By VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

LAGOS-UMBRELLA organisation for employers in the country, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, has called for a comprehensive political reform that focuses on devolution of power, resource control and fiscal federalism to move the nation forward.

NECA’s Director-General, Mr. Segun Osinowo, at a briefing in Lagos, said whatever economic policies the country was thinking of, she would not be able to realise their full potentials because of some laws that were anti-development.

Reviewing Nigeria at 51, the NECA Director- General said: “The cost of doing business in Nigeria, you will agree with me, is a big challenge to employers, but if there is anything we desire for this country at 51, it is the need for us to realise the imperative for a political reform.

”We are not talking about economic reform now, until we address the basic issue of our political reform that focuses on devolution of power, resource control and fiscal federalism, whatever economic policies we are thinking of, we will not be able to realise their full potentials because quite a number of our laws that are anti-development have reduced our capacity for effective administration.

”For example, recently, the Federal Government came up with the pronouncement on the issue of number-plates. The question now is, what has the Federal Government got to do with the issue of number- plates? But the constitution has allowed it. We have to do away with that policy. If you go to the United States, each state handles the issue of number-plates and there are more effective in terms of delivery.

“Our position is that each state should be allowed to issue number plates and that is just one of those policies that need to be reviewed. There are so many policies that government need to do away with. We need to thinker with that policy that gives so much power to the Federal Government. Federal Government has no business with that. They can develop the national framework but not for them to handle the administration aspect of it.

“Our message to Nigeria at 51 is that Federal Government should realise that political reform is as important as economic reform and that we cannot place emphasis on economic reform while ignoring the basic issues of political reform. So let us put the issue of political reform on the front burner and tackle it as quickly as possible.”

He added, “We need a political reform that will reduce the resources that are concentrated at the centre. The moment you do that and create an economy where if you don’t work you will not eat, then it will be very difficult for lawmakers to appropriate to themselves a larger share of the cake that must have been baked either at the national level or state level. Take Lagos State as an example, over 75 percent of the state revenue comes from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). If the private sector in Lagos should grind to a halt today, that will be the end of governance in the state.

“The amount that the state governor will get from the federation account will be inadequate for him to continue to be a performing governor. In which case, the survival of the state government is tied to the survival of businesses in Lagos state. Or for the state government to continue to have access to the taxation of these people, they must invest in their environment to keep those businesses running.”