Constitution amendment: devolve more powers to states, Bode George advises FG -

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Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for signing into law a constitutional amendment that grants power to states to licence, generate, transmit and distribute electricity, as well as on their rail system, while demanding that the Presidentshould embark on more devolution of powers in the country.

It would be recalled that President Buhari recently signed into law the constitutional amendment allowing states in the country to licence, generate, transmit, and distribute electricity, while railways have moved from Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List in the 16 constitution amendment bills which the president assented into law.

Chief George, who is also the Atona Oodua of Yoruba land, said this while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, noting that it was not only those two key areas that states should be allowed to take charge of to reduce the burden at the centre as, according to him, the country is too big for only one man at the centre to govern.

The PDP chieftain, while describing the move by President Buhari as brilliant, sighted the need to have State Police in the country like in the United States of America, urging that the Buhari government should now look at other areas and devolve powers.

“You see, it is not only devolution of power to states to generate electricity, transmit and distribute it, reduce the burden at the centre. This country is too big for only one man at the top there.

“You see like State Police, in America, they have State Police, they have County Police. The nearer the police command is to the people, the safer, you know. This is because they are supposed to manage and make sure that no-nonsense in that command. But if the command is from Abuja, you know what is happening, don’t let us do it on ones they like,” George said.

“Fine, we can see now that they can’t cope with electricity controlled by one company, to run the whole of Nigeria. It’s brilliant, but they should now look at other areas and devolve powers,” he added.

George, however, said the best way to go about achieving more devolution of powers to the states was for the government to revisit the Report of the 2014 Constitutional Conference, declaring that everything that needed to be done was contained in it, even as he noted that there would be regional cooperation that would attract lot of benefits regarding the railways which had been moved from Exclusive List to Concurrent List.

“Look, the best thing is let them go to the Report submitted at the last Constitutional Conference, everything that we are saying now is there.

“So don’t let them deceive us, it is not only electricity that needs to be devolved,” he said.

“Like rail that had been devolved to states now, there would be regional cooperation, you know. Coming from one location, from one state, it dashes to another state, and you jointly manage it, rather than Federal money being pumped into just one project without result, like we are doing now. It makes sense.

“I am saying that is not enough, that is like a small bit of the real problem. That Report that was submitted to General Muhammadu Buhari, he should allow them to look at the Report and make the amendments that are necessary, in little sort,” he added.

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