Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, has said that federalism remains the only system capable of sustaining Nigeria’s diversity and promoting unity.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Wednesday, October 29, Agbakoba noted that Nigeria’s structure and ethnic composition make federalism the most suitable model for governance.
“Nothing has changed. I just felt I continue to say what I have been saying. The way we are structured; diverse ethnicity, the best thing that will work for us as diverse people is federalism,” he said.
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He stressed that allowing each region greater autonomy within the federal structure would enable more effective governance and reduce national tensions.
“And unless we have space in Nigeria and give the regional ethnicities their own independence within the context of the Nigerian federal system, it’s unlikely we will go very far,” Agbakoba stated.
The senior advocate also criticised the slow pace of constitutional amendments by the National Assembly, saying the numerous reforms carried out over the years had failed to yield meaningful results.
“Since the last 25 years, the National Assembly has been doing constitutional reforms very slowly. This year alone, they have passed over 80 amendments, but it hasn’t had the impact we want it to have,” he added.