Governor of Sokoto state and 2019 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has vowed to split the offices of the Accountant-General and Attorney-General of the Federation, when elected president.
He explained that this will lead to transparency, professionalism, fiscal discipline and loyalty to the nation in the conduct of government business
Tambuwal, disclosed this in Markudi, Benue state, while on a courtesy visit to Governor Samuel Ortom, Saturday, also promised that his government will facilitate a robust process that would lead to the restructuring of key areas of the Nigerian State and its political economy.
A statement on Sunday by Tambuwal’s Media & Publicity team and signed by Dr. Okey Ikechukwu, quoted the Sokoto governor as saying, “for there to be transparency, fiscal discipline and professionalism, the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation must be separated from that of the accountant general of the federal government. This, we have to do, as one of the first key exercises of my government, if I receive the mandate to be president of this great nation. A good nation desirous of making progress should have an accountant-general for the federation different from the accountant general of the federal government.
“The accountant general of the federation should be a pure professional, whose loyalty must be to the federation, not the federal government alone. In the same manner, the Attorney-General mustn’t necessarily be the minister of justice, and mustn’t be a card-carrying member of any political party. The idea, for instance, of making a card carrying member of a political party an Attorney-General of the federation already compromises that office. Attorney general ought not to be and agent of the government in power, rather the office should at all times serve the interest of the nation and the totality of the citizenry,” he said.
To achieve a restructuring of these two critical offices of the federation, the former Speaker, House of Representatives, promised that his administration, “shall initiate an amendment of the requirement of the Constitution that says that every minister appointed by the federal government must be a card carrying member of a party in order to correct this .This is to ensure that the attorney general to be appointed is a core professional that will work for the entire nation and deliver to the best of his ability, without prejudice,” he said.
Governor Tambuwal also proposed the restructuring of the power sector, by empowering states through effective legislation that can creatively generate their own electricity power.
“When I talk of restructuring, it doesn’t necessarily mean physical restructuring of our land mass. I mean, instead, fiscal restructuring and the making of fundamental changes in other areas, aimed at devolving more powers to the states and make them more effective in actualizing the aspirations of the citizenry.
“For instance, there is no reason why states should not facilitate power investments within their territories. To enable them do this, we shall move power generation, transmission and distribution from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative lists.”
Tambuwal argued that “the energy needs of Benue, and many other states, will also be tapped into and harnessed. If, for instance, a state can generate power by harnessing its mineral deposits of hydro, coal and sunlight, they may, thereby, generate say 25 megawatts from each of the above; totaling 75 megawatts in all. This approach will ensure that the people’s energy needs are comprehensively addressed.”
He accused the federal government of paying lip service to the issue of minimum wage, pointing out that when government proposes an increase in the national minimum wage it should also send a corresponding bill to the National Assembly for a review of the federal allocation that would ensure that the states can bear the cost of the increased wage bill.
The presidential aspirant assured that when he eventually wins the ticket of the PDP and wins the presidential election, come February 2019, “Nigerians will have a leader that will make them proud in the comity of nations, a leader that has the credential of togetherness, visionary leadership, bridge-building and a leader that will not take decisions shrouded in ethnic and religious biases.
“From my experience and exposure and broad world view, and having visited and interacted with people in all the 360 federal constituencies, as Speaker, I have full understanding of the complexity of Nigeria’s unique diversity. And I know that our strength is in this our diversity. That is why we need a leader with the ability, understanding and willingness to unify this great nation and bring her to the path of peace and progress. Nigeria has never been this polarized along ethnic and religious lines and the time to end this polarization is now. This country belongs to all of us and everyone has the right to live and prosper in any part of the country without fear. We must say no to clannishness and reclaim our collective dignity once again.” Tambuwal said.