Former governor of Ogun State and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Segun Osoba Wednesday said the power to restructure Nigeria lies with the National Assembly, urging Nigerians to be patient with the current administration
Osoba, while speaking with State House Correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, expressed confidence that the reports of the APC committee on restructuring will be tabled before the National Assembly, before the expiration of the Buhari Administration.
He disclosed that the report has received the approval of the President adding that “the report of the committee on Devolution of Power and true federalism set up by the APC and chaired Kaduna state Governor, Nasir El-rufai, will be implemented”
The former Governor, who recently turned 80 years, said he was at the Villa to present his book – “Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics” to Buhari, who featured in it prominently, maintained that the APC even had restructuring as devolution of powers from the Federal Government to States, enshrined in its manifesto.
Osoba appealed to Nigerians, especially statesmen and other activists agitating for restructuring of the country, to be patient with the President and the APC adding that steps would be taken to get the National Assembly start debate on legalising the relevant aspects of the report.
“But I can tell you, all this noise about restructuring, we APC put devolution of power, true federalism in our manifesto and we’ve moved far from there to where a committee was set up headed by the governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai. “That committee has submitted its report, that report has been presented to us in the caucus and the president was there, the president endorsed the outcome. I want Nigerians to please, give us time.
“I hope and pray that at the right time, the government or the party would send that report to National Assembly for debate.
“I would say with all authority that restructuring lies with National Assembly. The president is not a military president, he cannot change anything by decree, sovereignty in Nigeria now is vested in the National Assembly.
“Those agitating for sovereign national conference must go through the National Assembly and unless the national assembly surrenders part of its powers by an Act, there can never be sovereign nations conference.”
According to the former governor, agitation for referendum, there must be an act of the national assembly to create that referendum, it’s not the president that would by fiat or by executive order, order for referendum.
Explaining further he said that the process must go through the National Assembly.
“That is why “I plead with our elders: Pa Edwin Clark, Pa Adbanjo, Professor Banji Akintoyin, all across Nigeria, they met the 8th senate and they heard what that National Assembly has done in terms of the review of the constitution.
“They should come back and tell us! We can no move forward until we recognize the importance and the powers vested in the National Assembly. And for restructuring, let us go through the legal route.”
Recalling how his relationship with President Buhari started, Osoba stated the president and I have been close since the civil, he was a young officer – a lieutenant in the 1st Division.
“It was the first division that started the civil war from Nsuka end and as fortune would have it, I followed the president to when he was a governor in the north eastern region and became the oil minister. From there on he appointed me on June 12 1984 as the Managing Director of Daily Times. It was the crowing peak of my professional life that prepared me for governance.
“I have written a book in which the president featured a lot even with pictures during the civil war.
“So I have now come to present the book formally to the President and to autograph it to him. Part of the book was he riding on the train from the north to Ifo, Ogun State to spend his holiday when he was in Form One in 1946. So we have had some historical reminiscences not just now. “
On what he discussed with the President at the meeting Osoba said that MR President asked about the situation in Ogun State.
“I took the time to brief him on the efforts that the governor is making to ensure peace and u it’s in the state. I have told him that governor Dapo Abiodun is starting on a very good note and he said the governor has also briefed him,” he said.
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
