14 Areas that Require Restructuring in Nigeria are given in this article. This will help those who are yet to agree with the restructuring plan.
Call for Restructuring in Nigeria
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Though some, especially our leaders, are yet to come to terms with the restructuring ideology, an x-ray of these issues is sufficient to necessarily demand a restructuring.
Here are the Areas that Require Restructuring in Nigeria
1. Devolution of Powers
Political and economic power seems to be too concentrated at the center (federal level), leaving many responsibilities and huge resources in their control, and robbing other levels of government of these powers.
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The current arrangement cannot effectively cater to the needs of those at the local level. The restructuring will do well to transform the respective roles of the different arms of government, to perform well in areas such as territorial and economic governance.
Power needs to be devolved to the states and local governments to effectively undertake governance at that level without hindrance from the federal.
The states and local governments need to be allowed to operate autonomously – generating revenue and sustaining themselves therewith.
This will make for greater accountability, improved flexibility, and a reduction in the unnecessary bureaucracy of governance. Unitary Federalism is advised.
2. State/Local Policing
Regional/state policing with constitutional provision for overriding security powers of the army supervised by the federal, is advised.
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3. Religion
There must be a real separation of religion from the state and public policy.
4. Diversification of Economy
This would require building a policy foundation for the economic success of the nation, such that would nurture the spirit of enterprise and participation in key national issues, accommodating the private sector to a large extent.
5. Constitutional Tweaks
Restructuring is more than amending some sections of the constitution as the need arises, it is more about instituting a cultural revolution to support the tenets of peaceful coexistence and survival of different sections of the country.
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Other areas/issues include:
6. Derivation Principle/Revenue Allocation Formula
7. Creation or merger of states
8. Revamp the Exclusive, Concurrent, and Residual List
9. Determination of federating units
10. Review of the Land ownership system
11. Local government independence
12. Power-sharing and rotation of political offices
13. Resource control by states
14. Type of legislature to engage
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Benefits of Restructuring to Nigeria
- Restructuring the country will afford us an array of opportunities for everyone to succeed and for every level of governance to operate at the maximum level, to create wealth and employment for the citizenry.
- Restructuring Nigeria will foster the spirit of cooperation and consensus in a nation of diverse ethnic groups, cultures, and religions.
- It will establish, nurture and sustain a strong and effective democratic government
- It will make for greater economic efficiency, correct imbalances, and reorient the economy towards a more open and market-oriented system with greater reliance on the private sector.
- It will enable a better union among its component entities and even the development
- It will ensure better performance of the government at all levels. To this end, a greater Nigeria is possible and implementable if the parties/persons concerned can initiate the process of restructuring in its truest essence.