Professor Bolaji Akinyemi kicked against plan to return Nigeria to a parliamentary system

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, kicked against any plan to return the country to a parliamentary system of government.

Akinyemi said the claims that Nigeria’s presidential system was prohibitively expensive were untrue. He said it was those voted into power that made the presidential system costly.

He said having federalism in Nigeria was not something to be afraid of or apologetic about, adding that it is sheer laziness for Nigeria to be talking about copying what is done in America when it may not suit the country.

However, Akinyemi said if the salaries and allowances of the executive and National Assembly were cut by one third, it would be clear to all that the presidential system was not as expensive as politicians had made it.

He stated that the state governments were financially stifling and undermining local government authorities in clear contravention of democratic principles of governance.