Ajimobi: Why North opposes restructuring

Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, yesterday gave insight into why the North is against the clamour for the restructuring of Nigeria’s political system.
Ajimobi, at the third annual lecture of Dauda Adegbenro Foundation, in Ibadan, said the North is opposed to the agitation because it prefers the status quo of which it is a great beneficiary.
The theme of the lecture was: “Transparency in the extractive industries: Driving wealth creation and sustainable revenue as solution to economic recession.”
The governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr. Gbade Ojo, said there were many things wrong with the present Nigeria’s political system that restructuring would put right.
Ajimobi said the nation’s present political system has robbed states of revenues, and unless there is a reform, the second tier of government will continue to depend on handouts from the federation account.
He said ordinarily, solid mineral deposits should belong to states where they are found, but the 1999 Constitution had given that ownership rights to the Federal Government.
He added that without a constitution amendment or restructuring, the state’s would remain parasites.
He said amending the constitution would make states get involved in the extractive industries and boost their revenues.
He also said Nigerians must decide on the type of federalism they want to practise as no two federalisms are the same.
In addition, Ajimobi urged the federal government to intensify efforts at diversifying the economy as Nigeria’s continued reliance on a mono-product economy will not bode well for the nation.
In his lead paper at the lecture, Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Mr. Waziri Adio, listed areas Nigeria should focus on to drive sustainable growth and development on the extractive industries and in the country.
He said Nigeria should fully harness the opportunities offered by resource endowments by pursuing value optimisation. He also called for more openness in the extractive industries, especially, not only revenue transparency, but, also, ownership transparency, contract transparency, expenditure transparency and assets transparency.
Adio added that there should be a shift from “a sharing and extractive mind-set to a productive and value-adding mind-set.