President is operating an illegal constitution - Mike Ozekhome

Ozekhome also called on President Buhari to implement the recommendations of the 2014 national conference organised by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said this in Abuja on Wednesday, June 8, 2016, while speaking to members of the South-South Pen Pusher.

The lawyer also said the constitution was handed over to Nigerians by the military ruling council, led by Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar.

Leadership reports that Ozekhome said “I believe that Nigeria is an ongoing project. It is like clay waiting to be moulded into a good shape. I believe in true fiscal federalism. Regions should be allowed to develop according to their pace and culture, rather than the current system we are operating.”

“In these days, nobody looked forward to the centre to survive. Every state in Nigeria has something to bring to the table. It is injustice for the Federal Government to insist that all mineral resources belong to it.

“The way out is to go back to true fiscal federalism. It is either we merge all the states together into regional blocs or make them truly independent. It will be such that what each state produces, 70 per cent will be given back to them. The structure we are operating is not working.

“I am appealing to Buhari to drop the mindset where he said he has not even looked at the content of the National Conference. He is looking at the convener instead of the message. He should not throw away the baby and the bad water.”

The 2014 National Conference was inaugurated by former President Goodluck Jonathan on March 17, 2014 in Abuja. It had 482 members in attendance.