Segun Showunmi tasks FG on restructuring, fight against corruption, others in 2022
Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The Spokesman of Atiku Abubakar 2019 Presidential Campaign, Mr Segun Showunmi has urged the federal government to revisit calls for restructuring as we move into 2022.
Segun Showunmi said that the country had wobbled enough and that if it would ever become the giant of Africa that the nation is supposed to be, it must set machinery in motion in the new year to allow the spirit and ideals of restructuring flow unhindered.
The PDP stalwart has equally expressed his displeasure with the lackadaisical way the federal government had been fighting anti graft war in the country urging the government to go after the corrupt Governors in 2022.
Showunmi stated this in his new year message made available to journalists at Abeokuta, the state capital on Friday.
He said, “Many conversations have occurred as to how do we live within the shared national boundary, Nigeria. Some have captured it under the popular term restructuring, which to their mind, a round table will be needed to take in the views of all ethnic nationalities.
“Much thoughts given to the idea have left me with a settled opinion that, yes, we must give more powers and authority to the constituents components of our country, as it will unleash our potential as a rainbow nation and it will engender peace, progress and prosperity.”
Calling for a renewed fight against corruption in 2022, Showunmi said, “We must be decisive in our fight against corruption and I believe the best place to start is with the managers of our subnational economies a.k.a The Governors.
“I cringe watching these set of people stride across our country in boastfulness and undue arrogance, many of who are just stealing their states blind with little or nothing to show for the huge resources that accrue to the state. All around you observe that the present effort at fighting corruption is way too selective and damn too lackadaisical making one to wonder if we are serious at all.
“A good place to start is to begin to profile and go after Governors in the penultimate years as a way to slow down the graft we all are witnesses to, that way we will hold them to better account of their stewardship. We cannot continue to stumble on the same stone.”
He disclosed further for the country to overcome its growing insecurity challenge, it must embrace the idea of state police.
He said, “We cannot refuse to embrace multilayered policing if we mean to confront this ugly situation. States are matured enough to be allowed to have their police, the fear of abuse pans away in the face of our security challenges. It is brainless and lazy to think we cannot fathom how to do this even with the present governance structure that we have.”
On the economy, the PDP chieftain said, “Greater effort must be put into things that can grow the Nigerian economy and a sure place to start will be a reworked process by which small scale enterprises will be helped to grow and contribute more, for that is the surest way to stem the unemployment bulge which is very high right now.”
Describing 2022 as a year that would be full of so much of political activities being the year proceeding 2023 general elections, Showunmi urged politicians to play by the rules of the game while the security agencies should also be at alert to nip in the bud any breach of extant rules.
Showunmi while speaking on electoral reforms condemned a situation where only Governors and some power brokers gather to pick candidates of political parties saying that it would rather be better if all due-paying members are given the opportunity to select candidates of their parties for any election (direct primary).
He also called for the electronic transfer of election results saying “there is no overstating that the transmission of results needs less human interference and electronic transfer of result right from the polling unit straight to the national collation centers is progress.
“We have observed continuously over the years that results are tampered with and outcomes changed as a direct consequence of how we handle the will of the people once they have cast their votes. There is nothing to be gained if the status quo is maintained save for bickering, endless litigations and most ashamedly the disenfranchisement of democracy, for what is the point in a flawed process that throwaway the will of the people.”
While wishing all Nigerians a prosperous 2022, Showunmi called for a change in the heart of every Nigerian saying that it is this most needed change of deceitful attitude that would birth the country all could be proud of.
