Constitutional and human rights lawyer, Prof Mike Ozekhome, SAN, on Saturday, maintained that most of the states that make up the Federal Republic of Nigeria today are not viable and, as such, saw no reason why more states should be created in the country.
Ozekhome, who blamed the condition of the states on the “skewed federal template” being operated in the form of a unitary system of government, called for a complete overhaul of the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, the present constitution is not only cumbersome, with the centre vested with too much power and too many responsibilities, but was also a product of the military class, which has ruled Nigeria for quite some time.
He spoke at a “Walk for Wellness” campaign embarked upon by the Mike Ozekhome Chambers (MOC) in Abuja on Saturday.
“Some of us are now saying rather than create more states, we should collapse the present structure into about six geopolitical zones, which should serve as regional governments.
“A parliamentary system of government operating on a regional basis will be more beneficial to the people because it will catalyse development and competitiveness among the regions. Right now, no state is competing; all of them just go to Abuja at the end of the month to take from the federation account to share,” he said.
The senior lawyer lamented that Nigeria has become a sharing country that is not baking anything because “they don’t care or even know how to bake anything.”
According to him, while Nasarawa has the highest mineral deposits of over 36 items, followed by Plateau with 28 items, with Sokoto and Kaduna States in that order, the entire country still relies on crude oil, which is fast losing its value across the world.
“I will suggest that if we are to retain the state structure, we should retain the states as federating units, thus having two tiers of government,” he said, leaving local government to the states.
He added: “The only state I will have said should be created right now should be in the South East, to bring them to equity with other geopolitical zones in the country.”
