INEC Ex-Chairman Attahiru Jega Issues Dire Warning
Nigeria Is A Failing State And If We Don’t Act, The Worst Will Happen – INEC Ex-Chairman, Attahiru Jega
A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, has warned that Nigeria is a failing state and the leaders and citizens need to safeguard the system in order to prevent “the worst” from happening.
Jega, who oversaw the general elections in 2015, urged the leaders to lower the expenses of government while pointing out that Nigeria’s “coagulated presidential system” is not the greatest in the world.
At the Bauchi State University in Gadau, he gave a convocation talk on Saturday with the theme “Safeguarding Nigeria’s future: Prioritising citizen welfare and security amidst challenges.”
According to him, the most important thing that needs to be done to restructure the Nigerian federation between now and 2027 is for the people in positions of leadership to get together and devise a logical, fact-based plan. This includes transferring authority and funds from the federal to state and local governments.
Jega lamented that the high cost of governance must be addressed to safeguard Nigeria’s future, adding that there was an urgent need to reduce power concentration at the federal level.
“Even if all we do is go back to the way power was distributed in the 1963 Constitution, we should do that but I think we should even go beyond that because we need to reduce the power of the Federal Government. In fact, that power of the Federal Government, in which whoever is elected president controls virtually all the resources, beheads the reality.
“There is fear that if more resources go to the states and local governments, given what we see in Nigeria now, many people are afraid that it cannot solve the problems, but my own thinking is that the more power and resources in the state and local governments the less attractive the federal becomes. Then, the more people will concentrate in terms of bringing appropriate reforms and development. It is very important we truly address these issues.”
Jega highlighted the necessity of changing the constitution, especially with regard to policy choices made to reduce the expense of government.
“I say this because it seems there is a movement now by some elites to bring back the parliamentary system,” he continued. That is a horrible thing, in my opinion. You began under a parliamentary system, switched to a presidential one, realised you weren’t doing well, and now you believe returning to a parliamentary system would be the best course of action.”
Jega clarified that returning to a legislative system would be terrible and would not address the root cause of the governance profligacy until that culture was fully addressed.
On the issue of parliamentary system of government, Jega said, “The problem is we have a presidential system and it is a coagulated presidential system, one that is not taking the best practices of other presidential system in the world and it is important we pay attention to this.
“I don’t believe Nigeria is a failed state but we must realise that Nigeria is a failing state and if we put it in jeopardy and don’t safeguard it then the worst can happen.”
Jega further suggested that political leaders must find ways of reducing overdependence on revenue from oil through increased agricultural productivity, focus on agro-allied industries and creation of opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth population.
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