President Bola Tinubu is set to receive a draft bill on Friday, June 14, 2024, proposing a return to Nigeria’s regional system of government.
“A proposed legislation authored by Akin Fapohunda, a prominent figure in the Yoruba socio-cultural association Afenifere, seeks to substitute the annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with a new governance model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Establish the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria New Governance Model for Nigeria Act 2024,’ the bill aims to introduce updated laws and reforms.”
Recalled that Last week, the House of Representatives disowned a draft bill. Spokesman Akin Rotimi and Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business clarified that the bill had not been scheduled for deliberation in the current efforts to review the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
However, Mr. Fapohunda informed our correspondent that the proposed bill would be sent to the President on Friday.
He informed our correspondent that he is submitting the draft bill today but plans to withhold its public release for seven days.
Meanwhile Fapohunda, representing the Coalition of Indigenous Ethnic Nationalities, informed The PUNCH that the organization proposes dividing the country into eight geopolitical regions, each with provisional boundaries.
“We propose the establishment of a new regional government framework featuring executive and legislative bodies, led by a Premier.”
“In the new framework, current States (such as the six in the Western region) will be transformed into provinces. These provinces will be governed by Provincial Councils that combine executive and legislative functions, led by a Chairman and supported by Administrative Officers with specialized expertise. Regions will have the freedom to establish provinces, ensuring they are viable and self-sustaining.”
“The current Local Government Areas will be restructured into divisions, each overseen by divisional managers and specialist administrative officers, functioning as centers for socio-economic development. Additionally, the new provinces will have the flexibility to establish divisions, ensuring they are viable and self-sustaining.
The coalition also put forth a new constitution that includes provisions for regional autonomy, allowing regions the freedom to create, merge, or reconfigure their administrative units. They may adopt provinces, divisions, or districts according to their needs without interference from any other authority.
The restructuring of regions and sub-regional entities aims to decrease the cost of public and civil service administration to below 20-30% of revenue generated.
“In drafting their Constitutions, the peoples of the respective regional territories will take a cue and also dismantle any arrangement or configuration that will favour the politicians and the political class; with a focus on freeing resources for true development.
“A uni-camera federal legislature comprising members that are elected at the discretion of the regions for which they would be representatives at Abuja.
“Decentralization of federal power in favour of not more than 10 regions on which there is a general national consensus, rather than the presently unwieldy number of 36 States. These old States are inconsequential indeed in being a viable unit of a truly federal system of government.”
In all, the coalition proposes that the Federal Government “Shall comprise not more than nine Ministries and Ministers,” adding that “The very big United States have just 15 Cabinet Ministers, while Nigeria is not even up to just a State of Texas or New York.”
The group is also advocating for a return to a parliamentary system of government, which includes a built-in statutory rotation of leadership among the regions.
