Nigeria: Igbo elders propose regional govts, restructuring

The Igbo Leaders of Thought, a body of eminent socio-political leaders in the South East, has rejected the creation of 18 additional states in the country as recommended by the recent National Conference.

The group, which is led by Prof. Ben Nwabueze, insisted on the restructuring of Nigeria into ‘regions or zones,’ and the devolution of powers to these units, at its meeting in Enugu.

They argued that restructuring the country, and ceding 50 per cent of the powers currently wielded by the Federal Government to the zones, would provide the enabling environment for a peaceful, united and progressive Nigeria.

Also, they pointed out that the zones would develop at their own pace, and according to their peculiar characteristics and needs, without interference.

Nwabueze, who addressed journalists after the meeting, faulted the confab’s recommendation for creation of additional 18 states, noting that the proposal was not in line with the need to restructure the country.

He noted that the proposed restructuring did not necessarily require the dissolution of the existing 36 states but their merger along regional lines.

Nwabueze said, “To create a better, new and united Nigeria, the federation should be restructured in a way that at least 50 per cent of the central powers will be handled by larger political units to allow these individual units to develop at their own pace and way without interference.

“By restructuring, we mean the merging of the existing 36 states into zones not necessarily the dissolution of the states.

“So when you take away about 50 per ent of the powers of the central government and give them not to the existing 36 states not even to talk about the 54 states, but to zones which are larger political units better equipped to handle such additional powers.

“This is the whole essence of what we are saying.

“The zones can do this without doing away with the states because it took a lot of effort to create these states.

“This is part of the decisions we have taken resulting from the decisions of the delegates at the National Conference.”

He listed the benefits of restructuring the country to include ‘good leadership, quality democracy, social and economic rights, accountability and adequate security.

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