A legal luminary and former dean, Faculty of Law, University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prof. Edoba Bright Omoregie (SAN) at the weekend described the country’s federal system as facing a serious risk of disintegration with unthinkable consequences of violence and strife, if proactive steps are not taken to fix it.
Omoregie made the assertion while delivering the 280th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) titled, “Nigeria’s Federal System in a quandary: The whys and hows to fix it.”
Omoregie, who lamented that the country’s federal system has remained comatose since inception owing to not enough room for expert intervention, identified ways by which Nigeria’s federal system can be fixed.
He emphasised that cross-cutting solutions hold the key to making the country’s federal system a catalyst for national development, conflict prevention and national stability.
“The dire consequences of remaining tardy in fixing the system are already being foretold by the waves of separatist agitations, ethno-militia strife, bitter and persistent regional autonomy agitations, conflicts over the handling of perennial farmers/herders violence, insurgency and kidnapping, among many other acts of criminality spread across the country,” he said.
He added that a high premium should be placed on federalism to promote the imperative of federalisation and reforms aspects of the country’s federal system.
The constitutional lawyer also stressed the need for a more articulate system of judicial review of federalism by the Supreme Court with good account taken of its constitutional role as the original and final arbiter in vertical and horizontal federalism disputes.
“The range of issues which are at the root of discontent with the governance of the country is pretty long.Together, they constitute the central reason Nigeria’s federal system is in quandary. They make citizens lose faith in the country and provoke all kinds of unpatriotic impulses, chief among, which is the interminable call for the dismemberment of the country. Yet, none of the challenges is insurmountable if Nigeria embarks on reforming its federal system,” Omoregie said.
He harped on fixing the system so that it can serve the aspiration of the Nigerian people for development, while preventing conflict eruptions and guaranteeing national stability as a way to avert the specter of inertia and predictable disintegration, which hovers around Nigeria as a result of its dysfunctional federal system.
Tinubu’s ascension to the seat of the presidency of Africa’s largest democracy is timely, considering the fact that the country is currently passing through one of the most challenging times in recent history bearing in mind the prevailing economic and security challenges bedeviling the nation.
In a statement endorsed by Olayinka Jimoh, Hakeem Babalola Garba, Uche Udiele and Ali Usman, the lawyers said: “We are confident that your excellency possesses the experience, capacity, intelligence, doggedness, courage and the political will to turn around the fortunes of this country, considering your track record of excellence in the stewardship of Lagos State, arguably the most complex state in Nigeria.”
Continuing, the group said: “We equally rejoice with our friend, colleague and brother, Seyi Tinubu, on the well-deserved political attainment of his amiable father.”
They informed that during their time together at the Lagos Campus of the Nigerian Law School from 2011 to 2012, Seyi displayed a very rare level of humility, kindness and cool-headedness despite being the scion of one of the most remarkable political leaders in the country.
“We pray to the Almighty God to bless his excellency and his team with the best of health and sound wisdom to sail the ship of our dear country on the path of peace and development,” they prayed.
