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As Nigeria celebrates her 51st Independence Anniversary, the Obong of Calabar ,His Eminence, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu (V), has called for the immediate convening of a national conference to discuss the Nigerian project.?
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“ There is need for a National Conference in this country where people will seat together to discuss this country and the way forward,” he said.?
The monarch also decried the deterioration of infrastructure in the country even as he expressed ?regret that, at 51, Nigeria ought to be a country that has everything ?a modern nation should have.?
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?“At 51, so much pain has been inflicted on the common man. ?People-oriented policies and programmes are not been pursued. ?A typical civil servant in the country cannot afford to build a house. A situation where cottage industries cannot function effectively because there is no power is regrettable. ?
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“Only the elite are in a position to buy land and immediately build mansions and hotels. So many things have gone wrong in this country.?
The Obong who was speaking with our correspondent ?to mark the Nigeria 51st Independence celebration condemned the present administrative structure in the country where too much power was given to the centre, living the state and local government to suffer.?
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This kind of administrative structure, he said, has contributed to the non- development of the country down to the grassroots.?
Obong Abasi Otu declared, “we should, as a matter of urgency, if we must make progress, go back to the regional administration, where those that matter especially at the grass root would have a say in governance.
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?“Everything in this country is deteriorating. ?Our administrative structure is bad. ?There is so much power at the centre. The revenue allocation formula should be changed. Generally, we are not progressing either.”