Afenifere tackles Tambuwal over federal restructuring

• Mimiko restates commitment to ideal

The Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has restated belief in restructuring of the country, saying he was misrepresented in a newspaper report on the matter yesterday.

Mimiko said his comment on the statement of his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal, had been limited to fiscal federalism.

Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, meanwhile, flayed Tambuwal for saying Nigeria did not need restructuring but rather increase in revenue allocation to federating units.

Afenifere, through its spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, described the governor’s submission as parochial.

The group said the present structure of Nigeria is skewed, unfair, unjust and unhelpful to justice, harmony and development of the constituent units.

In a statement signed by Kayode Akimade, Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Mimiko expressed support for implementation of the 2014 National Conference report, saying it held the key national progress.

Mimiko said what Nigeria needs is more than fiscal federalism, and enjoined people to join the clamour for true federalism.

He said only real federalism could encourage devolution of powers from the federal government to states and local councils, and also guarantee effective policing.

The governor said increasing states’ allocations without total restructuring would amount to begging the question and mere surface scratching.

Afenifere said: “We are on our knees praying to avert looming implosion. And it is only those dwelling in mischief or the hopelessly ignorant that would not see that the terminal crisis Nigeria is in today flows from our structural dysfunctionality.”