A rights activist and former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Ogun State, Dr. Niran Malaolu, has said that the ruling All Progressives Congress
will labour in vain in its efforts to bring the desired change to Nigeria unless the country is restructured.
Malaolu asked the APC-led Federal Government to look beyond the political change which he said the ruling party achieved in the last general elections
to social change by putting in place policies that would ensure equitable distribution of resources.
Malaolu, who was a guest speaker at the exploratory conference heralding the third Lagos Open Parliament organised by the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders
in collaboration with People’s Action for Democracy during the week in Lagos, said the current structure of Nigeria gave room to a situation “where Peter
is robbed to pay Paul.”
He, however, said until the defect was addressed, Nigeria would not develop as expected.
Malaolu said, “With the way Nigeria is currently structured, real change is not possible. Whatever any governor is trying to do will only amount to event,
which cannot last. Change within any state or section of the country can only be cosmetic under the existing structure of the country.”
He used Lagos State as a case study to buttress his point.
Malaolu said Lagos State, known to have the largest population in Nigeria, generates the highest Value Added Tax among the 36 states in the country, but
expressed concern that Sokoto State, which banned the consumption of alcohol, shared from the VAT.
He said, “We are in prison structurally in Nigeria, and this is why the APC change won’t work. The nation cannot continue like this or we will not have
our freedom. The state governors know this, but will not talk because they want to be seen as being politically correct.”
SOURCE:
THE PUNCH NG
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