Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has come for the APC led Federal Government about how its government is paying lip service to the restructuring of the country.
While speaking with Punchng, he referred to the APC’s party’s manifesto where the party promised to amend the nation’s constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties and responsibilities to state and local governments, in order to entrench federalism and the federal spirit and blamed them for not doing anything about restructuring for over two years.
“During the last electioneering, the All Progressives Congress promised to restructure the country. It was therefore surprising when the APC Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, claimed that the APC would not restructure the country. In fact, one of the leading ideologues of the party, Mr. Nasir el-Rufai, the Governor of Kaduna State, described those who are campaigning for restructuring as opportunists. To stop the public deceit”
“I had to refer the APC leadership to the party’s manifesto where it is expressly stated that the party would initiate action to amend the nation’s constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties and responsibilities to state and local governments, in order to entrench federalism and the federal spirit. It was at that juncture that the APC was compelled to set up a committee on restructuring.”
“Is that not a time-wasting exercise? One would have expected the APC to reach out to other stakeholders in the Nigerian project, including representatives of political parties, the labour movement, the youths including students, women, physically challenged people, etc., to debate the devolution and democratisation of powers in a way that the national question is addressed in a holistic manner.”
“That action would have addressed the bulk of agitations over marginalisation, inequality and insecurity in the country. There can be no serious restructuring with a neocolonial political economy. But like the Peoples Democratic Party, the APC government has relied on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in addressing the crisis of underdevelopment and poverty in the country.”
“He also said not even the Federal government can be said to be happy with the state of affairs with respect to the level of insecurity of life and property in the country. The response of the Federal Government to security challenge has been rather slow, tentative and superficial.”