Emir of Ningi seeks Nigeria’s return to parliamentary system

As the clamouring for State Police rages on, Nigerians have been called to rather agitate for a return to parliamentary system of governance in the country and jettison the issue of State Police.

The assertion was made by the Emir of Ningi in Bauchi, Alhaji Yunusa Muhammadu Dan Yaya who declared his opposition to the creation of State Police in the country.

The averred traditional ruler however declared his support for the initiative by some Nigerians advocating for Nigeria’s return to a parliamentary system of government.

Yunusa Danyaya who is one of the longest-serving Emirs in the Northern region, expressed his personal views in his palace, in Ningi while answering questions from Journalists who visited him over the weekend.

Alhaji Yunusa Danyaya said, “During the reign of late Military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, when he organised the National Constitutional Conference which I was a member, we opposed the Presidential system of government because it is not our own system of government since system of government is based on people’s culture and people’s behavior, tradition and ways of living.”

The Emir added, “Take for example, England, they don’t have a written Constitution but the things that happen everyday, people’s behaviours and cultures are being observed, then they use it in the courts and other executive councils.”

According to him, “The presidential system is not compatible with our culture, it is not compatible with our values, it is not compatible with our life. Where is democracy, it means democracy in general, which was brought by Europeans, government of the people by the people, and for the people , but now this is said to be different.”

“But in the case of the parliamentary system of Government, the Prime Minister is in the Parliament, the Governor is in the Parliament, everyone is in the parliament, they work together, and you will not be elected unless you are elected in your village. And your party win the election, It is not expensive as the Presidential system,” he added.

He explained, “When the issue was brought up during the conference, some people opposed it because they enjoyed the luxuries in the Presidential system, some and some members stood to our ground and defended the parliamentary system, they didn’t win, we didn’t win.”

The Emir added, “But when we brought up the the Prime Minister’s system of government, we said that we should take it and change it, and we decided to use all we should to take the rule of France, we should do something, in the rule of America, and we should do something in England, and we should join then together, so we did it and it was good. Before General Abacha died, he did not sign the document.”

Yunusa Danyaya added, “Those who brought us the Presidential system as an absolute leader, did it with good intentions, but they forgot Nigeria’s tradition and culture, and they have forgotten the Nigerian faith and the life of Nigerians, they do not consider it, they consider that this government is the one that will unite Nigeria.”

According to him, “This has brought us to where we are, Their view is that this government is going to unite Nigeria, so why is it that what is more powerful than ours has cost us and there is no freedom in it at all. Today in the world, there are not many countries that are doing this kind of government, except for a few countries, and even if there is a reform, I would like to say that if to are practicing parliamentary system of government since after the independence our strength, achievement, development and growth will be more than where we are today.”

He said; “I always support the parliamentary system because the American presidential system is by and large a political dictatorship in a different form. Presidential system was brought, no one’s opinion was asked, they just imposed it on people, it’s not democratic because the powers of all people lie with the Executive.”

“But in the Parliamentary System of Government, we know this system of government with the Prime minister and all are in the Parliament. It respects citizens’ rights, and its less costly, every zone will have a Vice President. When I was in the constitutional conference and I did not sit idle in the conference. I served in many committees, I supported it, in my opinion, I don’t like this government of a leader with full power, that is the presidential system, I don’t like it.”

Yunusa Danyaya also said; “About the creation of State Police that is now gaining momentum, I do not like this system of allowing each state to have their own police.”

According to him, “I have many facts that is why I think, giving the Police to states is not appropriate, the point of the question you are asking first is why the Nigerian Police that we have for years and years more than 100 years we have the Nigeria Police, why do you want to do it now in states?

“The answer is that, there is negligence or lack of Political will on the part of the Federal government to address the demands and needs of the Police. If the Federal Government takes care of them very well , you will not hear such agitation,” he stressed.

He said, “Therefore, if the successive federal government failed to address the issue and take care of the Nigeria Police, how will the states do it? They can’t, I think the truth of the matter is that, if we are not focused, there may be a problem, because if states recruit these Policemen and they will be given weapons and if they are given weapons may be they won’t get a salary ,they wont get incentives, welfare and other renumerations overtime, may be they may not get so many things like providing good working facilities, needed working tools, welfare and other things that are needed, I think the state governments can’t provide all their needs since the federal government too can’t do it.”

The traditional ruler added that, “I remember since we were a provincial government (native authority), when we had the law enforcement and the police, they gave them everything they needed, cars, houses, and utilities. When they died, they took them to their hometowns and so on.”

He added, “And at the time, everyone saw their greatness, gave them respect, but now I see the situation is different as I said, it is being said by many people that the Nigerian Police and the Army people do not see their greatness as before, and they don’t give them respect as before, that is why there is a lot of trouble.”

“Let the state governments have police, look at the power given to state Governors even now that the Police are not in their hands, how is it in some states, and you cant rule out fears that some governors would hijack the Police and abuse it inappropriately,” he concluded.

The Emir was a one-time, Member National Council of States (comprising a seating President, Vice President, National Assembly Leaders, all former Presidents, State, Governors, and Chief Justices of Nigeria) representing the then Bauchi State (now Bauchi & Gombe) Council of Emirs (1979 – 1983), Member National Constitutional Conference representing North-East Traditional Rulers (1994 – 1995) Member Traditional Rulers Sub – Committee on Vision 2010 Committee (1996 – 1997).