Restructuring has been politicised in Nigeria – Sani

Yabagi Sani, Presidential Candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), says the issue of restructuring has long been addressed in Nigeria, describing the current clamour for restructuring as political.

Sani, also the National Chairman, Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), said this when he appeared at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.

“The issue of restructuring has long been settled, what we are having as call for restructuring is political, the Nigerian system is made in such a way that issues like that are addressed without causing dislocations or problems to the system.

“We have the National Assembly, we have organs like Revenue and Mobilisation Commission which is responsible for fixing salaries and sharing of nation’s resources and to monitor the way they are being utilise.

“Nigeria is not a country without a Constitution.

“Restructuring is an already settled issue in Nigeria, these are issues that have either been settled through the constitution or conventions like the creation of the six geopolitical zones and others,” he said.

Sani added: “The creation of six geopolitical zones for instance is not in the Constitution but it is to address certain political realignment.

“When you go to the constitution we have issues on exclusive and concurrent lists, if the legislation feels that some issues be taken from the exclusive list to the concurrent list and that it why I said that the issue of restructuring has long been settled.

“Your National Assembly members are just there to make that, you have elected representatives from all over the country in the two Chambers of the National Assembly as Senators and as members of House of Representatives.

“The lawmakers have just two functions- to make laws and to embark on oversight to ensure that the laws are working.

“The essence of oversight is to find out if these laws are working if they are not, then they have to rejig them and that is why I said restructuring is already impeded in our constitution.”

He said the same thing could be applied to the current Naira redesign policy which had generally heated debates in the country.

“Look at the problem we are facing today about naira redesign, a well intentioned policy that is supposed to be applauded by all Nigerians. In fact it is stated in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) establishment act that it must change Nigeria’s currency every 10 years.

“But because the policy wasn’t well thought out or given necessary analysis in term of social implications it is rather causing untold hardship on Nigerians. This is what we are talking about,” he said.(NAN)

.State Administration Secretary Independent National Electoral commission Kaduna State, Awwal Mohammed Mashi, Handing over Presidential Sensitive Material to Electoral Officer From Zango Kataf Local Government Mrs, Dinnah Yakubu at Central Bank premises, yesterday in Kaduna.

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Gubernatorial Candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Alhaji Sani Mahmood Sha’aban has promised to govern Kaduna with the fear of God, knowing that even hereafter, whatever he does, God above is seeing him even when humans are not.

He asserted this during a policy dialogue with governorship candidates organised by the Partnership for Issues-Based Campaign in Nigeria (PICaN), Legal Awareness for Nigeria Women (LAWN) with the support of ActionAid Nigeria and Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL/FCDO)

Sha’aban said he has been involved in several nongovernmental organisations because he believes in human capital development”.

TheDeputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Force Operations, Mr Johnson Kokumo, says no fewer than 27,000 personnel have been deployed in Lagos for the general elections.

Kokumo disclosed this on Thursday in Lagos while briefing newsmen as well as officers and men of Lagos Police Command, ahead of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

He said that other sister security agencies would also join the police personnel to provide security during the exercise.

The police chief urged the personnel to ensure that they abide by the provisions of Electoral Act and ensuring that the election was free, fair and credible in all parts of the state.

“We are supposed to be apolitical. We should not unleash terror on members of the public. Also, don’t use arm on harmless members of the public.

“We are to be civil and respect the rights of citizens. We are to collaborate with other sister security agencies, but we are to take the lead, according to the Electoral Act,” he said.

Kokumo assured residents of the state of the safety of their lives before, during and after the elections.

He also said that all the areas noted for crisis or where security threat might come from had been taken care of and would be wellpoliced.