APC Zonal Restructuring Committee: Edo fails to submit memorandum

THE Zonal Restructuring Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ended in Benin on Monday with Edo State asking for more days to submit a memorandum to enable citizens of the state make their input on the call for the structuring of the country.

Governor Obaseki made the plea when one of the participants, Mr Wilson Imoni, said they were not told that they needed to articulate their views and present it in form of a memorandum.

The governor said it was clear that most of the people did not see the advert on the newspapers, hence they would have been prepared for the event.

He pleaded that seven days should be added to the day of submission to enable them reach out to those at the local government levels.

“It is clear that most of our people did not see the advert. We will meet at our local government levels and articulate our viewpoints and submit same within seven days”, he said.

On his part, leader of the APC Zonal Restructuring Committee and governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibukule Amosun who said he was surprised that the people of the state were not aware that they needed to articulate their views on papers and submit same, urged them to submit their documents through the governor within the stipulated time they have agreed on.

Earlier, Senator Amosun told the participants that the reason for the meeting was to bring government closer to the people, adding that it was their right to make input in the ongoing call for the restructuring of the country.

He said their views will be channeled to the appropriate quarter software for good policy formulation.

“It is about Nigeria and it is not good that will should be discussing among ourselves and that is why we decided to bring this meeting closer to the people”, he said.

Participants however gave their views on various issues as it affected them and the survival of the country.

One of the participants, Chief Anthony Uti, who represented the people of Ndokwa said for the country to cut down the cost of governance, the legislative business must be run on part-time basis rather than full time.

Uti said hence the House of Representatives and the House of Senate are performing almost the same functions, it was needless for the country to maintain both houses.

On his own view, Chief Francis Omo, from Ika, noted that allocations from the federal government to the state should be based on the population size and not the land mass.