Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has called for devolution of more powers to states, describing it as the only catalyst for socio-economic development of the country.
The governor noted that Nigeria’s presidential federalism, which vested too much powers and revenues in the centre was a major setback to speedy socio-economic development in Nigeria.
This is contained in a statement by Mbah’s Senior Special Assistant, External Relations, Uche Anichukwu, on Sunday in Enugu.
He quoted Mbah to have made the call in a public lecture entitled “Enugu State, Nigeria: New Political Leadership; Bold Economic Vision – Spotlight on the Health and Education Strategies” which he delivered at the London School of Economics (LSE).
According to him, Mbah likened Nigeria’s brand of federalism to a man with 36 children, but who overworked a few till they became too weak.
The governor said that the ensuing hard times should be seen as an opportunity to overhaul the nation’s production strategy.
Anichukwu said the governor commended the transfer of railways and power from the Exclusive to Concurrent List to enable the states play a role in those sectors.
“Mbah lauded the ongoing discussions and predisposition of the President Bola Tinubu Administration towards the devolution of more powers to the federating units.
“The choice of a presidential system might have been well-informed, shaped by the inherent benefits of federalism in other countries with population as vast and diverse as ours.
“But our presidential federalism has bred a system where revenue is excessively domiciled at the centre rather than in the states or regions,” he said.
He added that “such hypothetical scenario can only breed dire economic prospects for the family and should ordinarily push its hard-pressed members to take some swift and critical actions to improve their precarious financial state.
“The challenge, as we have seen, is finding the will and having the capacity to do so”.
Mbah noted that while discussion on further devolution continued, leaders at all levels could make a difference by applying political will, people-centered and transcendental leadership.
“At the heart of our socio-economic challenge is the issue of leadership deficit. This has always been the bane of our development.
The governor noted that in spite of the widespread clamour and yearning for leaders with transcendental values, leadership failure remained a recurring decimal.
Mbah noted that a good leader was basically a visionary and should not merely peddle hope, but demonstrate a capacity to translate dreams into reality.
“This briefly summarizes our turnaround tale in Enugu State in roughly nine months.
“The single boldest projection that encapsulates what we intend to accomplish is our target to grow the economy of Enugu State seven-fold.
“Simply put, our vision is to grow the state’s GDP from $4.4bn – that we met – to at least $30bn in the next four to eight years.
“Another bold plan is the commitment to attain a zero per cent poverty headcount index in Enugu State,” he stressed.
Mbah further said that his administration’s massive investments in security, health, education, agriculture, and water sectors, among others, were part of the overall strategy to turn the state’s fortune around.