The former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has reiterated that true federalism is the only solution to the current challenges militating against the smooth running of the country and advised stakeholders to reassess the situation.

Delivering the annual Professor Ademola Popoola public lecture organised by the Faculty of Law of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, yesterday, Atiku said the present system in operation in the country is a “unitary federalism” and that the system does not serve the country, or any of her sections well.

Speaking on the theme, “Constitutional and political framework for reconstructing Nigeria for true federalism and national integration”, Atiku maintained that the restructuring of the country’s federal system is the only feasible means to solve the nation’s numerous challenges.

According to him, immediate restructuring of the country would enable the citizens of Nigeria to live better and live a worthy legacy for their generations yet unborn.

Dispelling insinuations that restructuring of the country would bring about division or secession, Atiku advised the leadership of the country to examine the possibility of using the existing geopolitical zones as federating units.

While arguing that many of the state governments in Nigeria are not viable, Atiku called for the merger of unviable states with the viable ones to generate a certain percentage of its expenditures internally for a specified period of time.

He mentioned that over dependence and addiction to oil money, excessive centralisation and concentration of power and resources, intense political competition, and political instability were among the factors responsible for the country’s problems.

Atiku said: “There is no doubt that many of our states are not viable, and were not viable from the start, once you take away the federal government allocations from Abuja. We have to find creative ways to make them viable in a changed federal system. Collaboration among States in a region or zone will help.

“We can examine the possibility of using the existing geopolitical zones as federating units. We can also find other ways to determine the viability of states, for example by introducing a means of test such that a state that is unable to generate a certain percentage of its expenditures internally for a specified period of time will be deemed unviable and collapsed into another or a group of states.

“We need to start producing again and collecting taxes to run our governments in a more sustainable way with greater transparency and accountability.

“We have a unique opportunity now, with all the agitation and clamour for restructuring, to have a conversation that would lead to changes in the structure of our federation in order to make it stronger, enhance our unity and promote peace, security and better and more accountable governance.

“Ours should be a federal system that delegates to the federal government only powers and responsibilities for those matters that are better handled by a central government such as defence, foreign affairs, inter-governmental affairs, setting overall national economic policy and standards. Other powers and responsibilities should reside with the states, which will include the power to create and fund local governments as they deem fit.

“Why do we have federal roads all over the country that don't get maintained? Why do we have federal hospitals and schools all over the country that are no better than their state counterparts? We even have more clamour for federal takeover of existing state institutions.

“This is not how to run a federation. Rather we are centralising more and making a mockery of federalism. This is a parody of federalism, and we must get away from it.”