A former Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Prof. Femi Mimiko, has said it was high time Nigeria returned to the parliamentary system of government, saying the presidential system of government being practiced has only produced mediocre leaders.
Mimiko stated this in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, while reacting to the move by some federal lawmakers to restructure the country’s system of governance.
About 71 members of the House of Representatives sponsored the Bill seeking the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to return Nigeria to the parliamentary system.
Aligning with the argument of the lawmakers across political party lines, Mimiko said the presidential system of government was not only bloated and expensive, it has also been been breeding frivolous leaders.
The professor of Political Science opined that the country had been languishing in poverty and crisis because mediocre leaders have been sailing the ship of the nation saying Nigerians have been subjected to the same mediocre line with their leaders.
Mimiko said parliamentary system provides for rigorous leadership training and does not tolerate wastefulness as it is in the presidential system.
He also added that the parliamentary system of government makes the opposition to be more critical and steadfast.
The former VC stated further, “Nigerians have been suffocating under the centralised system that gives no regard to numerous ethnic groups in the country and that is why we have been wallowing in poverty and crisis. We must therefore dismantle this presidential structure in order to have creative Nigerians that will lead this country.
” I show strong support to the parliamentary system of government because its the beat for the current circumstances that Nigerians are. This model creates rigorous leadership training for the people that will lead us in this country.
“It saddens me that frivolous people become president easily in the presidential system but this will not be so in the parliamentary system. Because we have mediocre leaders, Nigerians have also been reasoning in the same mediocre line. More so, presidential system is more wasteful, bloated and expensive.
” The parliamentary system will usher in quality leadership and quality representations and I believe it will meet the desires of the moment. Its high time we stopped this mediocre rule culture in our country. As soon as we have this presidential system, the attitudes of Nigerians will
change.”
Also speaking, a lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Dr. Musbau Lateef, said though the current presidential system of government had not met the expectations of Nigerians, the trouble with the country was not about the system but
the people.
For the lawyer, sincere purpose of leaders to put things right and live above board would remedy the challenges the nation is battling and not necessarily transiting to parliamentary system.
