A former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, says Nigeria can only surmount its worsening insecurity, poverty and secession threats by devolving more powers to the states.
He noted that true federalism would resolve the country’s fundamental developmental challenges.
The former governor spoke yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, at the official presentation of a book, titled: Serving With Integrity: Ideology and Praxis of Senator Ayo Fasanmi in Nigeria’s Politics, in honour of Second Republic Senator Ayo Fasanmi.
The book, written by the late senator’s daughter, Dr. Olufunmilayo Fasehun, and her husband, Dr. Orobola Fasehun, was reviewed by a former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Kayode Soremekun.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain insisted that the country would return to the path of good governance if the sub-nationals were given more powers to operate.
He said: “The purpose of devolution, generally, is to bring the government closer to the people so that problems of security, poverty, and agitation for self-actualization could be reduced or better handled. The logic is very simple.
“Federating units or subsidiary units are usually the theatres of action. That’s where you have the land, the forests, the farms, the schools, the hospitals, the manufacturing industries, and even the roads and the citizens together with daily economic and social activities. “Take education, for example. What business has the Federal Government engaged in primary and secondary education? These schools are located in the states and their local governments.
“The truth is that subsidiary units perform better in Nigeria when they are in control of their resources, security outfits in the cities and the forests, and all other activities within their space. That was why the different regional governments were able to achieve a lot between 1954 and 1966, just within a space of 12 years!”
