Cardinal John Onaiyekan highlighted the need for Nigeria to embrace a new form of governance to curb corruption and make government more accessible, saying, “It is time for a change. One thing is definitely sure, we cannot continue the way we are going.” He advocated for a switch to a parliamentary system because “anything that will bring government closer to the people, reduce discretion for stealing and corruption will be good for the nation.”
He criticized the current misuse of resources and the legal loopholes that allow officials to take more than their fair share without repercussions, stating, “The problem of this nation is that government people are stealing legally, they don’t even feel that they are stealing. According to my own understanding, if you take more than you deserve, you have stolen.”
On the topic of restructuring versus constitutional amendment, Onaiyekan pointed out the ineffectiveness of the current constitution in providing clear governance guidelines, asserting that “restructuring, not constitutional amendment will save Nigeria.”
Mr. Kingsley Chinda, advocating for a parliamentary system, remarked, “The presidential system we adopted from US is peculiar to their country, not Nigeria,” suggesting that a parliamentary system “would solve most of Nigeria’s problems.”
Dr. Akin Fapohunda from Afenifere emphasized the absence of a clear restructuring process, stating, “The bottom line is that we have no process. We are seeing the good but we have not defined the process, milestones, and timelines that’s what is missing.”
Fr. George Ehusani underscored the importance of integrity for national prosperity, cautioning that “elite idiocy” would ruin any nation, regardless of its structural design.
Dr. Sam Amadi, Director of ASSPT, compared the parliamentary and presidential systems, concluding that the parliamentary system “is less expensive to run when compared to presidential system, and provides better mechanisms for peer review and accountability.” He stressed the importance of inclusive discussions before adopting a new system: “We want to get more people from the north and the south and the east and the west, to come together and have them shape issues.”