By Shafi'u Saleh The group of 60 parliamentarians led by Hon. Kingsley Chinda, the Minority Leader of the 10th House of Reps met with fo...
By Shafi'u Saleh
The group of 60 parliamentarians led by Hon. Kingsley Chinda, the Minority Leader of the 10th House of Reps met with former president Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday at the Shehu Musa Yar'adua Center Abuja.
The meeting ensued subsequent to the presentation of a Constitution amendment Bill by the group, aiming to substitute the current presidential system with a parliamentary system of government.
Meeting Obasanjo is part of the group's effort to engage critical stakeholders in the country to drum support for the bill.
Also to further stimulate conversations for an alternative to the presidential system which most Nigerians agreed has failed to meet their aspirations after many years of practice.
In his remarks, Chief Obasanjo welcomed the idea of a constitutional amendment, noting that Nigerians need a homegrown system of government that encompasses their cultures and traditions—a sort of "Afro-democracy."
The former president concurred, acknowledging that Western democracy and the presidential system of government introduced to most African countries have not yielded the desired expectations. Hence, the need to revert to what worked for Africans pre-colonialism.
The group had earlier in February sponsored an amendment to the current constitution to pave the way for a parliamentary system, which it considers less expensive, more responsive, and more accountable to the people, providing a reasonable allowance for checks and balances.
The advocacy continues as Nigerians are encouraged to participate in the conversation for a better alternative governance system that would enable Nigeria to achieve its full potential.
"The whole idea is to have a people-oriented system of leadership and a governance system that is responsive and accountable to the electorates" Laori stressed.
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