Aregbesola Makes Case For Parliamentary System

Kayoed Adelowokan, Lagos

The Osun state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has described federal system of government as a wasteful system which consumed the resources that could have been used to meet the needs of the citizenry.

Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola

Aregbesola said this on Monday, January 27, 2014, in Osogbo, that Nigerians need to know that federal system of government is highly expensive to manage than parliamentary system.

According to the Ogbeni, “If I have my way, I will appeal to Nigerians to abandon federal system of government because the resource the country that could have been use for something else is used on things that will not benefit the general citizenry.

“In the federal system, we have two legislative arms who perform the same role and thereby compete for supremacy, whereas, in parliamentary system, the system helps the state to manage its resources because there is no frivolous spending.

“Let me say this, if we are interested in ensuring real value and effective utilization of our limited recourses as a nation, we should drop the executive presidential system of government and adopt the parliamentary system.”

Speaking on the recent increase in the state monthly internally generated revenue from about N300 million to about N1.5 billion, Aregbesola, said though it is not as if the state have expanded its base for revenue generation, but it have simply blocked leakages in the state.

On election, the Ogbeni called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to guard its house so as to ensure that nobody could influence its stand and the outcome of any election.

“INEC must ensure that any electorate who duly registered is given the right to vote on election as against what we all saw in Anambra State. It must also ensure that election materials is not given to those who cannot manage it. Also, the INEC officials must announce election results from various polling unit and that the people will be free during the periods of election to carry out their franchise.

“So, from the register to the management of electoral materials, process and procedure of voting and ultimate declaration of result, there must be such transparency that the entire Nigerians home and abroad will know that this election is free, fair and transparent.”