The Department of Political Science, University of Abuja in collaboration with the Professor and Mrs Aron T. Gana Foundation have jointly organised an interactive session themed Federalism and Nigeria’s Development: A Discussion Forum, for staff and students of the Department of Political Science who argued on why True Federalism, key to national Development, or otherwise.
Lecturers and students shared their unique perspectives on the challenges of the country’s political landscapes and proferred how the challenges can be addressed through the implemention of a real federal system of government.
Speaking at the occasion, Professor Ibori, who is the Head of Department of Political Science, University of Abuja, posited that the reason why divisive tendencies are still paramount in Nigerian federation today is because “There are some people who believe they don’t have sense of belonging in Nigerian federation, this is why you keep on hearing clamour for secession or agitation or restructuring or what have you..”
He continued with the observation that
“They believe that they are lacking and their political aspirations cannot be achieved because enabling environment is not there.”
While presenting his position, Professor Ogbu, a scholar of modern political science said that, “For heterogeneous society like Nigeria, Unitary system cannot work here. Unitary system is meant for a country that is more or less a homogeneous, in term of demographic composition such as Britain and Sierra Leone.”
He added that”There isn’t incident of so many tribes in such countries and therefore it is possible to rule them together unlike Nigeria.”
The scholar further posited that under federalism, there is opportunity for the different component unit to try to develop at its own speed, at its own rate within the context of the resources available to it.
At the end of the event, the assembly agreed that in order to move the country forward, true federalism and better collaboration among the country’s ethnic groups is non-negotiable at this time.
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