…Says ‘no’ to six regions
The proposal by South-West governors for a six-region structure in the country is generating controversy in the region, as Yoruba Elders rejected the proposal, insisting on a new Constitution rather than the amendment of the one currently in use.
Contrary to the position of the governors, the Yoruba Council of Elders, (YCE), said what the nation needs is not a Constitution amendment but a new Constitution that will give expression to the differences of the component units and reflect the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian people.
“The 1999 Constitution (as amended) from its very first sentence lied against itself by saying ‘we the people of Nigeria’, whereas we, the people, were never consulted”, the Secretary-General of the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Dr. Kunle Olajide, said.
The South-West governors had proposed the conversion of the present six geopolitical zones into federating units, as part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly.
The South West Governors’ Forum, in a document presented to members of the National Assembly from the zone, made other proposals to weaken the central government, while allocating more powers to states.
The proposals were reportedly presented to the South-West caucus of the National Assembly penultimate Tuesday.
The governors had met with the lawmakers in Abuja behind closed doors.
The governors at the meeting were Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo State), who is also the Chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum; Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun).
After the meeting, Akeredolu had said the South-West would be approaching the Constitution amendment with a common front.
Olajide said it is immoral to call the people of Nigeria, either through elected governors or lawmakers, to amend the Constitution they were never part of the making.
According to the YCE Secretary, the South-West governors are proposing direct funding and local government autonomy, saying local government cannot have autonomy under Federal Government but autonomy under States.
“Let us go back to the basics, let the Nigerian people elect people to the Constituent Assembly to write their Constitution, let us appreciate the fact that we are heterogeneous.
“We have over 250 ethnic groups, those who want to work together will voluntarily agree to work together; you don’t lump them together.
“There are Yoruba in Kogi and Kwara who don’t want to be there. We have Ekiti people in Kogi who want to join Ekiti, there are other ethnic groups in Kogi who want to join Osun; ditto in Kwara, and then you haul all of them into a region.
“It doesn’t work like that. Then when you go far in the North, you discover that it is more complex. And it is much more complex than that; the governors’ proposal is too simplistic in approach.
“Canada continues to remain a classical example of proper federalism, a part of that nation is French-speaking while others are English speaking and the nation continues to remain in harmony.
“This is the time to entrench federalism, in the interest of our nation”, he stated.
