A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, says Nigeria is on the brink of collapse.
He stated this while reacting to the state of the nation.
George, who retired as a Commodore in the Nigerian Navy, said that urgent steps needed to be taken to rescue the nation from imminent collapse.
Firstly, he called on the authorities to address the root causes of insecurity in the land, which he identified as food insecurity and joblessness.
According to him, many young people are hungry and jobless, with no means to support themselves or their family.
He noted that it was easy for such persons to take to criminality.
Secondly, he called for the restructuring of the country to place more responsibilities with the states rather than the centre.
He emphasised that the present centralised policing system was unworkable, adding that there were too few policemen to guard the vast nation.
George noted that the Native Authority system deployed by the colonial administration placed emphasis on a decentralised policing system, wondering why Nigeria jettisoned it.
He
added that advanced nations like the United States still practise a decentralised policing system, urging Nigeria to emulate them.
Expatiating on his call for restructuring, George noted, “The United States of Nigeria that is what we should be called, each state will have its responsibility and get resources from their states and use it optimally for the benefit of the people.
“Also, part of what you make, you send to federal to maintain the federal, there will be general purse called security purse which we all contribute to every month based on your earnings and income.
“The federal will now be in a position to assist every state. When the need arises, a substantial part of the money we have goes to federal.
“We can’t micro-manage Nigeria because it is massive; the same thing with the police. Let us have the state and federal police whereby each will take care of its own.
“This nation is growing but we are still sitting as if we are back in 1914. It has not worked, is not working and it can never work out this way.
“The only thing constant in life is change, let us revisit the structure and then amend accordingly so that everybody will have a sense of belonging.
“There is nothing wrong with restructuring.”