Former Nigeria Lawmaker, Senator Roland S. Owie said devolution of powers was the simplest way to restructure Nigeria.
Owie, in a written document to the Chairman National Assembly Constitutional Review Committee and Edo State Governor Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, said Nigeria had been long engaged in the Federalism Question.
He also stated that it was clear that because of the diverse nature and large size of Nigeria, the political system best suited for the country was a Federal System.
Owie added that the challenge had been what type of Federalism and many proposals, including restructuring, had been put forward without success.
Read him: “I believe there is a simple solution. This is the Devolution of Powers. The Constitution has two Legislative Lists, namely, Exclusive and Concurrent.
“These lists have 98 items of power. The Federal Government exercises exclusive power over 68 items on the Exclusive List.
“On the other hand, the states, in concurrence with the Federal Government, exercise power over 30 items on the Concurrent List, while the States exercise power on the concurrent list, only if the Federal Government has not already ‘covered the field’ on any of the 30 items.
“In effect, State Governments really have no power to regulate their affairs.”
He recommended a holistic review of the 98 items in the Exclusive Legislative List and assignment of what is best to the Federal and what is best to the States, based on the principle of subsidiarity.
Senator Owie also recommended that the Exclusive list and Concurrent list be renamed as the Federal Legislative List and State Legislative List for clarity.
He said there was also the need to define Federating Units as States and the Centre (Federal).
“The States can then create as many Local Government that they can fund.
“May The Almighty God, in The Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of The Blessed Virgin Mary, ensure the success of the current exercise of giving Nigerians a workable Constitution by the current National Assembly, in Jesus Name. Amen,” he said.
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