States should have more opportunities to develop themselves

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday declared his stand on the raging issue of restructuring of Nigeria, saying he fully agreed that “states should have more opportunities to develop themselves’’. Mr. Osinbajo was speaking at a crowded Lagos conference, tagged: “Towards a Better Nigeria,’’ organised by leading Nigerian pastors.

He, however, did not elaborate on his statement on restructuring but recalled that the ruling APC party had two years ago talked about standing for devolution of powers.

“The APC manifesto in 2015 talked about devolution of powers and Nigeria may do more work to ensure that states are generating more income and people are paying more taxes.’’

Mr. Osinbajo identified corruption, tribalism and religion as the key problems hampering Nigeria’s development, decrying the failure of Christian leaders in Nigeria to chart an agenda that would help to rid the country of vices.

“The key to development in Nigeria is the church. It is the church that will begin the process of unity by uniting itself first. “What Nigeria needs is already written in the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Mr. Osinbajo said that to build a new Nigeria, “we need people of integrity, hard work and people with love for the country.

“It is this tribe that can configure the argument for change in Nigeria. The corrupt Nigerian elites are one tribe. “In sharing their loot, they neither bring in ethnicity nor religion but only use such to create misunderstandings that will benefit themselves.

“The reason Nigeria is where it is today is because people do not really care. It is time people should stand up for what is right and join the fight against corruption.

“Corruption has become the rule in Nigeria and this must stop. It did not start with this administration and it is yet to stop. On the Fulani herdsmen issue, the vice- president said that “contrary to opinions that it began because the president is Fulani, in 1996, there were issues between herdsmen and some communities in Gombe. “This issue has been on through the years.

Giving the impression that it is a phenomenon because a Fulani man is president is wrong. “Even in 2014, there were reported herdsmen issues in Nigeria.” On alleged lop-sided appointments in the country, Mr. Osinbajo said it was time that Nigerians began to look at merit rather than tribe or religion.

“It is easy to say that appointments are lop- sided if one set of appointments come or that it is not balanced. It is on record that Ogun State has the highest number of heads of agencies and parastatals in Nigeria, followed by Imo.

“Borno, Sokoto and Yobe States that voted heavily for the APC in the 2015 presidential election do not have a senior minister in the administration.

“Most people, who think that the north is favoured or better because the president is from there will have a re-think when they visit northern Nigeria.