Founder of Trinity Church and Convener of the African Leadership Group Pastor Itua Ighodalo has said Nigeria can only delay structural changes to its peril.
He said the unitary system masquerading as federalism must give way for proper devolution of powers, for the country to survive.
Ighodalo urged Nigerians to vote for a man of vision, intelligence, transparency, integrity and credibility as president in 2023.
The cleric spoke at a conference in Lagos organised by the African Leadership Group, in conjunction with the Nigeria Leadership Series.
Other speakers included four lawyers- Yemi Candide-Johnson(SAN), Asia Umar, Foruq Abbas and Jonathan Pam.
Candide-Johnson spoke on the failure of governance, making stakeholders to employ violence as a tool of negotiation with the Federal Government.
Rejecting the 1999 Constitution, he said it does not reflect the basis or agreement for peaceful coexistence.
Umar spoke on the limitations and obstacles militating against women participation in politics.
Faruq, who lamented the exclusion of youths from governance, called for electoral reforms ahead of 2023 elections.
Pan pointed attention to the marginalisation of the Middle Belt, which has consistently fuelled the fear of the minority tribes.
He called for the evolution of transparent, sincere and responsible leadership that will restore order into a state of pandemonium.
Lamenting the ethnic tension, Igholado warned that anarchy was looming due to the ascendancy of secessionist and separatist groups.
He said insecurity presented a clear and present danger to public wellbeing because terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and ritualists are on the prowl.
Ighodalo called for social reorientation that will pave the way for the restoration traditional moral values, adding that designated state institutions should carry out the campaigns.
On the need for structural changes, he said:”We are no longer correct when we refer to Nigeria as a federal republic. It is presently not. It looks more like a unitary system of government. Devolution of powers is imperative. To agree on a system that approximates a federal republic is not rocket science.
“We ran such system in the Federal Republic. With slight modifications, we can resurrect that order that served this country fairly well, until the military intervened and aborted it.”
The priest wondered why Nigeria that has potentials have continued to fail.
Ighodalo said the British designed Nigeria to fail by making it a country and not a nation.
He condemned the greed and wickedness of the political class, saying that their corruption had wrecked havoc on the poor.
Ighodalo said:”Kids are made to rear cattle from Maiduguri to Lagos. The woman who roast plantain from morning till evening to make N3,000 profit from the banans worth N15,000 is unaware that that governor and minister have taken all the money meant for her children to banks abroad.”
He asked Nigerians who are fond of complaining on the state of the nation, particularly the youth, should join political parties and participate in the political process.
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