The Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has stated that President Mohammadu Buhari would address the issue of political restructuring if he wins a second term in office by 2019.
Okechukwu said that what Buhari was doing presently is addressing issues of economic restructuring and will look into political restructuring when he is given a second mandate.
The VON DG made the statements while giving a nod to a “Handshake across the Niger” meeting, scheduled for Enugu on Thursday.
Okechukwu assured the Igbo and Yoruba delegates to the Enugu meeting that President Buhari would address the issue of political restructuring in his second term.
Okechukwu said: “To be candid, am one of those, who view the two as competing brothers rather than adversaries as some have internalised. I also share the view that the unity of the two will in no small measure enhance the unity of our dear country.
“The delegates should take serious and deep analysis of President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic restructuring captured in RRP – Rails, Roads and Power projects, as enunciated in his 2018 New Year Speech.
“This to me is important because Mr. President has in the midst of competing options elected to first embark on massive critical infrastructure renewal, after which he will embark on political restructuring. The infrastructure renewal is an urgent programme in the face of huge infrastructural deficit.”
“I agree that some may argue, why not both together or no, we can do better infrastructural development in regional units. Those who argue the regional option born out of devolution of power, easily forget that our governors control about 48 percent of monies accruing to the Federation Account and nobody queries them like the federal government.”
He said that because the State Governors were not held accountable like the President at the federal government, the State Houses of Assembly act like Rubber-Stamp Assembly; leading to democracy recession compounded by lack of free and fair local government council election and no anti-graft agency at the local unit.
“It is in this connection that a large spectrum of Buhari’s supporters nationwide have agreed with him to first embark on RRP and to embark on political restructuring during his second term.
“Mr. President I know, is aware that one of the cardinal programmes in our great party’s manifesto is devolution of powers from the center to the units. He has this on his cards. And therefore no political party, at least, not All Progressives Congress, APC, for sure will hold on ad infinitum to 68 items in the Exclusive List of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without amendment,” he said.
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