Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martins Luther Agwai (rtd), has recommended a review of the present Federal system of government in the country to make it an all inclusive democracy .
He said that the country is in urgent need of an administrative system that would accommodate the country ethnic, cultural and religious diversities . He said that the present federal/unitary system has proved to be unhelpful for our development and security.
The country requires at least three core values to drive its development and unity just as he urged the electorates to vote wisely in next year general election.
General Agwai stated this on Tuesday in a paper he delivered in Abuja at the Alumni Association of the National Institute Conference on National Unity, tagged ” Nigeria’s National Unity in the build up a lecture to the 2023 general elections”
He said that it is unfortunate that many who aspired to lead the country are ill prepared to bear the responsibilities of leadership, and that once elected had continue to seek excuses for their failures.
He therefore challenged “those aspiring to lead us to tell Nigerians their intentions for us”adding that they should make public their plans which they intend to execute to bring the country out of the present woes ,so that we would hold accountable.
General Agwai further tasked AANI to critically examine Nigeria democratic system and introduce innovations that would give Nigeria a unique form of government, as the present system had failed to address the needs of the country .
He also appealed to the participants at the conference to address the vex issues of indigene ship adding that modern Nigerians should be able to claim indigene of a place where he or she resided after several years.
On the insecurity, the former Chief of Defence Staff warned that the military alone can not adequately address security issues while other government agencies set up to provide specific complimentary services such as justice for the aggrieved persons had abandoned their roles.
Earlier in his massage, the Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman AANI Heritage Council ,His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar 111, had observed that things are not normal in the country. He said that the fact that we recognized that things are not normal is beginning of solution.
He said that Nigerians of all tribes are good people and that nobody will come from outside the country to solve the problems confronting us.
He recalled that as a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army he served in Enugu for four years and was received in the community with open mind and whole heartily as a brothers.He appealed to those in authority to take everyone in the country as citizens and treat them equally.
“We should go back and retrace our steps from where we missed the road” in order to ensure we are United as country, he added.
The Sultan urged the participants at the conference and the government to revisit previous abandoned numerous reports on developments and unity of the country and implement them to ensure that peace and unity are restored.
For according to him, ” the crown of the ruler is integrity , his strong hold is impartiality while his wealth is his people.”