By Princewill Ekwujuru

Ahead of his 75th birthday lecture, Rt. Rev. Monsigneur John Aniagwu, Vicar General, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos and Parish Priest, St Leo’s Catholic Church, Ikeja, has added his voice to the calls for the restructuring of Nigeria, and devolution of powers to the regions, to give room for competitive economic advantage.

Aniagwu, who faulted the current Constitution, says it is not good for today’s Nigeria, insisting that restructuring and devolution of power is the only viable way for nation’s development and stable polity.

He said: “The current Constitution was made for the elite and not for ordinary Nigerians. It is a Constitution that made the political class the masters and others as servants. That is where we should start. It is a Constitution that vests too much power at the center and renders the states beggars; they call it restructuring, I am all for it.

“In the past when powers were vested in the regions, the regions did many things for themselves, there was healthy competition. That was before the military intruded and took power. The way things are now, only a very few states in Nigeria are viable. Most of them survive on subvention from Abuja, making them to look like beggars”.

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Aniagwu, who clocks 75 on March 15, has program lined up by the committee of friends to honour him.

There will be a public lecture on March 14 titled, ‘TunkEt Nus” (What was and what is now in Nigeria?), to be delivered by Rev. Father Anthony Akinwale, the Vice Chancellor of St. Dominic University.

Explaining the choice of the topic, Monseignor John, the Chancellor of Augustine Catholic University, said Nigeria was much more livable in the past.

Eugene Ossai, the Chairman of the Public Lecture, said the Committee of Friends of Aniagwu decided to come together to mark his birthday with a public lecture.

Mr. Sule Ozenua, Chairman of the committee, said the celebrant’s first love is the welfare of the people.