Atiku: Buhari, Osinbajo have different views on restructuring

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says President Muhammadu Buhari and his deputy Yemi Osinbajo have lopsided views on restructuring.

Abubakar said this in a tweet on Wednesday while reacting to Vice-President Osinbajo’s view on state police.

“The president and his vice-president have asymmetrical views on restructuring. Thus, explains the lack of forthrightness on the matter by this government. This is a failed promise that I intend on redeeming,” Abubakar tweeted.

The President & his VP have asymmetrical views on restructuring. Thus, explains the lack of forthrightness on the matter by this government. This is a failed promise that I intend on redeeming. https://t.co/En62aWoDZY

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— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) September 5, 2018

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant and the vice-president are locked in an exchange on the issue of restructuring.

Osinbajo on Tuesday said he was in support of the creation of state police.

“I have argued in favour of state police, for the simple reason that policing is a local function. You simply cannot effectively police Nigeria from Abuja,” the vice-president said in response to Abubakar.

But President Muhammadu Buhari holds a contrary view on the issue of state police.

In May, Buhari said many states could not pay salaries of workers and it would not be “proper” to train and arm people without paying them.

“We must carefully look at the position of the nation’s constitution on the issue of state police before we take final decision on the matter if the constitution allows state police, so be it,” he had said.

“But don’t forget that many times the federal government gave out what we referred to as bail out to state governments for payment of workers’ salaries. How many states can pay salary promptly? And you want to add more financial burden to the states?

“It is not proper to employ a person, train him on how to handle weapons and then refuse to pay him – you can imagine what would happen in such situation. We will put in place more measures to check insecurity in the country including increasing the number of policemen and train them.”