The Kaduna State Governor, El-Rufai has described recent calls
for the restructuring of Nigeria as political opportunism and
irresponsibility.
El-Rufai, while speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily said
President Buhari’s administration has done far more in practical
terms than past administrations and that many of those calling for
a restructuring rather see it as a means of opportunism.
He stated that some of the practical steps taken towards
restructuring included the fact that state governors are now more
than ever, involved in economic policy making at the national
level.
According to him, things that have always been hidden from state
governments are now much more open as they are now more involved in
investigations of finances of the excess crude account, among other
things.
“We meet every month under the auspice of the National Economic
Council and working together with the Federal Government we chart
directions of economic policy and that is part of shifting the
federal- state balance.
“A lot of the talk about political restructuring is political
opportunism and irresponsibility in my opinion
“It is popular and people that have presidential aspirations
think there is a platform upon which they will exploit this. As I
said, if you look at the APC manifesto, all the elements to divulge
power to the state to change the balance in the federation are
there and we are committed to that as a party.
“The National Chairman of our party will restate that commitment
and we are discussing it and as I said President Buhari and
Osinbajo’s government has taken very concrete steps rather than
rhetoric to actually move in that direction and we are going to
move in that direction but we do not believe that the basis for it
is rhetoric and opportunism, we do not believe that the 2014 CONFAB
report is a sensible basis to even begin.
“We all know the circumstances in which the so-called CONFAB was
put together, we all know the composition, how lopsided it was, how
important stakeholders were not taken to account, how even the
composition and numbers do not reflect the demographics and the
diversity of this country and we took a position as a party not to
participate but to encourage our state governors to be there at the
table.”
Channels TV
The Kaduna State Governor, El-Rufai has described recent calls
for the restructuring of Nigeria as political opportunism and
irresponsibility.
El-Rufai, while speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily said
President Buhari’s administration has done far more in practical
terms than past administrations and that many of those calling for
a restructuring rather see it as a means of opportunism.
He stated that some of the practical steps taken towards
restructuring included the fact that state governors are now more
than ever, involved in economic policy making at the national
level.
According to him, things that have always been hidden from state
governments are now much more open as they are now more involved in
investigations of finances of the excess crude account, among other
things.
“We meet every month under the auspice of the National Economic
Council and working together with the Federal Government we chart
directions of economic policy and that is part of shifting the
federal- state balance.
“A lot of the talk about political restructuring is political
opportunism and irresponsibility in my opinion
“It is popular and people that have presidential aspirations
think there is a platform upon which they will exploit this. As I
said, if you look at the APC manifesto, all the elements to divulge
power to the state to change the balance in the federation are
there and we are committed to that as a party.
“The National Chairman of our party will restate that commitment
and we are discussing it and as I said President Buhari and
Osinbajo’s government has taken very concrete steps rather than
rhetoric to actually move in that direction and we are going to
move in that direction but we do not believe that the basis for it
is rhetoric and opportunism, we do not believe that the 2014 CONFAB
report is a sensible basis to even begin.
“We all know the circumstances in which the so-called CONFAB was
put together, we all know the composition, how lopsided it was, how
important stakeholders were not taken to account, how even the
composition and numbers do not reflect the demographics and the
diversity of this country and we took a position as a party not to
participate but to encourage our state governors to be there at the
table.”
Channels TV