Fika: Why Nigeria should abolish military-imposed presidential system

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Head of the Federal Civil Service, Alhaji Adamu Fika, has called for the abolition of presidential system in the country.

“We should do away with this expensive and corrupt executive presidential system which lacks genuine checks and balances. It has proven to be unsuitable for our country. It was never the wish of Nigerians but was imposed on them by the military.

“We should revisit the system of parliamentary system based on the 1963 constitution with necessary amendments to bring it up-to date,” Fika said in Bauchi on Tuesday while chairing a lecture organized by the Alumni Association of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) to commemorate the 3rd anniversary of the Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar.

Fika, who was represented by a former Registrar of Bayero University Kano (BUK), Alhaji Sani Ibrahim Aminu, said unless the principles and practice of good governance practiced by Nigeria’s founding fathers were readopted, the country would continue to be backward.

The elder statesman also said the nation should reconsider whether or not to continue with a two-chamber legislature or not which he also described as expensive to maintain.

He said before 1960 there was no Senate, pointing out that it was introduced as a counter balance to the northern region which had more members in the then House of Representatives.