Confab report unacceptable – Igbo leaders

By Raphael Ede
Enugu

Prominent Igbo political leaders under the aegis of Igbo Leaders of Thought, have called for the restructuring of the Nigerian federation to make for the devolution of greater powers to the political units called zones, rather than the states.
The group, which was optimistic that the creation of these zones will create a more united, strong and prosperous Nigeria where the states through these zones will be allowed to develop in their own pace and time.
Speaking to journalists after the 9th plenary meeting of the group held at Modotel Hotel in Enugu, weekend, Professor Ben Nwabueze who is the convener of the meeting, said that to create a better, new and united Nigeria, the federation must be restructured in a way that up to 50 percent of the federal powers will be given to zones who are better equipped to handle such additional powers.
Nwabueze faulted the recommendation of the recently concluded National Conference with regard to the creation of more states, saying that the recommendation did not capture the real essence of the concept of restructuring the federation because there is no guarantee that the existing states have the requisite capability to handle the devolved powers taken away from the federal government.
“To create a better, new and united Nigeria, the federation should be restructured in a way that at least 50 percent of the central powers will be handled by larger political units to allow these individual units to develop at their own pace and way without interference. By restructuring, we mean the merging of the existing 36 states into zones not necessarily the dissolution of the states.
“So when you take away about 50 percent of the powers of the central government and give them not to existing 36 states not even to talk about the 54 states, but to zones which are larger political units better equipped to handle such additional powers. This is the whole essence of what we are saying,” the group said.