Kehinde Adewole, Ado Ekiti
Ekiti State deputy governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, has advocated that states should be allowed to control resources in their domains to achieve development.
Egbeyemi said the constituent states in the Nigerian federation would develop if the practice of true federalism is allowed in the polity.
The deputy governor spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, at the Pan-Yoruba Summit organised by the Afenifere. Egbeyemi also urged all the six states in the South West to vote massively for President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure his re-election in the February 16 presidential election.
According to a statement issued, on Wednesday, by his Special Assistant (Media), Odunayo Ogunmola, the deputy governor recalled that regions in the First Republic did not depend on the central government because they controlled their agricultural and mineral resources.
The deputy governor regretted that over-dependence on oil has made
states to become lazy on other areas they can generate revenue into their coffers.
He said: “Before, we had a situation in which each region caters for her needs and the Federal Government only supervises.
“If you had anything in your state, you would be the first beneficiary like those who had oil, they would take care of their oil, those who had cocoa in the Southwest had control of their own resource.
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“In Nigeria, each of us should hold on to our state and control what is coming out of your state.
“What we are advocating for is the government of the people where we control our own resources.”
Egbeyemi, who is a former Board Member representing Ekiti State in Odu’a Investment, also called for synergy among the South West in the areas each of them has comparative advantage.
The deputy governor called on the people in the South West to cast their votes for President Buhari in appreciation of key offices held by the Yoruba and projects being executed in the zone.
Said he, “As far as the next election is concerned, we Nigerians should be united. We are going to strongly vote for Buhari in the South West.
“In my state, Ekiti, we are going to vote for Buhari. We have just had
victory at the Election Tribunal and that is going to give us more support. I strongly appeal to all states in the South West to strongly vote for Buhari”
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At the summit, Second Republic senator, Pa Ayo Fasanmi, was affirmed as the authentic Leader of Afenifere for providing the right leadership in line with the ideals of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Guest lecturer at the event, Sen. Olubunmi Adetunmbi, said the report of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Committee on True Federalism provides a robust agenda for urgent action on a restructured federation.
Adetunmbi said stakeholders must accept the reality that Nigeria is a country of multi-lingual and multi-ethnic diversities and the repeated calls for its restructuring is more about managing its diversity for economic prosperity than dividing the country.
Speaking on the politics of the 2019 general elections, Adetunmbi saidvit is only logical for the Yoruba to retain the office of the Vice President in the next dispensation rather than the position of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as proposed by the main opposition party.
