Restructuring Is Highly Inevitable – Jega

A former National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, has said for Nigeria to grow and prosper, it must restructure its current federal system, which he said was imbalanced and poorly managed.
Jega, who stated this in a paper he delivered at the 4th public lecture at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, argued that “restructuring is highly inevitable and the time to start is now.”
In the paper titled, ‘Restructuring the Nigerian Federation: Challenges and Prospects,’ the don said, “As a way out of the logjam, the country must come to terms with the challenges and prospects of restructuring. We need to come to terms with the fact that restructuring is necessary.”
While advocating restructuring, Jega warned that the approach and mechanism deployed in pursuing the agenda were very vital in achieving the desired goal.
“The fundamental question yearning for an answer is: how can the Nigerian federation be restructured to make it efficient and effective in satisfying the needs and aspirations of its citizens, to substantively manage diversity, to forge unity and sense of belonging for and by all, and to bring about democratic and socioeconomic development beneficial to all citizens?” he asked.
As a panacea, Jega advocated a three-phase restructuring agenda in accordance with what he termed as the “principle of incremental positive changes.”
He proposed that restructuring could be done in the short term, 2021-2023; medium term, 2023-2027; and long term, beyond 2027.