NIGERIA’s six geopolitical zones must be empowered to enable development reach the grass root communities across the country, a former Nigerian ambassador and academic, Professor Akinjide Osuntokun said in Lagos on Saturday.
The respected academic was speaking at the 2nd convocation lecture of Caleb University in Ikorodu, Lagos, where he proposed that the center of Nigeria’s political power equation needed to be de-emphasized to strengthen development.
Entitled “Electoral Democracy and Political Realignment in Nigeria’’ the event was chaired by the university vice-chancellor, Professor Ayodeji Olukoju.
“There is need for the political restructuring of the country based on the present six geo-political zones which are viable and sustainable,” Mr. Osuntokun said.
“We need to de-emphasise the centre so that political struggle and electoral contestation will be localized”
“This will override the possibility of the current struggle for power at the centre by all and every means, including rigging of elections,’’ Osuntokun added.
He stressed the need to build a strong economy for the country.
“We must all strive to build a Nigerian economy in which people who wish to work will have work to do and in which politics will be a vocation rather than a profession.
“This was what it used to be in the past and we must go back to the past in order to guarantee our future.
“Elections since 1951 to the present date have not been able to foster a feeling of common destiny and if we are to remain together, we must find ways and means to harmonise individual and group rights within an overarching federal architecture,” Osuntokun said.
Mr. Osuntokun rejected the call for the dissolution of the federation, saying it would not guarantee free and fair elections.
Osuntokun said the onus to help the country to practice democracy lay on the leaders of both the opposition and the ruling parties.
“This is the experience and the verdict of history. The chaos in Somalia proves that common ethnic and religious identity is not a guarantee for stability, security, democracy and free elections,” he said.