A professor of History, Jide Osuntokun, has urged the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to convene a constitutional conference early in his administration.
Delivering the 28th Annual Distinguished Lecture and Luncheon organised by the House of Lords, Nigeria titled ‘How to keep Nigeria Together’, in Ibadan on Monday, Prof Osuntokun said Nigeria need true federalism and better fiscal arrangements to
attain greater nation
The don maintained that the conference must allow the discussion of issues bordering on federalism and fiscal arrangements to guarantee resources ownership as well as ensure that each state or group in the country contribute to the running of a loose federation.
“Let us design a system where political activities and competition will be state located, domiciled and collective.Cooperative governance will be at the centre while states enjoy large measure of autonomy and consequent development”, he said
The professor of history added, ” We must bring back this system in which people have confidence that their government will have their backs, protect their culture including their language, religion and their future group rights”.
According to Prof Osuntokun, ” in the first republic, each region had its own constitution, independent judiciary and control over the affairs of the lives of its people”, adding, that the present states in the country are just too weak and too many to defend the rights as well as resources of their people and that we must find politically realistic solution to a knotty problem instead of losing our country to the forces of disunity and political fission arising from elections.
Stressing that people can only enjoy democracy when they are living in peace, he pointed out that there can’t be absolute rights in an explosive situation where lives and society itself are threatened, calling for a realistic solution out of the political quagmire.
“These have become recurring decimal since 1959, 1964, 1979, 1983, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 and now 2023. It’s better to find realistic solution out of this political quagmire.”
Speaking, the leader of the House of Lords, Prof Ayodele Desalu (CON) disclosed that the annual May Day lecture by the group was part of its demonstration of been passionate about development and growth of Nigeria.
He stressed that the incoming administration of Asiwaju Tinubu should ensure steady power supply and functional refineries in the country as no country can experience growth and development without stable power supply
Prof Desalu while urging the incoming administration of Asiwaju Tinubu to encourage each state to generate power for its people noted that such would open windows of employment opportunities and boost economic growth as well as reducing insecurity in the country,
According to Prof Desalu, all these and some other policies aimed at boosting economic growth and reducing unemployment rate, would no doubt reduce youth unrest in the country.
