Nigeria Is Still A Unitary State - Gbajabiamila

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• published: 26 Jul 2013
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Despite the on-going fourth amendment of the 1999 Constitution which is geared to enhance Nigeria's federalism, the Minority leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has found flaws with the process which he claims has further made Nigeria's system of governance, a unitary state. When asked to describe Nigeria's constitution on Channels TV's Sunrise Daily, the lawmaker said "we have a unitary constitution not a federal constitution. Everything begins and ends at the centre (with the federal government)." "We have a unitary system as suppose to a federal structure because rather than wither down powers of the centre, we have further strengthen the federal government" he added. He cited the transfer of housing from the residual list (state government's responsibility) to the exclusive list of the federal government in the amended Constitution, thereby empowering the federal government to the sole responsibility of providing of homes to Nigerians. He commended his colleagues at the House of Representatives but called on them to further look into the needed reviews to make the constitution a federal one. Mr Gbajabiamila also expressed his disagreement with the retention of the minimum wage with the federal government saying a uniform wage for all the states of the federation is wrong.