THE Senate has begun the process of amending the 1999 Constitution with the Bill which seeks to reduce the powers of the Federal government scaling the second reading. The change, sought to be effected by the Bill sponsored by Senator Akpor Pius Ewherido, DPP, Delta Central, wants the devolution of more responsibilities from the central government to the states, as the Federal Government had become too strong. In his lead debate, Ewherido, who is the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, said with more powers to the states, there will be harnessing of states comparative advantages in the production of goods and services without impediment to promote growth, efficiency and effectiveness.
The Bill, which was referred to Constitution Review Committee, will also eliminate wastages associated with the long command matrix of over centralization as a result of mutation of directives and replacement with a brief command matrix that promotes promptness and better monitoring of policies within states’ territorial jurisdictions.
Senator Ewherido noted that the Bill will help in the enthronement of discipline and hard work from ‘’swift policy implementation as against the present long command chain from the centre to the peripheries responsible for low productivity and sabotage.”
He said, ‘”devolution of powers would allow the various states to develop and protect their core values, cultures and resources within their spatial sanctity and acceptable global practices.
“This will go a long way in stemming the frequent incidents of insurgencies in various parts of the country, which real motives, even though not readily expressed and admitted, are borne out of religious, cultural and economic calibrated interference from an over-centralized and concentrated Federal Octopus structure”.
“Many may not see such matters as consequential enough, but people with background in psychology know that perceived advantage by one group over another that cannot be rationalized are the root causes of intolerance, suspicion and hatred which blossom into avoidable and unwarranted violence.
“The second change sought to be introduced is to remove ambiguity that inheres in section 80 of the constitution. Ambiguity is not a good feature of any law, especially the constitution which is the grund norm from which every other law derives its existence.
“It is my further submission that the accountability between all levels of government must be structured in a way that allows the Auditor General perform his functions without compromise.‘’