From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
An elder-statesman and Kano-based business mogul, Alhaji Aminu Dantata has thrown his weight behind the move by some members of House of Representatives to shift from presidential to parliamentary system of government in Nigeria.
Recall that the House of Representatives had passed, for the first reading, the bill seeking to transform the presidential system of government into a parliamentary system.
Titled ”The Bills proposing constitutional alterations for a transition to a parliamentary system of government,” it was sponsored by sixty lawmakers and read for the first time during Wednesday’s plenary in Abuja.
Speaking when a delegation of eight members of the House, out the sixty paid a consultation visit to him at his residence in Kano on Thursday, Dantata said parliamentary system of government is better in the country.
“Parliamentary system is better, cheaper and less cumbersome. Presidential system is very expensive and cumbersome.
“ I support you on this and pray for you to achieve this mission.
“As you are 60 for now, may your number increase and get more and more members to support this course.
“Our country has been in a difficult situation, so let’s try the parliamentary system. For your consultation to us, we are happy and appreciate that. We hope at the end, the country would have a better system.
“Look at now, 1 dollar is now N1,500. May Allah make it easy on us. May Nigeria be great again. May this insecurity bidevilling Nigeria and other countries be over,” Dantata prayed.
Addressing journalists after a closed door meeting with Dantata, leader of the delegation, Kingsley Chinda, PDP member representing Obio/Akpor constituency from Rivers States, said he, alongside 59 of his colleagues sponsored the bill on Wednesday.
He said in view of the situation in the country, parliamentary system is the answer as it is less costly and cumbersome.
“Myself and 59 others sponsored 3 bills yesterday and the spirit and intent of those bills are to take our country from presidential system back to parliamentary system.
“And the reasons are simple, we cannot be doing the same thing and expect a different result. The way things are going and everybody is complaining, Nigerians are worried that the cost of governance is skyrocketing.
“ And there is no magic that the President and his team can work to cut down drastically this cost. Even where we say we are forgoing all our allowances, you will find out it is just a drop in the ocean. So we need to do something that is drastic because our country is docktailing. “
