Prof. Obiora Okonkwo has advocated equitable and fair management of the nation’s diversities as best model to restructure Nigeria.
Okonkwo, a Professor of Business at the University of Abuja, said this in Abuja at the launch and public presentation of his book ‘”Making Nigeria Work, Pathways to Greatness.”
The book, with 15 chapters, brought fresh insights and incisive reasoning into nagging issues such as how Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups could be welded in to a truly united and peaceful nation.
Discussion on chapter one of the book centered on Value of Diversity: Restructuring to Save Nigeria, while chapter two discussed the Quest for a New Nigeria, the late Michael Okpara model.
Chapter eight focuses on Reawakening the Age-long Norms and Values of the people, while chapter 12 highlights the activities of media on national development.
Okonkwo, who also used the occasion to mark his birthday said a restructured system would make Nigerians focus more on what happened in their states.
He said the people would hold the governor’s and state lawmakers more accountable to them, than it was currently focusing attention on accountability to the Federal Government.
This, he said, would spur collaboration among the states in pursuance of economic development and integration.
” For example, nothing stops the states in the South -East from collaborating to build railways or monorails, to connect all state capitals in the region and boost economic activities that will drive development of the region.
“Such collaboration could also extend to the south-South region for mutual benefits; states in other regions could also collaborate to pursue development that are of mutual benefit to them.
” In doing this, states are are now forced to look at their diversity to get integrated backwards and make use of the best, because regions will be in development competition.
“This is the sort of thing that restructuring will achieve; it is not already happening because our current system of government enthrones a leadership recruitment system that does not allow for the best from our diversity,” he said in the book.
He said the 262 pages book was his gift to the educational institutions, gift to intellectual team, adding that the longer the nation awaited to restructure, the deeper the wound and the hurt it experienced.
“When we talk of true federalism, it does not mean taking what does not belong to anybody, it means people having what they should have and doing what they should do.
“The center has taken so much, the center still remains active, with its own dedicated area of activities.
“In true federalism, you have powers in different states, doing also what they ought to do given by the constitution.
“This was a negotiated constitution before independence, it helped us, it brought about the fastest development we have ever seen in this country.
“It will bring an end to a lot of issues, I hope the argument and opinion I have in the book will help people to know that this is not intended to hurt any body or deprive any body.
“It is to make us happier in this one entity Nigeria, where there will be equity, justice and fairness.”
In the same vein, Prof. ABC Nwosu, who wrote the foreward of the book, extolled the virtues of Okonkwo, as a rare breed that had successfully combined entrepreneurship, intellectualism and politics for betterment of Nigeria.
Nwosu, a former Minister of Health said it was pedestrian to think that restructuring was asking people to go back to the regions, adding that nobody wanted that in a federation.
He said Okonkwo situated restructuring in proper perspective by saying that it entailed managing all diversities in the country as each ethnic nationalities were created to be in Nigeria, with equal rights in Nigeria.
” There are no senior and junior Nigerians and there will never be, anything that want to make for having a senior and junior Nigerian would be attracting trouble,” he said.
He said the selfless service of late Michael Okpara ensured that many people benefited from the service.
He commended the use of Micheal Okpara as a model of governance to leaders, adding that any one who aspired to be like Michael Okpara was on the right track on governance.
High point of the occasion was the unveiling and launch of the book by the Chairman of the occasion, former President of Senate, Dr Abubakar Saraki, and the Special Guest of Honour, former Secretary to Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim.
Others in attendance at the event were the Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, Sen. Uche Ekwunife and captains of industry, among others.
