Says we must strengthen states for a more productive nation
*Calls for devolution of more power to States enables them to control more of their resources
*VP advocates for States & community police forces, correctional facilities, special courts

Nigeria can become a stronger and more prosperous nation if states have more powers, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this while speaking at the 59th Independence Anniversary Lecture at the Island Club, Lagos, on Friday.

The Vice President, who titled his lecture “the whole is only as great as the sum of its parts,” said Nigeria’s population and diverse ethnic groups has necessitated that states in the country be strengthened to enable them contribute more to national productivity and development.

Prof. Osinbajo stated that this can be achieved with “stronger, more autonomous States that are able to generate and control more of their resources.”

According to the Vice President, the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is ensuring that states collaborate more with the Federal Government on different initiatives to improve visionary governance in the country.

“The most important transformative change we can make in Nigeria is to lift the majority of our people out of deprivation by speedily creating wealth and opportunity leading to the eradication of poverty,” he said.

He further said that “The nation cannot be wealthy when its component parts – the states – are poor. The standard of living of the federation depends on the standard of living of people who live in the states. In other words, the federation can only be as rich as its richest state and as strong as its strongest state.

“Our national indices merely aggregate the realities of our weaknesses and strengths as present in all our constituent units. Consequently, we can only build a stronger and more prosperous nation by building stronger and more prosperous states.”

He said, “Building stronger states means ensuring the devolution of more power to the states, enabling them to control more of their resources and make more of their own administrative decisions such as the creation of Local Governments, the establishment of state and community police forces as well as state correctional facilities; creation of special courts and tribunals of equivalent jurisdiction to high courts. The point I am making is that states must have more powers and more rights.”

The Vice President stated that, “The challenges confronting us now are about strengthening internal coherence and cohesion. It is about moving from affirmations of unity to the achievement of synergy in which the sum of our strengths exceeds the totality of our constituent parts.”

He noted that, “Opportunities for smart and visionary governance abound. So, for example, while states may not be able to right now establish their police forces, they can collaborate with the federal government on initiatives such as community policing which also revolves around the idea of localized law enforcement. Our administration is currently pursuing this option. When we set our minds to solving problems, we will find that what is truly possible is not as distant from the ideal that we seek.”

Read more: https://www.chronicle.ng/2019/10/why-states-must-have-more-powers-osinbajo/

Seun Lalasticlala Mynd44 OAM4J

You are giving them more reasons to deny you of 2023. You better stop talking too much.

VP said everybody should Farabale. Calm down. Nigeria is greater than any group of bad minds.

I am with the Vice President on this, it's time the federal government empower the state government more, especially in terms of security, infrastructure and so on. You spoke well Prof

kaorama:
You are giving them more reasons to deny you of 2023. You better stop talking too much.

Weakling stfu no one wants to hear weaklings talk.

kaorama:
You are giving them more reasons to deny you of 2023. You better stop talking too much.

And you think being silent will help him ba? And your likes will still come here to bash him for being too silent.....let him shine biko

Totally in support of what the VP has pointed out,most especially talking about security then infrastructure and so on.

Well Doir

Osinbajo has been advocating for this long ago, most especially on the issue of state policing.. well done my able VP

There is a need to strengthen each state, this will allow each state to be managing her resources.

SLAP44:
They will soon send this one to wash plates in the kitchen again

So that is your understanding about this government??

The right way to go .

Indeed this is the right way to go, states really needs to be strengthened so as to gain more productivity.

Goverment needs to be closer to the reach if the people. Development will get to nukes and crannies of the state and people will have the opportunity of holding their leaders accountable unlike the faraway federal structure.

SLAP44:
They will soon send this one to wash plates in the kitchen again

like your father does right.

kaorama:
You are giving them more reasons to deny you of 2023. You better stop talking too much.

...and you think you've made a reasonable comment?

Davidic101:
...and you think you've made a reasonable comment?

He is right.

Guess it's this same issue of devolution of power/ restructuring that VP Osinbajo/Mr.President and the APC govt campaigned with to attained power yet turned to denied same as an impossibility?

To think that the same Osinbajo/Tinubu took the OBJ govt to court over this same issue but turned around to overtly denounced same tells a lot about the hypocrisy of these people.

.

osibaba

Shey Buhari give you go ahead to say all this.

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We should all learn not to talk always.

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Spot on.

Are we back to the restructuring propaganda again..

Okay

Joylove2324:
I am with the Vice President on this, it's time the federal government empower the state government more, especially in terms of security, infrastructure and so on. You spoke well Prof

most especially security