‘El-Rufai’s report on true federalism panacea to inter-ethnic crisis’

The Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Alhaji Salihu Mohammed Lukman has asked the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government to implement Governor Nasir El-Rufai Committee’s report on true federalism.

The El-Rufai’s committee was set up in August, 2017, to formulate the position of the APC on true federalism.

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The committee initially had 10 members but was later expanded to 23 members.

Lukman in a statement on Monday, titled, “Ethnic and Religious Hatred and the Deceitful Campaigns in Nigeria” argued that the implementation of the report would reposition Nigeria and end the current inter-ethnic crisis between the Yorubas and Fulani herders in the South West and ethnic clashes in other parts of the country.

“Although yet to be implemented, the report of the Mallam Nasir Committee on True Federalism provides a standard template of how a party in government should handle difficult challenges of polarisation.

“Certainly, if the party was able to move recommendations contained in the report of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai Committee to the level of implementation, the current levels of misplaced anger against the APC and the federal government in the country would have been moderated.

“May be the challenge we have today present a golden opportunity for APC to be able to initiate processes of implementing the recommendations contained in the report of the APC Committee on True Federalism.

“What may be required in the circumstances is for the APC Caretaker Committee led by His Excellency Mai Mala Buni to initiate internal processes of consultations both within the party and across the executive and legislative arms of government.

“We need to appeal to our leaders and our party to rise to the occasion of this challenge facing our dear nation beyond the current public anger,” he said.