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Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland have made a strong case for regionalism, saying Nigeria’s progress is tied to it.
“I am making a strong case for Regionalism because Nigeria has come a long way. And 64 years in the life of a nation is no joke. But it must be stated that without regionalism, there is no way Nigeria can move forward. It is only a fool who does the same thing over and over again and expects a different result. It is not going to happen.
“Regionalism gives room for proper planning and cohesion. It enhances healthy rivalry among the regions as well as all tiers of government.
“Regionalism will enhance effective security in Nigeria. It will also drive and encourage both social and economic development in Nigeria.
“In those days, regionalism was part of the agreement made by our founding fathers before the military incursion.The military destroyed the template and set us up for a long and tortuous journey of political retrogression.And up till today, the spirits of our leaders and founding fathers are not happy with the present situation in the country.”
Adams and the President of Women Arise Initiative, Dr. Okei Odumakin, were among key speakers and panelists at this year’s edition of the commemoration of the June 12 1993 elections organised by the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in Lagos.
In her contribution, Odumakin said there was an urgent need for fiscal federalism, saying resource control is the best option for the progress of Nigeria.
“There is a need for the Federal Government to revisit the resolution of confab reports.We must speak up and look into the problems that have taken us aback as a nation.”
The Guests Speakers, Oseni Afisi, professor of Philosophy and Director of Special Interventions, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, and Dr. Olanrewaju Hammed of the Department of Political Science, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos spoke separately on the theme: “Nigeria’s 64 years of checkered history: The imperatives of regionalism/restructuring”, said it was important to address the various structural imbalances hindering the progress of Nigeria.
“Nigeria’s history is replete with various events that have shaped the nation. We must also highlight the rich cultural diversity of Nigeria. However, the problem of ethnicity and significant power struggle had led to the various political instability that have been the bane of Nigeria as a country,” Prof. Afisi stated.
Dr. Hammed insisted that Nigeria must return to regionalism for it to fulfill the purpose of its nationhood.
“Nigeria has a good prospect of becoming the giant of Africa but in fulfilling this dream, there is a need for Nigeria to return to regionalism.”
