States should control their resources —Adesina

IN a fiery nationalistic speech on Wednesday, President, African Development Bank Group, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, called for states taking total control of the resources in their domains, reopening the debate on the vexed issue of resource control. 

The former Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture also strongly held that the country’s multiple diversities are not the problem, but their apparent mismanagement, which has left the country convulsing. 

He gave a lecture to commemorate the 80th birthday anniversary of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). Exploring the theme ‘Nigeria—A country of many nations: A quest for national integration’, he pointed in many directions for a prosperous Nigeria, saying, “to thrive, the constituent states in Nigeria must be more financially autonomous through greater fiscal prudence. 

“If states focus on unlocking the huge resources they have, based on areas of comparative advantage, they will rapidly expand wealth for their people. With their increased wealth they will be able to access capital markets to secure long-term financing to fast-track their growth and development.” 

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He, then, delved into the arena of much-talked restructuring, saying, “Restructuring should not be driven by political expediency, but by economic and financial viability – the necessary and sufficient conditions for political viability. Surgeries are tough. They are better done well, the first time. 

“The resources found in each state or state groupings should belong to them. The constituent entities should pay federal taxes or royalties for those resources. 

“The stronger the states or regions, the stronger the federated units. In the process, our union would be renewed, stronger, equitable and fully participatory. Going scriptural and waxing philosophical, the celebrated development expert said of Nigeria’s diversities. 

“Rather than see diversity as strength, it is seen as weakness. Yet, it is in the tapestry of diverse resources, culture, identities, religions, and peoples, that we see God’s splendour of creation. 

“Nigeria, our nation, is blessed with incredibly rich diversity: of people, of cultures, of religions, of mineral resources, oil, and gas, an amazingly rich biodiversity, that should make us the envy of the world. We are blessed with abundantly diverse agro-ecologies that should also make us a land of bountiful harvests with the capacity to feed Africa. 

“We are a religious nation, so we should understand that God loves diversity. Therefore, our diversity is not our problem. Diversity is our strength. But when mismanaged, diversity becomes divergence. Rather than unite, we become splintered, with each entity believing that, somehow, it is better without the other. We must manage diversity for collective good.” 

Citing Singapore as a model, he pointed out that while Nigeria started better at independence than Singapore, the latter has since left the most populous black nation, far behind.