VON Boss Cautions Against More Power To Govs

VON Boss Cautions Against More Power To Govs

POLITICS DIGEST – Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, warned against conceding more powers to the state governors.

Okechukwu, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), called on Nigerians to look beyond the frenzy of restructuring as canvassed by the southern governors.

In a statement, the VON boss advised Nigerians to tread carefully and not see the socio-economic and security challenges facing the country as a reason to give more powers to the governors who are already allegedly mismanaging their powers as emperors.

He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2018, endorsed amendment of the 1999 Constitution, granting financial autonomy to the state judiciary and state legislature, as foundation for real restructuring, but painfully, two years down the line, the governors have refused to implement it

According to Okechukwu, Nigerians cannot expect good governance when the governors, acting as “Emperors”, had locked up all democratic institutions in the state.

“Whereas one endorsed the southern governors communiqué that the progress of the nation requires that urgent and bold steps should be taken to restructure the federation leading to the evolution of state police, review of revenue allocation formula in favour of the sub-national governments and creation of other institutions which legitimately advance our commitment to and practice of true federalism, one is of the candid view that we need dual-restructuring” he said.

According to the DG, Nigeria needs dual-restructuring to restructure democratic state institutions to unlock state judiciary, state legislatures and local government councils.

“It will be paradoxical for us to expect good governance at the sub-national level when the governors have locked up democratic institutions.

“Secondly, we need to devolve relevant powers from the Exclusive Legislative List to states and local government councils.”