Against the backdrop of the ongoing dilemma of many states of the federation in meeting their financial obligations, ascending to minimum wage, embarking on useful developmental programmes and so on. Would you say we have failed states on our hands?

I THINK the best way to start is to convince ourselves whether or not what we currently have is a true and functional federation. In the true sense of the word Nigeria is not a federation. You will recall that the first military coup happened on January 15, 1966, and six months after, precisely on July 28, 1966, a counter-coup was to follow, after which, the first military government ever in the short history of independent Nigeria came into existence. It is noteworthy to mention here that the first thing the Nigerian military government under General Aguiyi-Ironsi did was to issue Unification Decree 34 of 1966, which killed Nigerian Federation by dispensing with the 1960 Independence Constitution and the 1963 Republication Constitution respectively. And so in effect, Nigeria ceased to be a true and functional federation since 1966.

With this background, I would say that Nigeria is not a federation regardless of the pretenses of the 1999 Constitution to the contrary. It is within this context that I will situate the question of whether or not the federating states in our quasi-federation, can be viewed as failed states and I would opine that it is not only the states that may be on the path of becoming failed states, the Nigerian-State must be careful not in responding to what is going on within the Nigerian State in which 36 units of administrations at the state level and 774 units of administrations at the municipal level across the Nigerian landscape are barely able to meet their developmental obligations for reasons of incompetence an and negligence of elected and appointed public officials, constitutional constraints or a combination of both.

What does the situation say about various state chief executives, having in mind the efforts of Governors Jakande, Onabanjo, Alli, and some others who did well in the Second Republic?

Not until we undo what the military did on January 15 and July 28, 1966 in which the military institution truncated and terminated the gains of Nigerian founding fathers who got independence and federation for Nigeria in 1960 and subsequently secured Republican status for Nigeria, the country may never be able to operate at optimum as a functional federation.

What has happened between 1966 and now is that Nigeria has remained under the control of a group of military adventurists, who function as puppeteers controlling their selected puppets to perpetuate unitary system of government packaged and delivered as federal system of government. For example, after the first military interregnum from 1966 until 1979, we had civilian dispensation between 1979 and December,1983.

Yes, the UPN governors and indeed other governors across all other parties did the best they could in consonance with their party manifestos and ideologies, the fact remains that Nigeria, at that point in time and even up till now has turned full circle to become a political toy in the hands of The Class of 1966 whose perception of the Nigerian-State is nothing different from the unitary and hierarchical military command. And this was to become the lots of the country, once again, beginning from December 1983 when General Buhari took over as military Head of State until May 29,1999 when one of the architect of military contrived and military controlled democratic experiment was birthed again.

What would you advocate should be a way out of the situation, given where we are presently as a nation? Will you advocate merging of some of these states or total throw back to regional arrangement of the First Republic?

I will advocate that we undertake a broad-based renegotiation of the country with a view to repositioning and relocating Nigeria to where our founding fathers conceived of the country at the twilight of the independence in 1960. This requires boldness and political will on the part of the political elite and especially President Muhammadu Buhari, who, is a member of the 1966 Class and who, by the grace of God, is in charge of affairs as at today.