Restructuring: APC group faults el-Rufai c’ttee’s recommendations

Paul Osuyi, Asaba

A youth group within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Grassroots Advocates has warned the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government not to implement the recommendations of the Governor Nasir el-Rufai committee on restructuring unless some gray areas are expunged.

National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Nnamdi Ofonye, in a statement made available to newsmen, in Asaba, Delta State, noted that the group is totally against two of the recommendations.

Ofonye said while they support the call for all states to control their resources, they are totally against the implementation of state police and the scrapping of local government councils.

He maintained that the group is concerned about the effect of scrapping local councils which is the closest to the grassroots, noting that despite the non-visible performance of that tier over the years, what is needed is to strengthen it and give it unfettered autonomy and independence to operate.

On the issue of state police he opined that “the worst thing that will happen to us as a people is the creation of a state police. Imagine what our governors are doing with commissioners of police in their domains and then wonder what they will do if the power to hire and fire is vested on them.

“Also look at what they are doing with state electoral commissions and imagine what they will do to any opposition party and individuals with the police in their hands.

“We have taken time to reach out to our people at the grassroots and these are their stands. We are aware that the committee might have done their job without engaging the feelings of the majority of Nigerians who are at the grassroots hence we moved in to enlighten and sensitise them on the call for restructuring and their wishes must be considered because they are in the majority and we are in democracy.”

The group stressed that instead of the move to totally overhaul the system of governance as canvassed by some “under the guise of restructuring, the best thing to do is to institutionalise our institutions and make them very efficient to carry out their constitutional responsibilities without fear, favour or malice and it is only when this is achieved that such issue like state police might be considered else we might be shooting ourselves in the feet.”
Restructuring: APC group faults el-Rufai c’ttee’s recommendations

Paul Osuyi, Asaba

A youth group within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Grassroots Advocates has warned the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government not to implement the recommendations of the Governor Nasir el-Rufai committee on restructuring unless some gray areas are expunged.

National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Nnamdi Ofonye, in a statement made available to newsmen, in Asaba, Delta State, noted that the group is totally against two of the recommendations.

Ofonye said while they support the call for all states to control their resources, they are totally against the implementation of state police and the scrapping of local government councils.

He maintained that the group is concerned about the effect of scrapping local councils which is the closest to the grassroots, noting that despite the non-visible performance of that tier over the years, what is needed is to strengthen it and give it unfettered autonomy and independence to operate.

On the issue of state police he opined that “the worst thing that will happen to us as a people is the creation of a state police. Imagine what our governors are doing with commissioners of police in their domains and then wonder what they will do if the power to hire and fire is vested on them.

“Also look at what they are doing with state electoral commissions and imagine what they will do to any opposition party and individuals with the police in their hands.

“We have taken time to reach out to our people at the grassroots and these are their stands. We are aware that the committee might have done their job without engaging the feelings of the majority of Nigerians who are at the grassroots hence we moved in to enlighten and sensitise them on the call for restructuring and their wishes must be considered because they are in the majority and we are in democracy.”

The group stressed that instead of the move to totally overhaul the system of governance as canvassed by some “under the guise of restructuring, the best thing to do is to institutionalise our institutions and make them very efficient to carry out their constitutional responsibilities without fear, favour or malice and it is only when this is achieved that such issue like state police might be considered else we might be shooting ourselves in the feet.”