The Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, said on Thursday, that for Nigeria to be better, the country must be decentralised, News About Nigeria reports.
Speaking at the 50th anniversary of Punch Newspaper, Soyinka noted that Nigeria should embrace breaking up in order to stabilise the economy and save it from further decline and challenges.
According to him, decentralisation would allow governance to get closer to the people, adding that it was high time for leaders to stop taking Nigerians for a ride.
He further noted that decentralisation, unlike restructuring, is easier to grasp and the leaders would be able to run with it.
In his own words, “What do you mean by restructuring? Well, I don’t even like the word restructuring. I use, I prefer expressions like reconfiguration and decentralisation. Everybody can grasp that, decentralisation. And those who lead, recognise the necessity of it. They recognise the importance, almost the inevitability of it, until they get into power. Yes, that’s the difference.
“It’s about time; I think leaders stopped taking this nation for a ride. You know, we must decentralise. Security, you know, has become a burden to bear. From all corners of the nation, that is the crime.”
Speaking more on the reason why the nation should be decentralised, Soyinka added that decentralisation will go a long way in bringing the government closer to the citizens.
Acknowledging the fact that leaders might be afraid of the impact of decentralisation, Soyinka noted that there was no need to fear, as it is the way out of the current challenges that the people are suffering.
