Coast getting clearer on controversial regional system return, as Tinubu reportedly introduces new draft bill

By OUR REPORTER

If President Bola Ahmed Tinubu receives a draft bill, as reportedly revealed, from Akin Fapohunda proposing a return to Nigeria’s regional system of government, those who had insinuated that all the flashed and denied bills attempting to rewrite the country’s government and regional structures are his own personal ideas will be vindicated, our sources have said.

The DEFENDER recalls that a proposed legislation authored by Akin Fapohunda, a prominent figure in the Yoruba socio-cultural association, Afenifere, was recently flashed seeking to substitute the annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with a new governance model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to Establish the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria New Governance Model for Nigeria Act 2024,’ the bill aims to introduce updated laws and reforms.

This happened just like there had also been a bill against which memoranda had been submitted by North and South almost only De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, which tends to change ownership of land and rights to political office holding from indugeneship to residency.

It will be recalled also that last week, the House of Representatives disowned and rejected the much talked about draft bill on return to regionalism.

Spokesman of Green Chamber, Akin Rotimi, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, clarified that the bill had not been scheduled for deliberation in the current efforts to review the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

However, Mr. Fapohunda, in a newspaper report, said the proposed bill would be sent to the President on Friday (June 14, 2024).

Although he said that he was submitting the draft bill same Friday but planning to withhold its public release for seven days, it has been impossible to ascertain the progress made on submitting.

Meanwhile Fapohunda, representing the Coalition of Indigenous Ethnic Nationalities, had in another media report said that the organisation proposed dividing the country into eight geopolitical regions, each with provisional boundaries.

“We propose the establishment of a new regional government framework featuring executive and legislative bodies, led by a Premier.”

“In the new framework, current States (such as the six in the Western region) will be transformed into provinces. These provinces will be governed by Provincial Councils that combine executive and legislative functions, led by a Chairman and supported by Administrative Officers with specialized expertise. Regions will have the freedom to establish provinces, ensuring they are viable and self-sustaining.”

“The current Local Government Areas will be restructured into divisions, each overseen by divisional managers and specialist administrative officers, functioning as centers for socio-economic development. Additionally, the new provinces will have the flexibility to establish divisions, ensuring they are viable and self-sustaining.

The coalition also put forth a new constitution that includes provisions for regional autonomy, allowing regions the freedom to create, merge, or reconfigure their administrative units. They may adopt provinces, divisions, or districts according to their needs without interference from any other authority.

The restructuring of regions and sub-regional entities aims to decrease the cost of public and civil service administration to below 20-30% of revenue generated.

“In drafting their Constitutions, the peoples of the respective regional territories will take a cue and also dismantle any arrangement or configuration that will favour the politicians and the political class; with a focus on freeing resources for true development.

“A uni-camera federal legislature comprising members that are elected at the discretion of the regions for which they would be representatives at Abuja.

“Decentralization of federal power in favour of not more than 10 regions on which there is a general national consensus, rather than the presently unwieldy number of 36 States. These old States are inconsequential indeed in being a viable unit of a truly federal system of government.”

In all, the coalition proposes that the Federal Government “Shall comprise not more than nine Ministries and Ministers,” adding that “The very big United States have just 15 Cabinet Ministers, while Nigeria is not even up to just a State of Texas or New York.”

The group is also advocating for a return to a parliamentary system of government, which includes a built-in statutory rotation of leadership among the regions.