A former speaker of the Oyo state house of assembly, Dr. Akin Onigbinde has advised the state government against reported plans to give lands to the federal government for establishing cattle ranches in the state.
Onigbinde, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, while featuring on a radio programme in Ibadan said no such decision should be taken without due consultation with the state legislatures who would look at the issues holistically and decide on behalf of the people on whether it is right or wrong to provide land for cattle ranches for herdsmen in the state.
According to him, the issue of domesticating ranches in some parts of the country is one of the reasons why many Nigerians have been calling for restructuring of the country.
He pointed out that when the country is restructured, each state will be able to develop at its own pace and the issue of security is which currently being poorly handled from the federal capital territory would be better handled and amicably resolved.
Onigbinde said, “I think it is important to warn the Oyo state government over the report that they want to allow the federal government program to create ranching in certain parts of the country.
“This is a decision that is so important that the state house of Assembly must be included because they are the people that represents the state and must have a say on whatever becomes of our lands in the state.
“When you have a restructured Nigerian, each of the federating unit will take its destiny in its hand. For instance, Oyo state as a federating unit will be able to take it destiny in it hands especially where the issues of security is concerned.
“Nobody from Abuja, even the Inspector General of Police can understand this environment like the people living here, that is why a certain area in the state most especially communities, set up vigilante groups by itself”.
The Alliance for Democracy party chieftain further explained that the thinking that throwing money at every problem in Nigeria will stop it, would rather lead to complications in the country. He called for fresh innovation to be adopted if major challenges in the country must end.
He said government at all levels must think through problems to find agreeable and workable solutions instead of throwing scarce financial resources round, all in the name of seeking solutions to problems.
While speaking on the issues of suspected herdsmen killing innocent people in some state of the federation, the legal luminary said the state governors are helpless because the country is living on lies, pointing out that, state governors who are chief security officer of the state have no authority over the states commissioners who report to the IGP in the federal capital territory.
He added that the contradictions in the system does not allow Governors to have their security apparatus, noting that calling them the chief security officer and leaving the powers in Abuja is not the best.
He added that giving powers to the governors to secure their state is the right thing to do as they may use it well in the interest of the state but that such powers must be controlled constitutionally.
“The governors have no control over the inspector general of police. We must have a system that allows the state governor to have his own security apparatus. You call him the chief security officer of the state and you leave the powers in the hands of a third party in Abuja.
“There is no power without control, you cannot start to anticipate, suppose you give them the power and they use it well, it will be for the benefit of everybody, because we fear they may misuse it. Power tends to corrupt, that is true but there are checks and balances which helps to ensure that no one misuse power”, he stated.
Speaking on the recently signed budget, the Ogbomosho born senior advocate condemned the national assembly for amending the 2018 budget, which he said is not the responsibility of the legislative arm of government but commended the president for signing promptly in the interest of the country.
