A member of the National Assembly representing Degema/ Bonny
Federal Constituency, Dr Sokonte Davies has advocated the devolution of powers
as the Federal Government has much to grapple with in ensuring efficient
governance.

Dr Davies, who spoke in an interview with The Tide in Port
Harcourt said the concentration of powers on the centre was one of the
contributory factors to gross inefficiency in the nation’s leadership.

The lawmaker threw his weight behind the ongoing
constitution amendment, pointing out that several sections of the constitution
are yelling for review as the country is practicing what he described as
glorified federalism.

Suggesting a fiscal federation that the federating units
would be made to enjoy autonomy by way of controlling their resources and
subsequently pay tax to the central government, Davies argued that being an oil
producing state or community should not be just by name calling but should be
bolstered by the resource at their disposal.

He also suggested that the nation’s constitution should be
tinkered to allow for state police, saying that allowing police men and women
to operate within their localities would expose the best in them.

Davies lauded president Goodluck Jonathan for halting the
move to introduce a N5,000 currency note, which he said was capable of
triggering inflation in the country.

According to him, lower denominations such as N5, N10 and
N50 which the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) planned to convert to coins were
bound to disappear from the economy if the intention came to light, pointing
out that he saw no positive macro-economic benefit of the plan as it was aimed
to achieve ethnic balancing in the embossment of images of some Nigerians on
the currency to portray ‘WAZOBIA’.

Donatus Ebi