As Nigerians grapple with hardships due to poor management of the economy, a 2019 presidential candidate of one of the proscribed political parties, Rebuild Nigeria Party (RNP), John Osuala, has called for a change in the way the country is being managed.
He said while countries like the United States of America (USA), which has more states than Nigeria, though with equal natural resources, has continued to grow, its Federal Government had allowed the individual states to manage their resources, pay necessary federal taxes and utilise the remaining funds for the wellbeing of their people.
Osuala said dismemberment of the Nigeria from its present size will not commute the people’s sufferings, rather what was needed was the enthronement of the right leadership, decentralisation of revenue collection to enable states manage resources in their areas of administration and pay approved percentage of earnings to the national government to take care of its services.
The former lecturer, who now heads the Rebuild Nigeria Initiative/Nigerian Presidency Movement, a non-governmental organisation, was the keynote speaker at a seminar on Practical Mobilisation of Nigerians for Good Governance in Aba, Abia State.
While corroborating a recent newspaper publication, he said: “The country needed an urgent political recalibration, economic restructuring in line with true federalism to survive.”
Osuala, also sees revenue allocation as an abominable system that encourages inefficiency, indolence, and warped politicking among other ills in developing a society, stressing that Nigeria’s overall economy was in tatters, with the naira losing its value, hyperinflation taking over market forces, and called on patriotic individuals to take up the gauntlet to recover the nation, with a view of steering its ship out of the deep waters.
“Nigeria’s economic problem is fundamental. It has been fixed on the wrong direction, from colonial period till today.”
He likened various efforts by past and present administrations to manage it as a man trying to reach Abuja from Lagos, but entered a vehicle travelling to Calabar, Cross River State.
Calling for the blame game to stop, he volunteered his group as being ready, to mobilise millions of Nigerians, across the country, to work towards abolishing corruption, abuse of power, promote oneness and balanced socio-economic development of ethical and industrial civilisation.
“All citizens of Nigeria, without discrimination, must have the opportunity of securing adequate means of livelihood as well as that of participating freely in national activities, including entrepreneurship.
“The Millennium Global One Vision of Nigeria (being proposed by the group), accepts as sacrosanct, the Nigerian constitution that provides for free education for all,” he said, urging the people not to be deluded, that human issues cannot be discussed and solutions found.
National coordinator of the group, Japheth Anyanwu, said the sensitisation became necessary, in view of the way the country was being derailed through lack of sound economic management.
He pledged that his group’s membership will collaborate with all genuine stakeholders to work towards repositioning the country for a better wellbeing of the people.