100th Anniversary:'Rework' Nigeria Now, Anyaoku Tells Govt

The former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Anyaoku has used the opportunity of Nigeria’s celebration of Centinafy reinstated his earlier call for true federalism, describing it as 'the only way to progress and development.' According to him, the present structure breeds high cost of governance, tribalism and religious bigotry.

In a telephone conversation Saturday night, Anyaoku advised the country to adopt new structure that would accommodate six regions to combat the main 'impediments to progress and development.'

Anyaoku, who was honoured alongside many other eminent Nigerians as part of the Centenary celebrations, told The Guardian that high cost of governance and accentuation of religious/tribal differences in the competition for control of the centre remain two critical obstacles to Nigeria's development.

The former commonwealth Secretary observed that 'the present structure compels us to expend excess amount of our revenue on administration

'No country, particularly those at the same level with Nigeria during the time of our independence, achieved the rate of their development by spending 70 percent of their revenue on administration.'

Ayaoku also stressed that Nigeria mode of governance, 'destabilises competition for the control of the centre by fueling our religious and tribal differences.'

He harped on the need for a constitution that gives power for development to the federating units. 'We should return to the state we were during the time of independence …when the regions were so powerful that the Saduana of Sokoto, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, chose to remain the premier of the Northern Region and sent Tafawa Balewa, his deputy, to the centre to represent him as Prime Minister.' The Guardian