A Constitutional lawyer and an oil magnet Chidi Donald
Amamgbo has charged the National Assembly to take advantage of the ongoing constitution review to amend the Constitution to reflect true fiscal federal in the country.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja at the weekend, Amamgbo declared that states must be empowered to be manage their own resources and be economically independent.
Amamgbo, who practices law and was admitted to the California State Bar, said that the way the country is being run presently negates all principles of true federalism.
According to him, “the idea of the centre taking resources from the states and sharing it out to states is antithetical to federalism. Why do we call it a federation when oil producing states cannot control their resources? The states should be allowed to control their resource level and then pay taxes to the federal government for defence and foreign affairs.”
He warned that any amendment to the nation’s constitution that did not address this fundamental issues that are bedeviling the country would amount to mere mockery and will not bring about the change Nigerians are yawning for.
He said: “Every state must be a mini nation able to thrive on its own without depending on the federal government. If this is done, there are states that have not business being state. If we are truly serious about changing the constitution then we should address that. Why will you go to Rivers State, collect their oil bring it to the centre and distribute to all the states and tell them that their derivation is 13 percent?
He also suggested that the review should also aim at strengthening the independence of the judiciary saying that the judiciary as presently constituted is not independent.
His words “We must make the judiciary a co-equal arm of government to the executive and the executive. Until the judiciary can call the shots, impunity will remain perversive”, he added.
Amamgbo, who said he returned to Nigeria from the US to seek election into the National Assembly, called on well meaning Nigerians to participate in politics saying that politics should not be left for those who do not have the interest of the people at heart.
He stated that many of those in political offices today had no business being there because they had nothing to offer other than to go and steal public funds.
He also advised political parties to stop giving tickets to the highest bidder but should in the interest of the country, ensure that only those who have something to offer are allowed to lead the people.
Ends
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