‘Implement CONFAB report, have your name in gold’

By Bukola Olamona & Mary Agidi
|
Secretary General  of Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere, Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the resolutions arrived at during the last CONFAB organised by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

Bashorun Arogbofa noted that the President will be writing his name in gold if he returned the country to true federalism by implementing the CONFAB resolutions.

President Buhari had few days ago reportedly expressed belief in true federalism and the possibility of retuning the country to the system.

Arogbofa, who spoke with our correspondent, said the president should put all necessary machineries in motion so that the populace will know that he is ready for the return of the country to true federalism and not by mere words.

“Nowadays, it is difficult to separate a political statement from reality, so if it is the reality, it is welcomed and his name will be written in gold. We will also applaud him,” he said.

He stated  that the 600 resolutions arrived at, at the CONFAB are the solutions to Nigeria’s problems, adding that a lot of Nigerians of all categories like, the obas, chiefs, professors, politicians, physically challenged former governors and many others gathered to put the resolutions together.

According to him, “Federalism is where all the components of government are equal before the law; the centre doesn’t run things down over the subordinate like the states initiating ideas and executing them.

“Where certain powers are left for the states to implement, where every state can have its own police for her internal security  while the National Police still remains, and functional and where every state will develop at its own pace and many more.”

He said Nigerians want Fiscal Federalism which will give room for some percentage of what every state has will be left in the state and also certain percentage will be sent to the centre.

In his reaction, Human Right Activist and chieftain in APC, Dr. Tunji Abayomi said if the President really wants to promote true federalism in Nigeria, there is a need for a new constitution for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

According to him, the document that Nigeria is using as a constitution is not the decision of Nigerians but a decree imposed on the country by the Military.

“If they want true federalism, the different nations of people, or ethnic groups need to sit on a round table and agree on a constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, what we have now is the constitution for the Military Republic of Nigeria because the present constitution was forced on the people by the Military.

“If the President truly wants a federal republic of Nigeria, what he should promote is the conference of the people in order to give themselves a constitution, it is not government that gives a nation a constitution, it is the constitution that gives a nation a government”, he said.

He however expressed optimism that President Muhammad Buhari will work towards the operation of true federalism in the country according to his recent statement which called for true federalism, saying the President must have thought deeply about it before uttering the statement.