A former governor of Rivers State has called for sweeping constitutional reforms in Nigeria, warning that the centralised system of governance inherited from military rule is ill-suited for democracy.
Celestine Omehia, speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at the unveiling of his forthcoming book Restructuring Nigeria: The Way Forward, argued that power and resources must be devolved to states and regions if the country is to achieve lasting development. The book is due for public launch on 24 September.
“Communities are best placed to identify their own needs,” Omehia said, citing road construction in Port Harcourt as an example of projects that should be locally determined rather than federally imposed.
He insisted that constitutional restructuring should come through an inclusive national conference, rather than limited amendments by parliament. He recalled the 2014 conference under President Goodluck Jonathan as a missed opportunity, noting that its recommendations were never acted upon.
Omehia said his book was intended to stimulate dialogue about Nigeria’s future, adding that decentralisation could lead to “a more equitable and effective system of government.”
His intervention comes amid renewed debate over restructuring in Africa’s largest democracy, where calls for devolution have grown louder in the face of economic pressures, insecurity, and uneven development across states.
