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From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
A legal luminary, Otunba Kunle Kalejaye (SAN), said Nigeria must be unbundled for healthier livelihood, such that political offices will be made less attractive to Nigerians.
He made the disclosure when he spoke to journalists on Thursday in Ibadan, Oyo State, on the desperate manner many politicians have been angling to become president of the country ahead of 2023 elections.
According to him, the job of unbundling the country should be spearheaded by the National Assembly, so that institutions could be build to be bigger than individuals, saying the presidency has been too powerful and loaded.
Kalejaye noted that if the responsibilities bring taken care of by the presidency could be spread to other bodies, there will be opportunity for more effectiveness in governance, adding: “There is too much load on the presidency. The executive is too attractive, reason many politicians are desperately struggling to be there at all cost. We have to unbundle Nigeria. We must unbundle this country.
“The Federal Government is too powerful. And even in normal human endeavour, if you want to live well, you must slim down. Even trees shed leaves to live. So, Nigeria must shed weight. The other time, some people were arguing over marriage. What is the Federal Government doing with marriage that is so basic? Federalism is an evolving concept. There is no true federalism. We all know that what we are running is not true federalism. So, why don’t we shed weight?
“If we unbundle, the problem of somebody is coming from the North, the East or the West will not make any meaning. In this country, we have over 200, 000 kilometres of roads. The Federal Government has 17.5 per cent; the State Government has 17.5 per cent , and the local government has 65 per cent.
“So, why don’t you give the business of road construction to the Local Government? Give them more money to do this thing. Why should the Federal Government be concerned about the road that passes through Iwo Road in Ibadan to Oje? We must shed weight if we really want this country to survive.
“If troubles from this misplacement persist, everybody including the elite will become canon fodders. The leadership of this country must see reason that we just must unbundle. Restructuring being roundly touted is a different kettle of fish. We must just unbundle, and this is not rocket science. The National Assembly can do this.
“We have only 68 items on the Exclusive Legislative List. Let them sit down and realize that in other federations, it is only currency, security and foreign policy that are given to the Federal Government. But here in Nigeria, everything goes to the Federal Government.
“Even, the little that you have given the State, there is still the doctrine of ‘covering the field’ applying to it. Once it is on the concurrent list and it is given to the Federal Government, the state will not be able to do anything. That is the problem that we have. May God help us.”
