A former Secretary General of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, on Saturday, in Lagos, said the 2014 National Conference did not address Nigerians’ needs.
He added that President Muhammadu Buhari administration needs to consider regionalizing the country into the current six geo-political zones for national and economic development.
“The 2014 National Conference is not the answer to the restructuring that Nigeria needs”, Anyaoku said.
He also urged youths to mobilize for the restructuring of the country.
“You should mobilize and channel some of your youthful enthusiasm into clamoring for a restructuring of the country’s governance architecture.”
Anyaoku, who spoke during the 2016 United Nations International Youth Day, held at University of Lagos, said: “The restructuring that I am advocating for proposes no threat to Nigeria’s unity.
“On the contrary, it is the continuation of the ongoing agitation in different parts of the country which is encouraged by the present governing structure that will most probably lead to the undoing of Nigeria’s unity.”
He said that some elements in the recommendations of the 2014 conference, such as those pertaining to state police and physical arrangements, are steps in the right direction, noting that “the proposals that the conference adopted that there should be 54 states completely negates the idea of a vibrant federalism in a country with the history of ethnically and religiously diversity as Nigeria.”
He said: “I have maintained since 2005 on the basis of my over ten years experience with governance in over 50 countries of the Commonwealth that Nigeria cannot attain political stability and its desire of national and social-economic development unless it restructures its existing governance architecture.”
