In a candid interview with the Nigerian Tribune, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), vehemently criticized the propositions of a six-year single tenure and a parliamentary form of government as mere diversions from the real issues plaguing Nigeria’s leadership. According to Agbakoba, those advocating for these solutions are avoiding the hard truth.
Agbakoba, a renowned legal expert, firmly believes that the key to solving Nigeria’s leadership challenges lies in devolving power and making the federating units more viable. He highlights the inefficiency of the current governance system, where the central government holds the majority of power, including 98 items on the Exclusive Legislative list, and shares another 30 items with the state governments on the concurrent list.
Drawing inspiration from the regionalism of the first republic, Agbakoba argues that empowering the states will foster healthy and intense competition in the development of their respective regions, ultimately benefiting the entire country.
“Proposals for a six-year single tenure and a parliamentary form of government are nothing but distractions,” Agbakoba asserts. “The real problem lies in devolving power. Forget about the tenure, it’s not the issue. We need to make the federating units stronger. No one will be interested in being Nigeria’s president if it means subjecting ourselves to the current state of affairs. The solution lies in transferring real authority to the states.”
Agbakoba advocates for revisiting the constitution and redistributing power from the central government to the states. He suggests that the federal government should focus on defense policy, foreign policy, justice policy, monetary policy, banking, and overall economic policy, while everything else, such as education, should be handled at the state level. This approach would foster intense competition among the 36 states, rather than concentrating power and competition solely at the federal level in Abuja.
In conclusion, Agbakoba’s call for devolution of power and empowering the states presents a bold and transformative solution to Nigeria’s leadership challenges, unlocking the true potential of the federating units and paving the way for a more prosperous and competitive nation.
