Devolution Of Power To States, LGAS Solution To Economic Crisis, Says Obasanjo
FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has blamed the current economic crisis being faced in the country on lack of productivity among Nigerians and mismanagement of the availability of resources. He also called for devolution of power and resources from the Federal Government to the states and local governments to ensure effective management of resources and reduce competition at the centre.
Obasanjo stated this yesterday at the public presentation of the book, Court and Politics, authored by Dr. Umar Ardo.
The book chronicled the first- hand experience of the author in politics and the courts.
Ardo was the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party ( SDP) in the last election in Adamawa State and recently lost his bid to annul the election of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri. While speaking at the book launch, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, a member of the Northern Elders Forum, threw his weight behind moves by some lawmakers in the National Assembly to return Nigeria to the parliamentary system of government.
Abdullahi, a former vice chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said it was glaring that the presidential system has failed Nigeria; hence, the country should return to a parliamentary system, which he said, was better for the nation.
Obasanjo, represented by former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Banbangida Aliyu, however, disagreed with Abdullahi on the call for a return to the parliamentary system, noting that what is needed to put the country on the path of progress is attitudinal change and political culture to strengthen the system.
He said contributions were based on two key issues – productivity and political culture.
Obasanjo, who served as Nigeria’s head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as elected president from 1999 to 2007, noted that the foundation of any economy is the productivity of the sum total of the nation’s people and its resources, saying everybody is lamenting that the economy has gone under because the productivity has never been there.
He noted that Nigeria’s oil production is about 1.7 million barrels per day while almost the same quantity is stolen every day, adding that other countries that produce about five million barrels could account for them. “How can you talk about the economy when you have kidnappers, bandits, Boko Haram, IPOB and all these bad people making life difficult for farmers and schoolchildren?” he asked.