believe that the Almighty has a purpose for putting that much number of people in this place, and to an extent, we cannot be ignored in the world,” he said.