Traditional Leader Canvasses Devolution of Power for Greater Efficiency

Funmi Ogundare

President, Association of Lagos Titled Chiefs and Iya Abiye of Lagos, Chief Iyabo Foresythe has advocated less subjugation of the federating units as a way to propel economic development and explore Nigeria’s economic potentials by the states.
In a chat with THISDAY yesterday, she appealed that the issue of devolution of power to the federating units be viewed from the point of reworking the country for greater efficiency.

According to her, “Each state has its comparative advantages and must therefore struggle to raise its revenue profile in order to meet the needs of the people. Until the states are strengthened and made viable, the federal government cannot be strong. Every state has its own peculiarity as we are all naturally endowed. The endowment might not be in equal proportion, but each federating unit sure needs the other.

“Kebbi State is a good pointer to improving internal revenue by harnessing abundant available resources through rice production and processing for the Lagos market. Also, we applaud the recent proposal between Lagos and Kano States for a joint economic summit, as an initiative in the right direction towards stronger federating units, repositioning to harness its economic potentials.”

Foresythe stressed the need for a constitution that would provide for healthy and broad distribution of economic power to the states with incentives to encourage the active participation of the states to bolster and sustainably expand the Nigerian economy via harnessing of their comparative advantages, adding that, “arising from this will be a diversified economy and revenue base, not susceptible to the volatile, cyclical and dwindling energy market in which present day Nigeria depends.”

She also stressed the need for social cohesion, devoid of resource control agitations, attacks on oil and gas facilities, pipeline vandalism, economically and achieve its goal of a sustainably diversified economy and revenue base, adding that it must reform its political economic institutions in order to reflect the legitimate aspirations of different groups.
Foresythe, in a statement, also said the less subjugation of the states that are the engines of the country’s march to economic development, the more the bondage that has shackled Nigeria’s economic potentials will be loosened.