Challenge FG on issues of Exclusive List, Falana tasks governors

APC committed to implement El-Rufai’s report on restructuring, say Bagudu, Akeredolu

A human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, has urged governors in the country to make some demands from the exclusive list in the Nigeria Constitution, assuring them of pro bono service in court if the Federal Government refuses to grant their claims. He also faulted the present Constitution being operated in the nation, lamenting that the intervention of the military disrupted the pre-colonial federal structure and imposed a unitary system of government.

Falana spoke yesterday in Akure while delivering the third year anniversary of Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, titled: “The Nigerian federalism imbroglio: A pragmatic approach.” He said that the constitution was fraught with series of controversies, especially the exclusive list, which arrogated excessive powers to the Federal Government at the expense of other federating units and the people.

He described the ills of privatisation policy, security, inland waterways, agriculture, indiscriminate allocation of oil wells, un even derivation formula, among others, as the deficiencies of the Nigerian constitution.

Falana, as the Guest Speaker, however, blamed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for reneging on its campaign promises to restructure the nation as contained in its manifestoes in 2015.He also flayed the Federal Government for usurping state governments powers in many regards, declaring that it does not have any business involving itself in agriculture and provision of some basic social protection policies like building toilets.

Meanwhile, Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who was chairman of the event, affirmed that there would soon be implementation of the recommendations of Governor Nasir El-Rufai-led committee on true federalism.

Bagudu, who is also the Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), said that the PGF had already set up a governance programme steering committee headed by Governor of Jigawa State, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.

According to him, the committee is saddled with responsibilities to evolve a common governance template for themselves and also revisit all policy initiatives and recommendations, including those of the committee on true federalism.

The Kebbi State Governor, alongside his Ondo State counterpart, Akeredolu, who is also a member of the true federalism committee, expressed the commitment of all their colleagues in the APC to implement the report.