Pastor Tunde Bakare, convener of the Save Nigeria Group has called for a return to true Federalism in Nigeria, saying that the last time it was practiced in Nigeria was January 1966.
His words: “Two earlier delegates have described the president’s speech as a martial plan for the conference. If our expectations are different from that of the president, then we are in a jamboree. It appears Mr. President knew his onions and he laid it bare. He knows that the greatest problem of this government is the system of government.
“Many conferences have been held in the past. We do not need more than 10 committees to restructure Nigeria. Nigeria’s federalism died on January 1966. General Aguyi Ironsi made the declaration. Until we return to true federalism, we will be deceiving ourselves,” he said.
Also another delegate, the Executive Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Dr. Abiola Akiode-Afolabi, representing Civil Society Organisations, said, “The conference must restructure governance system to be answerable to the people; we want to see a legitimate government that is open, transparent and accountable. Organs of government must yield to people’s wishes and aspirations.”
“Our issues on citizenship, indigeneship and agreeable age of marriage and a constitution that will guarantee rights of the girl child and discourage marriage of children, must be the priority of the confab. The conference must ensure that basic rights to health, education, shelter and food are guaranteed in the constitution,” she added.