True confession: Nigerian is really broke and Professor Sagay reveals why
– Sagay, a professor of law and erudite scholar, said the last government headed by Goodluck Jonathan pilfered the entire treasury spending huge sums to retain power
– Sagay declared his support for restructuring and noted that in a federated state, most of the items on the exclusive list should have been placed in the concurrent list
– He lampooned state governors declaring that they had become complacent with their commissioners for finance only storming Abuja like students in a classroom waiting for handouts from the minister of finance
Professor Itse Sagay on Monday, June 13, declared that there is almost nothing in the country’s treasury.
His revelation may have confirmed the declaration by Lai Mohammed, the country’s minister of information, that Nigeria is broke.
Sagay also blasted governors in the country for becoming lazy, depending solely on revenue from the federal government.
Since becoming president of the country, Muhammadu Buhari had battled corruption and the country is said to have made some billions of naira from looters.
Images from the meeting at the Assembly on Monday, June 13. Photo: Michael Obasa.
Sagay, a professor of law and erudite scholar, said the last government headed by Goodluck Jonathan pilfered the entire treasury spending huge sums to retain power.
READ ALSO: N400m: Metuh will still face punishment, says Sagay
He said government funds were spent by the last government in an effort to win the 2015 presidential election.
In spite of the alleged huge spending however, Jonathan, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2015 general election, lost to President Buhari.
Speaking at the first anniversary of the Lagos state House of Assembly and the 23rd commemoration of the annulment of June 12, Sagay said in a true federation, it is fraudulent for government to be centralised like the way it is in Nigeria.
Supporting restructuring, Sagay noted that in a federated state, most of the items on the exclusive list should have been placed in the concurrent list.
Some of these include railway, aviation, the electoral umpire, the police, the National Judicial Commission, the National Population Commission and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Some of the attendees during the remembrance event in Lagos on Monday, June 13. Photo: Michael Obasa.
He recalled that in the 1960s when Nigeria operated regional government, the regions operated financially independent of the centre.
In a well structured government, he said the states would be free to implement their own will separately of the centre.
He wondered why state governments cannot organise their own census for development purposes while labour should be a matter of state concerns.
The lecturer lamented for instance, that Nigeria is the only country in the world that has a centralised police force.
READ ALSO: Opinion: How Buhari can spend recovered looted funds
All over the world, according to him, the centre, the states, local governments and even universities have their separate police.
He also lamented that power supply had become a major problem because electricity is an exclusive right of the federal government.
While commending Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for continuing with the legacies of his predecessors, he declared that only Lagos is financial safe in the country.
He said many states have now become complacent with their commissioners for finance only storming Abuja like students in a classroom waiting for handouts from the minister of finance.
Sagay urged the Lagos state government to pursue being entitled to 13 percent derivation from the ports operated in the states since Nigeria is not a true federation.
Sagay, who spoke at the second public interest symposium titled: “How to Fight and Win the War against Corruption; Challenges and Prospects” held at the Island Club, Lagos state, disclosed that corruption is an obstacle to economic growth as well as the development of the country.
“It is also an obstacle to the eradication of poverty, improved life expectancy and improved livelihood of all Nigerians,” he said.
The post True confession: Nigerian is really broke and Professor Sagay reveals why appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Nigerian newspapers.