Nigeria Will Break Up Soon Unless... - Former South-South Governor Warns

Posted by Thandiubani on Tue 28th Mar, 2017 - tori.ng

President Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to adopt the principle of true federalism now before it is too late in order for Nigeria not to disintegrate.

Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah

A former governor of Akwa Ibom State and co-chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Obong Victor Attah, has warned that Nigeria would break up unless fiscal federalism in instituted.

Attah spoke, on Tuesday, in a live broadcast on a private radio station in Uyo. According to him, the saving grace for Nigeria's imminent disintegration would be to return fiscal federalism as that remains the only solution to a myriad of socio-economic problem besting the nation

His words, “Fiscal federalism will change some many things that will make the country to grow”, he stressed, adding that under such a fiscal regime, as it were in the days of the regions, states, would contribute 50 percent of their resources to the central government and use 50 percent for development of their territories, as such that the multiplier effects would douse 90 percent of tensions in the country.

Daily Sun reported that the former Governor who ruled Akwa Ibom State between 1999 and 2017, said Nigeria would have achieved more significant development if true fiscal federalism had been put in place, instead of what is obtained at the moment.

While dismissing the argument that a majority of states in Nigeria are not viable, Attah pointed out that if fiscal federalism was in place, the states would look inward to develop their inherent potentials, instead of allowing sleaze and corruption by governors to slow down the tempo of development in their respective states.

“Two major political parties is good for this country, so that when one is not doing well, the people should have the choice to vote the other”, Attah said and charged the people to defend their votes by always demanding from their Governors how tax payers monies were being appropriated.

While commending the federal government for “a lot of things Buhari is doing, and one of them is this fight against corruption,” as well as routing Boko Haram, he frowned at the nonchalant attitude of the government to stop the menace of herdsmen decimating farmlands, raping and killing people at will.