Gemade, Akinyemi disagree on zoning system

A founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party and member of the Senate, Barnabas Gemade, and a former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, on Wednesday, disagreed on zoning system, which the latter said was fuelling political tension among different ethnic groups that make up the country.

Gemade and Akinyemi spoke at the first Distinguished Annual Lecture Series in Honour of Engr. Ette Etteh. The lecture was inaugurated by the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers to honour Etteh, the principal partner of Etteh Aro and Partners, who turned 80 years on Wednesday.

The senator said zoning was necessary to given a sense of belonging to minority groups. He said the major ethnic groups would continue to dominate the political system if there was no zoning; hence it was introduced in 1999 by the Peoples Democratic Party.

But Akinyemi, who was the guest speaker, said zoning of political offices had never produced the desired results for the country.  He said zoning was only used by politicians to serve their selfish interests and that it did not reduce the tension in the political system.

The former minister also frowned at multi-party system, saying a two-party model would offer more stability. He said he remained “an undiluted and unrepentant” supporter of a two-party system, a reason he only “practised politics” when Nigeria operated the model.

He said, “Should Nigeria have the free for all political system which we operate? During the first republic, we had three major political parties, with each belong to the three regions. All the other groups were just ancillary parties.

“During the second republic, the pattern was repeated… The putative third republic was the only exception. The military decreed a two party system. There was no northern party, no eastern party and no western party. All of us had to find a room in one party or the other rather than to keep up ethnic party.”  

The professor also called on Nigeria to find a way to express their ethnic identities without undermining other ethnic groups and national unity. He described as false the argument that the creation of Nigeria was artificial, saying diverse ethnic nationalities were cohabiting peacefully before the exercise.

According to him, the country can live as a single entity as it did in the 1960s and 1970s if other multi-ethnic countries like the United Kingdom, France and Austria have been able live above ethnic rivalry.

Etteh who is created for the design of the Tafawa Balewa Square and several other national monuments called on the Federal Government to use the services of local experts in executing public projects. He said no nation developed by relying on foreigners.