02062021 - Attacks on INEC offices won’t stop 2023 polls —BUHARI

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Scrap Senate, cut no of Reps,
slash FG's size — AKEREDOLU
•Nigeria in dire straits, no efforts must be spared to stop the free fall— GOV
AKEREDOLU •Adds: Drop bicameral structure of NASS •Says Nigerians’ limit
of endurance stretched• 1999 constitution below standard —
GBAJABIAMILA•Sanwo-Olu restates Special Status for Lagos
By Dayo Johnson, Regional Editor, South-
West, Olasunkanmi Akoni & Tordue Salem
AKURE —
Chairman of the
South-West
Governors’ Forum and
governor of Ondo State,
Arakunrin Rotimi
Akeredolu, SAN,
yesterday, said Nigeria is
in dire straits and called
for the adoption of a
unicameral legislature,
against the current
bicameral structure.
This came on a day
Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Mr.
Femi Gbajabiamila, said
the 1999 Constitution has
fallen short of the
expectations of
Nigerians, and thus
needed a drastic
overhaul.
On his part, Governor
Babajide Sanwo-Olu of
Lagos State reiterated the
call for Special Economic
Status for Lagos as the
economic nerve centre of
the country.
Unicameral
legislature
better for
Nigeria
— Akeredolu
Akeredolu, who spoke at
the South-West zonal
public hearing organised
by the House of
Representatives
Committee on
Constitution Review in
Akure, Ondo State, said
membership of the
National Assembly
should be on part-time
basis.
Represented by his
deputy, Mr. Lucky
Aiyedatiwa, the governor
said: “The country may
consider dropping the
current bicameral
structure of the National
Assembly and adopt a
unicameral legislature.
“The membership of the
Assembly should be parttime.
No member should
earn allowances not
known to the Revenue
Mobilisation, Fiscal and
Allocation Committee
and, more importantly,
the people they claim to
serve.
“Legislators should
earn under a uniform
salary structure.
Allowance peculiarities
must not be about
obscenity.
“The Senate should be
scrapped, while the
House of Representatives
too should not be
unwieldy. A maximum of
four representatives
should come from each
zone.
“It is becoming
increasingly
embarrassing to those
who reason deeply
enough to observe that
while the people wallow
in despair, those who
claim to represent them
revel in ravenous
opulence.
“The number of public
servants is very small
compared with the
humongous percentage of
the commonwealth
expended to maintain
them.
“There are too many
ministries, departments
and agencies of
government that are
moribund at all levels. It
does not make economic
sense to retain them.
“There are several areas
of overlap in the activities
of government at both
state and federal levels.
‘Nigeria in
dire straits’
On the state of the
country, Akeredolu said:
“The country is in dire
straits now. No efforts
President Muhammadu Buhari receives briefing from chairman and
members of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in State
House Abuja, yesterday.
Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 — 5
POCKET CARTOON
must be spared to stop
the free fall.
“The current
experiences stretch the
limits of endurance.
Everyone tries to remain
calm amid the raging
storm.
“More than ever, this
period calls for
cooperation from all
stakeholders in the
survival of the country.
“The position of the
Ondo State Government
has been made public. We
advocate a Federal
Government largely
reduced in size and scope
of engagement.
“We want to see a
Constitution that will
enhance the performance
of public office-holders at
all levels. It is possible to
have a government that
will serve the people in
deed and truth.
“The law of the land
must aid this realistic
expectation. We must
reduce the cost of
governance and shift
attention to service
delivery in this trying
period.”
Speaking earlier, the
leader of the House of
Representatives and
chairman of South-West
committee on constitution
review, Mr. Ohio
Akpatason, assured that
after the public hearing,
the National Assembly
will produce a
constitution that will meet
the desires of all
Nigerians.
1999
constitution
below standards
— Gbajabiamila
Speaking at another
forum, Speaker of the
House of Representatives,
Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila,
noted that a nation’s
constitution is not only the
foundation of its existence
but is also supposed to set
the terms of nationhood
and define the manner
that reflects its common
truths and highest
aspirations.
“Our constitution falls
short of this standard,” he
said.
The speaker said the
reason is the fact that the
1999 constitution is the
product of a hurried
national compromise
entered into two decades
ago to ensure that the
military returned to the
barracks and the country
returned to a democratic
government.
Gbajabiamila, who
spoke in Lagos while
Continues on Page 35
By Yinka Latona
On IGP's claim that SARS disbandment created vacuum in policing
As it stands right now,
it's difficult to
understand what is
happening in Nigeria.
Looking at all the
disheartening events,
you will realise that it’s
hard to say if there is a
vacuum in policing as
the IGP said. However,
he is the Police boss, he
knows better and I will
advise that the present
vacuum should be filled.
—Lorita Chuks,
Beautician
I
feel that the
disbandment of SARS
contributed to the increase
in the level of insecurity
in Nigeria.
If the government is
waiting for the Special
Weapons and Tactics
Squad to replace SARS, it
would take time and the
vacuum will become
bigger.
— Adegbeyeni
Oluwaferanmi,
Student
Nigeria has been
peaceful even before
the creation of SARS, so
Mr. IG, this is not an
excuse for insecurity in
Nigeria. The disbandment
of SARS is not
disbandment of NPF. The
fight will be done by police
personnel. You have your
policemen, so do your
work. Moreover, is SARS
the only solution to
insecurity?
—Prince Osinachim,
Entrepreneur
When SARS was still
in operation, how
many bandits, terrorists
and kidnappers did NPF
arrest? Or why is it that
the basic police
mechanism can’t fight
terrorism? Are the former
SARS operatives no
longer part of the NPF?
The NPF is known for
always giving excuses
and never owning up to
their responsibilities.
—Oluwashola Thompson-
John
What's the work of
SWAT team? I don’t
think there’s any excuse
for poor performance.
Nigeria Police is
entrenched in endemic
corruption. SARS teams
were disbanded but not
executed. Prove your
worth not force, to the
general public. It takes
ages to build trust and a
second to quash it.
—Dammy Abolore,
Entrepreneur
Ibelieve in what the IGP
said because SARS
officers were trained to fight
against criminal activities
but they overdid it. Since
their disbandment, there's
been no replacement. Has
the FG made provisions for
their replacement? Is the
police trained to operate
like SARS? No! The FG
should restructure the NPF;
all security personnel must
undergo adequate training
to combat insecurity.
—Kareem Hakeem,
Researcher