Chuks Okocha in Abuja
A former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has called for the devolution of power as a lasting solution to Nigeria’s governance challenges, arguing that excessive concentration of authority at the centre has contributed to many of the country’s persistent problems.
Mimiko made the call while speaking on the topic, “The Government and Politics Mountain,” during the Pastors’ Seed Event at the 74th Annual Convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), themed “Mountain Movers.”
Drawing lessons from the Bible, the former governor highlighted what he described as the “Jethro Principle,” referencing the advice given to Moses by his father-in-law, Jethro, to delegate responsibilities to capable leaders in order to ensure effective administration.
According to him, governance works best when authority and resources are devolved to lower levels of government, allowing local leaders to address local challenges while the federal government focuses on national issues.
“The Jethro Principle teaches that effective governance must be based on merit, competence and capacity. Power and responsibility should be moved closer to the people so that local problems can be solved locally,” he said.
Mimiko noted that a highly centralised system is ill-suited for a diverse country like Nigeria, stressing that true federalism required empowering sub-national governments to make decisions that directly affect their communities.
He acknowledged ongoing efforts by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to decentralise areas such as policing, resource management and decision-making but maintained that broader structural reforms are needed to address systemic governance failures.
The former Minister of Housing and Urban Development further argued that centralisation has fuelled challenges including insecurity, corruption, poverty, poor leadership and ethnic tensions.
“Centralised government cannot effectively manage a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious nation like Nigeria. Leaders closest to the people should be empowered to solve the problems closest to the people,” he stated.