Weak institutions responsible for Nigeria’s woes – Awe

A former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, High Chief Olajide Awe, has identified weak institutions as responsible for the various socio-economic and political woes bedevilling Nigeria.

Awe is therefore urging the APC-led federal government to use the power at its disposal and listen to the cries of various sections of the country for restructuring to strengthen the nation’s democracy.

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He made the remarks while speaking at Ikere-Ekiti, at the weekend, where he also called for a return to regionalism to reduce powers and patronage at the federal level.

According to him, regionalism will make the presidency less attractive and reduce the tension that accompanied the struggle for power at the centre which distracts elected officials who are yet to reach the midterm of their mandate.

He expressed dismay that restructuring has not seen the light of the day under the Buhari administration because the core loyalists surrounding the president don’t believe in it.

The APC stalwart called for the implementation of the report of the APC Committee on Restructuring led by Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai.

He also expressed regrets that the report of the National Constitutional Conference and similar bodies set up in the past to rejig the polity had been abandoned despite huge resources spent to organise them.