Restructuring: We aren’t saying LG should be scraped – Oyegun
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie Oyegun has clarified that the report of the restructuring panel did not recommend scrapping of the Local Government system but to reform it according to the customs and tradition of the people.
Oyegun was speaking at the public presentation of the report on Wednesday at Ladi Kwali hall of the Sheraton Hotel and Towers Abuja saying, “Where we were and where we are today is still not comfortable, whatever we are presenting today is the critical max of this country.
“ We are not saying we should dissolve Local government system, what we are saying is that because of people’s culture and tradition, we cannot prescribe a way of life for them, we can prescribe systems that soot’s and conform with their customs and way of life, a policy of openness by the party to the people”.
The Party Chairman said that there had been flamboyant conferences that ended up in nothing but today, the party has come to a fundamental foundation that will move this nation forward.
“This nation was facing issues at the commencement of this administration so we need a new economic basis that will create a good situation for our country. We also have problems of security, Boko haram in the North East of the country but the assurance today is that, measures have been put in place to tackle the menace of Herdsmen and other insecurity in the country”.
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Oyegun also said ‘True Federalism’ is a necessity for a good foundation for development; pointing that everything is in place as we are self sufficient today to tackle all our problems, so, the party leadership had to set up a restructuring committee headed by the Kaduna state governor, El’rufai to look into the national issues.
Kaduna State Governor and Chairman of the panel Mallam Nasir El’Rufai represented by Ubah Sani, Special Adviser to the Governor on political matters said the committee on federalism has recommended that the federation be rebalanced with more powers and responsibilities devolved to the states saying; “The recommendations cover how the states will generate the resources that will fund their envisaged new powers and responsibilities”.
El’Rufai said it was clear that more value had been added to the debate about restructuring, devaluation and federalism.
He said: “We have defined the values that in our opinion promote and connote ‘True Federalism’, and proposed a clear roadmap for implementing the recommendations. The APC committee on true federalism has produced clear recommendations to strengthen federalism, and we have produced draft bills that incorporate the proposed amendments.
“Restructuring is a nation building opportunity. There is now no significant constituency against the idea that states should exercise consequential powers, assume more responsibilities and control resources. It is time to make it work, for the benefit of the peoples of the country”.
Tom Okpe, Abuja
