By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, has called for devolution of powers of the federal government, to enable state governments have more powers and responsibilities to control the natural resources in the country.
Atiku, who is an aspiring presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 elections, said this in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state capital, during the inauguration of the ultra-modern Oba Adejugbe General Hospital, built by Governor Kayode Fayemi to mark the end of his four-year tenure.
“The Federal Government is too powerful in Nigeria and has taken in more responsibilities than it is supposed to be. There is need to devolve powers to the state and if we move powers to the state government, we should also move resources alongside.
“The Federal Government has no business handling projects in health, agriculture, employment and other sectors. I have always been saying this each time I have the opportunity.
“The Federal Government ought to be left with foreign policy, defence and monetary policy, so that the Presidency can be made less attractive to reduce the tension in the polity”, Atiku said.
He regretted that most of the responsibilities being carried out by the Federal Government are supposed to be handled by the State Governments.
To this end, he said the 2015 general elections was another opportunity for Nigerians to chase out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by voting for the APC.
Abubakar, who commended Fayemi for his achievements in the state, explained that the Federal Government had no reason venturing into agriculture and health, saying they are the fundamental duties of state governments.
He described the APC as “a strong and better organised” party to tackle poverty and rescue Nigerians from the sufferings brought by the PDP in the last 15 years.
“Nigerians now have opportunity to make a change and this is the opportunity that should not be missed. Even Ghana, which is less in population to Lagos State had got the opportunity of having opposition winning election at the presidential level.
“Fellow Nigerians, this is the time we must have a change and it is a change we must have”, he said.
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