February 10, (THEWILL) – As Nigeria battles with economic hardship and insecurity, an advocacy group, the Non-Violence Campaign in Nigeria (NCIN), has called for true Federalism and lamented the increased rate of corrupt practices in the country.
Coordinator, Non-Violence Campaign in Nigeria (NCIN), Oweikeme Johnny Peter, in a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday, in Warri, Delta State, said corruption in the government system and amongst individuals was negatively thwarting the growth and stability of Nigeria.
Peter said, “The only solution to Nigeria’s increasing problems is true federalism, a system by which democracy operates. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should think in this direction. True Federalism is a perfect system that gives the states the autonomous rights to control their resources and pay an agreed percentage to the central authority. And the dividends of the states must not be below fifty percent, which will allow democracy to operate freely at the local government level.
“Nonviolence approach in conflict resolution and economic liberation is a legal means of fighting the higher authorities within the premises of the legal laws. The likes of Rev Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela used these philosophies in their times. Our research has revealed that Nigeria is not operating on the principles of democracy but on a unitary system of government.
“As citizens, our inability to identify the root cause of our problems as Nigerians and demand for our fundamental human rights leads to these economic and security challenges in Nigeria, which is already threatening the peaceful coexistence of our country and taking us to another civil war, if not properly addressed.
“Indeed Nigeria is highly blessed with natural resources deposited all over the country, but out of greed and selfishness, the leaders decide to enslave the masses with the use of illegal constitutions at the early stage of her independence. I disagree with the fact that Nigeria is a democratic country because the features of democracy are totally absent in the Nigerian system of government.
“The injustice in the society signifies the negative application of the legal laws to run the public affairs of the society. This is the main reason why Nigerians are suffering because the laws are being applied wrongly. After the abolishment of slavery, the British approved democracy to Africans as the best system of government, which allowed the expression of fundamental human rights in the society.
“The states have more population and should get sixty percent because the central authority is made up of representatives from the various states that make up the country, and the percentage given to them is for the management of the public affairs in order to regulate the country’s economy.
“Nigeria is operating a unitary system of government in pretends of democracy, which was introduced by the military regime in the year 1966. Except true federalism/resource control and decentralisation, there shall be no solution to Nigeria’s economy and security challenges.”
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
