As our National Assembly appears keen to go back to the past and re-invent Nigeria, sometimes returning to the drawing board, maybe they should consider doing these 10 things too

[1] Pass a bill to bring back the 1958 Lancaster House Agreement under which the federating units will control all the resources within their domain, remitting 50% to the centre

[2] Pass a bill compelling our states to meet their own running cost at the very minimum. In 1959 for instance, the Balewa government passed a federal budget of £50m but the Awolowo government in the old Western Region passed a budget of £55m

[3] Pass a bill compelling the federal government to match the feats of the Gowon administration that achieved 25% annual GDP growth between 1967 and 1971

[4] In 1960, our exclusive list had just four items on it. They were defence, foreign affairs, ports and railways. We need a new slimmed down exclusive list with no more than 10 items on it

[5] Pass a bill abolishing the national grid, compelling all states to generate, distribute and transmit their own power

[6] Pass a bill making it clear that in a federation, the centre owes its existence to the federating units and not the other way round

[7] Pass a bill establishing regional security structures that will give birth to local police forces. However, this needs to be backed up with robust laws that prevent abuse and stop governors from using them as private armies

[8] During the First Republic, every federating unit opened a university. A bill should be passed compellingly every state to own at least two universities, five polytechnics and 12 technical colleges in response to our current educational challenges

[9] Back in the First Republic, remuneration packages for politicians were modest. What we now need is a bill tying the remuneration packages of governors, ministers, legislators, commissioners, etc, to those of grades within the federal civil service

[10] Do you know that Yakubu Gowon once prevented his finance minister Shehu Shagari from presenting a budget proposal on behalf of his communications minister Murtala Mohammed who was away on hajj, saying it represented a conflict of interest. He told Shagari that he cannot present a proposal and then determine the validity of that same proposal. We need the National Assembly to pass a Nigerian Conflict of Interest Bill 2024