Two former Presidents of the Senate; Anyim Pius and Bukola Saraki, the chairman of United Nigeria Airline, Professor Obiora Okonkwo; and former Minister of Health, Professor ABC Nwosu, at the weekend advocated for a return to true federalism.

They advocated that equal management of diversities was the best model to restructure Nigeria

They stated this at the launch and public presentation of a book by Professor Okonkwo, ‘Making Nigeria Work- Patways to Greatness.’

Okonkwo is a professor of Business at the University of Abuja.

The book, with 15 chapters, brought fresh insights and incisive reasoning into nagging issues such as, how Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups could be welded in to a truly united and peaceful nation.

Discussion on chapter one of the book centered on Value of Diversity: Restructuring to Save Nigeria, while chapter two discussed the Quest for a New Nigeria,the late Michael Okpara model.

Chapter eight focused on Reawakening the Age- long Norms and Values of the people, while
chapter 12 highlights the activities of media on national development.

Okonkwo, who also used the occasion to mark his birthday said a restructured system would make Nigerians focus more on what happens in their states.

He said the people would hold the governor’s and state lawmakers more accountable to them, than it was currently focusing attention on accountability to the federal government.

This, he said would spur collaboration among the states in pursuance of economic development and integration.

“For example, nothing stops the states in the south -East from collaborating to build railways or monorails, to connect all state capitals in the region and boost economic activities that will drive development of the region.

“Such collaboration could also extend to the south-South region for mutual benefits; states in other regions could also collaborate to pursue development that are of mutual benefit to them.

“In doing this, states are are now forced to look at their diversity to get, integrated backwards and make use of the best, because regions will be in development competition.

“This is the sort of thing that restructuring will achieve ,it is not already happening because our current system of government enthrones a leadership recruitment system that does not allow for the best from our diversity,” he said in the book.

He said the 262 pages book was his gift, to the educational institutions, gift to intellectual team,
adding that the longer the nation waits to restructure, the deeper the wound and the hurt it experiences.

“When we talk of true federalism,it dose not mean taken what does not belong to anybody,it means people having what they should have and doing what they should do .

“The center has taken so much, the center still remains, active, with its own dedicated area of activities. In true federalism, you have powers in different states,doing also what they ought to do given by the constitution.

“This was a negotiated constitution before independence, it helped us, it brought about the fastest development, we have ever seen in this country.

“It will bring an end to a lot of issues, I hope the argument and opinion I have in the book will help people to know that this is not intended to hurt anybody or deprive anybody, but is to make us happier in this one entity Nigeria, where there will be equity, justice and fairness,” he said.

In the same vein, Professor Nwosu, who wrote the forward of the book extolled the virtues of Okonkwo, as a rare breed that has successfully combined entrepreneurship, intellectualism and politics for betterment of Nigeria.

Nwosu said it was pedestrian to think that restructuring was asking people to go back to the regions, adding that nobody wants that, in a federation.

He said Okonkwo put restructuring in proper perspective by saying that restructuring entailed managing all diversities in the country as each ethnic nationalities were created to be in Nigeria, and has an equal right in Nigeria.

“There are no senior and junior Nigerians and there will never be, anything that want to make for having a senior and junior Nigerian,would be attracting trouble,” he said.

He said the selfless service of late Michael Okpara ensured that many people benefited from it selfless service.

He commended the use of Micheal Okpara as a model of governance to leaders, adding that anyone who aspires to be like Michael Okpara was on the right track on governance.

High point of the occasion was unveiling and launch of the book by the Chairman of the occasion, Saraki, and the Special Guest of Honour, Ayim. (Daily Sun)

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