Only Restructuring, French System Not Regional Govt Can Work- Tanko Yakasai

Alhaji Tanko Yakasa, a  first republic politician has called for restructuring of the country by devolving the powers in the exclusive list to the states and adopting the French presidential system to develop the country.

 

Newsonline reports that Yakasai argued that the regionalism advocated in some quarters will not work well with the country following internal bickering in all parts of the nation.

 

Yakasai said at the time Nigeria practiced regionalism, the country was more united than it is divided now.

 

The former Liaison Officer to President Shehu Shagari spoke this at the annual lecture of The Niche themed: “2023 elections and the future of Nigeria’s democracy,” held at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

 

Yakasai stated, “It has been my long-standing argument that the regional system of government worked better for the country when compared to all other experimentations.

 

“However, in view of the changing local and international dynamics coupled with institutional limitations, reverting to the regional system may not be helpful and feasible under our current precarious situations.”

 

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He added, “For this, I advocate for people-oriented change and peaceful restructuring of the current federal system to devolve power and responsibilities to the sub-nationals which would, in turn, offer better opportunity for stability and unity.

 

“We should do away with the present system which is prone to waste, corruption, squandermania and discourages accountability.”

 

Yakasai blamed the military for scrapping the parliamentary system of government for the American presidential system, which he said was done without exhaustive debate.

 

“The decision to drop parliamentary system during the military is largely influenced by American trained elites in Nigeria rather than exhaustive debate and objective evaluation of the full potential of the parliamentary system in Nigeria.

 

“In my opinion, that decision was not driven by proper rationale on the suitability of the American system in our own peculiar national situation. The decision has not done justice to the parliamentary system and Nigeria as a country and its developmental needs and economic circumstances.

 

“This is because parliamentary system is more democratic in its nature than American Presidential System.

 

“It is for that reason that I have been advocating the adoption of French Presidential System of Government for Nigeria,” Yakasai added.

 

He further added, “In my opinion it is easier to replace non-performing Government in that system than in the American Presidential System.

 

“Another important reason why I am advocating the adoption of the French presidential system is that it is far cheaper to operate and therefore more suitable to our own reality as a developing nation.

 

“The operation of American system that made administering Nigeria which is a Federal State with diverse nature more expensive to run and extremely difficult to develop and prosper, unlike many of its sister developing nations.”