‎Former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has reiterated that devolution of power remains a viable solution to the governance challenges facing Nigeria.

‎He called for the urgent adoption of what he called the biblical ‘Jethro Principle’ as a structural solution to the challenges, saying the devolution of authority and resources is key to efficiency and accountability

Mimiko, who also served as a Minister of Housing and Urban Development under former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, spoke on the topic, “The government and politics mountain,”  on Tuesday at the pastor’s seed event of the 74th Annual Convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, themed, ‘Mountain movers.’

‎Drawing from the Bible, he noted that Moses suffered burnout and administrative gridlock when he attempted to govern millions from the centre alone, until his father-in-law, Jethro, advised him to delegate authority to capable leaders over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.

‎He said, “The ‘Jethro principle’ teaches us that effective governance must be built on merit, capacity and capability.

‎”Power and responsibility must be pushed closer to the people, so local issues can be handled locally, while only national matters rise to the centre. That is the template for true federalism.”

‎While acknowledging ongoing efforts of the Tinubu presidency to decentralise policing, resource management and decision-making to sub-national governments to address peculiar community challenges, Mimiko recommended the biblical Jethro model, saying it was “a vital structural tool for dismantling systemic governance failure.”

He noted that excessive concentration of power at the centre had been the root cause of Nigeria’s challenges such as ethnocentrism, corruption, insecurity, poverty and poor leadership.

‎“Centralised government cannot manage a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious nation like Nigeria effectively. We need subsidiarity. Leaders closest to the people must be empowered to solve problems closest to the people, ” he opined.

‎Mimiko urged Nigerian Christians and people of all faiths to actively participate in politics, arguing that government and politics were strategic “spheres of influence” that shaped the nation’s future.

‎He said, “Politics should not be viewed merely as a contest for power, but as the process through which authority is exercised for the common good. Government is the institution that deploys such authority to an organised society.”

‎According to him, Christians have a biblical responsibility to engage governance because government policies directly affect citizens’ welfare in areas of security, education, employment and religious freedom.

‎He urged Nigerians to combine prayer with responsible civic engagement in pursuit of national renewal.