VICE President Yemi Osinbajo and his predecessor, Abubakar Atiku, exchanged letters on Tuesday on the issue of restructuring, which has been a thorny issue in the Nigerian polity over the years.
Osinbajo believes that “the problem with our country is not a matter of restructuring”, but Atiku thinks otherwise, positing that “Nigeria needs to be restructured and restructured soon”.
Key points of Osinbajo’s arguments against restructuring
Osinbajo said what Nigeria truly needs is not restructuring but the following
- Good governance/honest management of public resources
- Deeper fiscal Federalism
- Resource control
- State police, and
- A clear vision for development
Overall, the Vice President insisted that “restructuring in whatever shape or form, will not mean much if our political leaders see public resources as an extension of their bank accounts. This, I believe, is the real issue”.
Key points of Atiku’s arguments in favour of restructuring
Atiku, for his part, said Nigeria is long overdue for restructuring. He stated seven points which he believed need to be followed in restructuring the country.
- Devolution of powers and resources to the states.
- No state will receive less Federal funds than today as a result of restructuring
- Matching grants from the federal government to the states to help them grow their internally generated revenue position.
- The privatisation of unviable federal Government-owned assets.
- A truly free market economy driven by the laws of demand and supply.
- Replacing state of origin with state of residence, and
- Passing the PIGD so that our oil and gas sector will run as a business with minimal governmental interference.
“This continuous prevarication, this approbation and reprobation, helps no one, least of all true progressives who know that Nigeria needs to be restructured and restructured soon,” Atiku stated.
As campaigns for the 2019 general election gradually kicks in, many expect that the issue of restructuring will once again take the front burner.