From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has warned that Nigeria risks disintegration if its leaders continue to ignore persistent calls for restructuring and the adoption of true federalism.
Anyaoku issued the warning during the 14th Chief Emeka Anyaoku Lecture Series on Good Governance, held on Tuesday at the Enugu International Conference Centre.
The event was organised by the board of Youth Affairs International Foundation and attracted notable dignitaries including Prof. Elochukwu Amucheazi and former President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo.
The elder statesman expressed regret that despite Nigeria’s decades of independence, the country was still grappling with issues of pluralism and ineffective governance.
He cautioned that many countries that failed to resolve such challenges through a federal constitution had eventually disintegrated.
“So, I have been quite consistent in advocating for a new democratic constitution for Nigeria, which addresses our plurality.
“This country was more peaceful and was developing faster in the first six years of our independence because it had a genuine federal constitution, which allowed the four regions to take care of their regional development, their social amenities, education, health, and internal security,” he said.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, echoed the call for urgent restructuring.
He stressed the need for significant devolution of power to the federating units to address the country’s systemic challenges.
He recommended “a rejig of the leadership recruitment process, retooling of the state as a guarantor of security, unity, and ideals of equal citizenship as well as fashioning out of a new elite consensus, a complete overhaul of political parties, and a greater attention to constitutionalism, among others.”
In his remarks, Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, highlighted the critical role of good governance in national development, asserting that it often determines whether a state ascends or declines.
“Good governance, or lack of it, is often the fine margins between an ascendant state and one on a downward trajectory,” Mbah said. He urged leaders to shift from theoretical rhetoric to actionable policies that prioritise citizens’ welfare.
Also speaking, the chairman of the occasion and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Major General Ike Nwachukwu (rtd.), reinforced the argument for restructuring. He insisted that Nigeria could not achieve transformative leadership under its current centralised structure.
“This is why I have long been advocating for the restructuring of Nigeria to become a proper federation, allowing state autonomy and bringing governance closer to the people,” Nwachukwu said.