No Better Time Than Now,Makinde Calls For National Debates On Resource Control,State Police

The Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde has said there is no better time than now to call for national debates on resource control and state police as part of the move for constitutional amendments.

While addressing Conference of Presiding Officers of Nigeria Legislature on Saturday in ibadan,Oyo State capital,he spoke on the topic,”Imperatives of Constitutional Amendments” and the need to restructure Nigeria.

He said “each new assembly has embarked on constitutional amendments, but the major reforms that would finally address many of the concerns that Nigerians have regarding how our nation works were often ignored.

“These conversations have become like the elephant in the room. Everyone knows it’s there, but no one wants to acknowledge it. But the thing about elephants is that they can’t be ignored for too long, they will move, and when they move, we will be forced to confront them.

“We don’t have to wait to be forced to take action. Actions that are taken under pressure and without due consultation often fail to accomplish desired objectives. And so, it is high time the twin issues of resource control and state police are subjected to robust debate at the Legislature.

“I believe that any assembly that puts those two issues up for rigorous debate and gives Nigerians a fair deal on all counts will go down in history as the best assembly ever. If you read the pulse of the nation, you will see that everyone is tired of the status quo, and they are ready for new vistas.

“You will agree that at every point in human existence, things happen that make conversations that were generally too difficult to have, open up for people to contribute freely. For example, some years ago, Nigerians were not ready for the conversation about women in politics. But today, things have so changed that the conversation is not even about whether women should be in politics or not, but about putting in place some form of affirmative action to ensure that they get a particular percentage of elected public office.

“Similarly, the reasons that have been given for avoiding the conversation about state policing and resource control have recently lost relevance. Nigerians are demanding that their governors play the role of Chief Security Officers of their States. They are asking that the governors be empowered to run the security architecture of their states.

“Here in the southwest, the governors came together to create an alternative that would support the efforts of the federal security agencies through the Western Nigeria Security Network. The people can see for themselves how things are working out. The Amotekun Corps has brought relief to them. The spate of kidnappings and clashes among farmers and herders has drastically reduced. Our rural farmers are returning to their farms knowing that they have an added layer of protection. They can see that the benefits of state police far outweigh any fears that they might have had.

“Having seen the success recorded by the Amotekun Corps in a little over a year of operations here in Oyo State, we took a step to strengthen them further. We are recruiting 500 more members – we started with 1,500 corps members. I must say this is by far the largest number in any state in the southwest. Just yesterday, we supplied them with an additional 100 operational vehicles. The people are happy about this because they can see the work that Amotekun is doing.

“So, there is no better time than now to discuss resource control and state police”.

He stressed further that is an ongoing national conversation about equity and fairness. We have seen the press release figures that show that it is just a few states that are contributing to the Value Added Tax, which everyone is sharing.

We have long talked about the states that are producing the oil that we all are sharing proceeds from.

Everyone has seen how some states do not even make an effort to raise their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) because they are comfortable with receiving federal allocations from work done by others. But now that the receipts are dwindling, even those states are waking up to the conversation and asking if they can keep what they make.

Can there be a better time to discuss resource control?

Constitutional amendments are a must. They are a big reason why we have the legislative arm of government. As time passes, new generations are born, and new conversations emerge. We must, as a people, be ready to move with the times. This is the only way to move forward.

The various agitations that have rocked our nation over the years, including the more recent End SARS protests and the rise of banditry and terrorism, are all reasons for the Legislature to pay closer attention to some of the neglected conversations around constitutional amendments and reforms. He explained.

Appealing to the presiding officers of Nigerian legislature to raise these thorny issues that have eluded those who came before them.Adding that they may not be able to resolve them, but at least acknowledge that there is the elephant in the room. This is an important first step.

Finally,he thanked them for the invitation to be part of the event to present the keynote address on an issue that is very dear to Nigeria. Wishing them a fruitful deliberations.