Institute wants overhaul of presidential, legislative systems

The Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) has called for the
restructuring of the Nigerian presidential and legislative arm of government with a view to incorporating traditional ruling system.

The President of the institute, Professor Olukunle Iyanda, who made
the call at the opening of the 2018 Annual National Conference held in
Kano, said incorporating traditional ruling system in the nation’s
administration would help the country achieve national development and
cohesion.

Professor Iyanda said Nigeria must strive to build strong professional
institution such as National Assembly, civil service, security
agencies and political parties among others that have helped many
other nations to emerge from poverty and backwardness to affluence and
development.

Professor Iyanda said the Nigeria’s presidential and legislative
systems need to be restructured to clarify the country’s economic
viability and Nigerians capability to practice in order to get better
results.

He said, “There have been a few questions as to whether the
presidential system we have adopted is economically efficient; and
whether our people are sufficiently politically sophisticated enough
to practice the system, with heavy concentration of power on the
presidency.

“The high-cost system is exacerbated by adoption of a bi-camera
legislature. There seems to be distinction between without a
difference in the membership of the two Houses of the National
Assembly. We need to take an objective economic analysis of this
system with a view to re-engineering it to incorporate our traditional
ruling system.

“It is possible to constitute our upper legislative house with our
leading traditional rulers who are non-partisan politically and they
are likely to give alternative views that reflect the opinion and
wishes of their people.”

He noted that the restructuring would go along way of pacifying the
feelings of inequity that exist in many parts of the country, pointing
out that it was not all the political principles of western democracy
may be suitable for our adoption.

In his remarks, Kano state Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje
represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman
Alhaji, said the institution of leadership had aided Kano state
government in delivering the dividends of democracy to its people
especially in the areas of security, fight against corruption,
employment generation and empowerment.

Ganduje said, “To set Nigeria on the right path of greatness and
prosperity, good leadership must be on the front burner. Great nation
is the reward of great leadership built on good governance with strict
adherence to ideals and principles of transformation.”