The All Progressives Congress (APC) Committee on True Federalism has tabled 12 issues for discussion during the public hearings on restructuring scheduled to commence on September 18, 2017 in various parts of the country.
The committee also stated that it will consult the report of the 2005 Political Reforms Conference, the 2014 National Confab and reports of previous national conferences in its assignment to determine the party’s position on restructuring.
The Secretary of the Committee, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, unfolded the 12-point agenda at a news conference in Abuja.
He noted that the public hearing which will hold in Benin, Enugu and Ibadan will end with a meeting with civil society organisations and professional groups in Abuja on October 9.
Adetunmbi said the committee met four times and identified 12 key issues for discussion during the public hearing.
He said: “Accordingly, and pursuant to its mandate, the Committee met, deliberated and listed out the following issues and called for memoranda from members of the public”.
The 12 issues Nigerians will have opportunity to air their views on according to Adetunmbi are:
1) Creation/merger of states and the framework and guidelines for achieving that
2) Derivation principle bordering on what percentage of federal collectible revenue should be given back
3) Devolution of powers on what item on the exclusive legislative list should be transferred to the recurrent list and federating units, especially state and community police, prisons
4) Federation Units: Should Nigeria be based on regions or zones or 36-state structure
5) Fiscal federalism and revenue allocation.
6) Form of government (parliamentary or presidential)
7) Independent candidacy.
8) Land tenure system.
9) Local government autonomy.
10) Power sharing and rotation
11) Resource control; and
12) Type of legislature.
Adetunmbi, further said contributions would not be limited to members of the party, but to all Nigerians who have something meaningful to say on the development of the country.
“We must recognise that the work of nation building is an ongoing process in which every stakeholder has a role to play, by making his own contribution. In this case, the APC as a national political party is an institution and a stakeholder that has a role to play in making its own contribution.
“This exercise is its own way of making that contribution. The APC felt that it is not necessary to think alone among ourselves, but to also ask members of the public what they think. That is why everything this Committee is doing is not about its own opinion, but harvesting the opinion of the ordinary people in order to form an opinion. After all, no political party exists just by itself, but by the mandate of people.
“In this regard, we have put up an announcement calling on members of the public to submit memorandum and meet us at designated venues without any discrimination. So, it is an open invitation to all Nigerians to attend and make their views and voices to count”.
