President of African Development Bank (AfDB) Akinwumi Adesina says the discussion for the restructuring of Nigeria should be driven by economic and financial viability and not by political expediency.
Adesina spoke on Tuesday as the guest lecturer in Akure, Ondo State capital at the second term inauguration lecture in preparation of the next tenure of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
The former minister of agriculture said: “The resources found in each state or state groupings should belong to them. The constituent entities should pay federal taxes or royalties for those resources.
“The achievement of economically viable entities and the viability of the national entity require constitutional changes to devolve more economic and fiscal powers to the states or regions. The stronger the states or the region, the stronger the federating units. Our union would be stronger.
“Instead of Federal Government of Nigeria, we could think of the United States of Nigeria or the Commonwealth of Nigeria. The old will pass away for the new. We would change the mindset between the states and Abuja; the fulcrum would be the states, while the centre would support them, not lord over them.”
Mr Akeredolu, who is also chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum, said governors in the region would continue to fight against criminalities in the area by all legal means.
The governor said he was not disturbed by criticism against his steps to fight insecurity in recent times, adding that the fight against criminalities in the region was not targeted at any ethnic group.
