State creation not solution to Nigeria’s woes, says Fashola

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has said state creation will not solve Nigeria’s problems.

He described as dangerous the recommendation by the National Conference that more states be created.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch, Fashola, who was represented by the Attorney-General and Justice Commissioner, Mr Ade Ipaye, said the creation of more states would do more harm than good, since it would lead to the increase in administrative cost of government.

“Creating more states will further emphasise Nigeria’s diversity and fragment the country. The more states we have, the weaker the federation because we would have a central government that is too strong.

“When you fragment the states, a lot of resources would go into administration. You would have governors, commissioners, ministries, all of which positions are currently being run by executives of the states from which these new states would be crafted.

“I think we have learnt a lesson from the past that there is no end to state creation. Every time you create a new state, a new group within the new state would start agitating for their own state.

“Remember that the Nigerian Constitution provides for states to create local governments, so if the argument is to bring governance closer to the people, we should then look at the possibility of creating local governments where necessary.

“Creating more states would do more harm than good because a lot of states are barely surviving. Some do not have internally generated revenue (IGR) to rely upon and rely solely on the federation account. So, if you fragment them with no clear point for their survival, we may be doing something quite dangerous,” he said

In his keynote address titled: “Lagos-melting pot or no man’s land?-setting the example for Nigerian unity”, the governor said that diversity was not responsible for the nation’s woes, adding: “Our diversity is not new, it has always been there and the colonial governments and the early indigenous governments functioned well.

“Diversity in Lagos is amazing. With an estimated population of about 20 million from all over the country, the continent and the world, and six percent national population growth rate, Lagos has the lowest incidence of issues of ethnic tensions, conflicts.

“Lagos belongs to everybody; it is not a no man’s land nor a melting point but a blend of the two. Lagos’ diversity has yielded up to 60 per cent of corporate organisation having their head offices here. We have built this key economy together and we cannot afford anything that would upset it,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Access Bank, Gbenga Oyebode, said it was obvious that the limit of federalism was being pushed, adding that it was time the country took a second look and focused on important things, adding “the National Conference lacks enabling legislation”.

The NBA Lagos Chairman, Alex Muoka, said it was as though Nigerians have agreed the solution to the nation’s problems lie in continuously emphasizing its diversity-a constant breaking down into smaller units, with the obvious attendant gross duplication of the apparatus of government.

He stated that Lagos should be emulated as a model in achieving peace and unity amid diversity, since it has remained unbroken for over a century despite all odds.