Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has described Nigeria’s presidential system, which vests too much powers and revenues in the centre as a major setback to speedy socio-economic development of the country.
  
He likened the nation’s brand of federalism to a man with 36 children, but who overworked a few till they became too weak, noting that the ensuing hard times should be seen as an opportunity to overhaul Nigeria’s production strategy.
  
The governor, however, commended the transfer of railways and power from the exclusive to concurrent list and ongoing discussions and predisposition of the President Bola Tinubu administration towards devolution of more powers to the federating units.
   
Mbah made the submissions in a public lecture entitled “Enugu State, Nigeria: New Political Leadership; Bold Economic Vision – Spotlight on the Health and Education Strategies”, which he delivered at the London School of Economics (LSE).
   
His words: “The choice of a presidential system might have been well-informed, shaped by the inherent benefits of federalism in other countries with populations as vast and diverse as ours. But our presidential federalism has bred a system where revenue is excessively domiciled at the centre rather than in the states – or regions.
   
“Our federal system evokes an imagery akin to someone with 36 children, but who allows just about five to constantly till the family’s farmland until those few eventually become frail from age and unable to farm the land anymore. Is it then surprising that the family has fallen into hard times? Shouldn’t that have been an opportunity for the family to overhaul its production strategy given the opportunities that could be borne out of crises sometimes?
   
“Such hypothetical scenario can only breed dire economic prospects for the family, and should ordinarily push its hard-pressed members to take some swift and critical actions to improve their precarious financial state. The challenge, as we have seen, is finding the will and having the capacity to do so.”
  
Mbah said that while discussion on further devolution continued, leaders at all levels could make a difference by applying political will, people-centered and transcendental leadership.