• Balarabe Musa calls for economic restructuring

Tobi Soniyi, Shola Oyeyipo and Segun James with agency report

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum as well as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. John Nwodo, have disagreed with President Muhammadu Buhari’s stance on the restructuring of the country, saying that the only way to go is for the federal government to restructure the federation and devolve powers to the states.

The president had in his New Year broadcast Monday said that the problem with Nigeria was not with its structure but its processes.
Buhari argued that the country had tried many systems of governance in the past and had jettisoned them because they failed.

He explained that if things were done properly, the country would perform better.
However, disagreeing with the president’s stance on the thorny issue, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum insisted that restructuring was the only way to go to save Nigeria from imminent collapse.

In a statement signed by Yinka Odumakin for the South-west, Senator Bassey Henshaw for the South-south, Prof. C. Ogbu for the South-east and Mr. Isuwa Dogo for the Middle Belt, the forum insisted that powers must be devolved to the states.

The group said: “We cannot become a productive country under a 1999 Constitution which keeps 68 items on the Exclusive List including mineral resources which abound all over the country but which the states whose governors are constitutionally vested with authority over land cannot touch.
“We need to give authority to the federating units over their resources for self-sustenance and paying all necessary dues to the federation to sustain common services.

“We must devolve more powers and authorities to them to have effective state administrations.
“The federal police has shown it lacks the capacity to deal with crimes in a multi-ethnic society like ours, the imperative of state police has never been more urgent than now.

“Restructuring means nothing else than the above.
“It is a call for the return to a Nigeria that worked under federalism as against the failing state we are becoming under a unitary structure.

“Nigerians must organise, mobilise and work towards building an inclusive and productive country in 2018 using all democratic and peaceful means.
“It is a year to battle for the soul of the country by the forces of federalism and upholders of a suffocating unitary system.

“May victory be on the side of those who seek the progress of Nigeria.”
Continuing, the forum said the president could not resolve Nigeria’s problems by either running away from it or ascribing it to the wrong source.
“Unfortunately that is what we are doing as a country by playing down our crisis of ‘structure’ while on a wild goose chase about ‘process’.

“This is akin to a man going to Benin City while driving towards Benin Republic. The faster he runs the farther he is away from his destination.
“The truth of the matter is that our nationhood crisis has peaked and there are no further opportunities to guarantee opportunities for our citizens no matter the good intentions of leaders or even unrealistic promises packaged to offer them false hope.

“In 1983, when the Shehu Shagari administration was overthrown, its budget for a country of 80 million people was $25 billion. Thirty-five years after, the Buhari government has just proposed a $23 billion budget for about 180 million people!
“The above clearly shows that there is no way out of our systemic crisis except we resume productivity which was our hallmark in the years that we practiced federalism as an entity.

“We have exhausted all possibilities of a rentier and sharing economy and all that is left is unemployment, hunger, gnashing of teeth and conflicts among nationalities over shrinking opportunities,” the forum added.
It welcomed Nigerians into the New Year after a “gruelling and harrowing 2017 in which our people went through untold hardship as the crisis of our dysfunctional structure took its worst toll”.

According to the forum, it was a hellish time when “suicide” became the “man of the year” as many citizens found life unworthy of living and jumping into rivers or hanging from ceilings became the order of the day.
It noted that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported a loss of four million jobs in 2017 with millions of those employed working without pay for several months.

The forum also stated that many citizens who fled abroad because there was no hope for them at home were subjected to all manner of degrading and inhuman treatment as the horror tales from Libya where Nigerians were auctioned for $400, turned to sex slaves, and subjected to extreme violence, continue to abound.

“On the home front, life is becoming short, nasty and brutish as death and violence are now common place in the hands of AK 47-wielding herdsmen, armed robbers, kidnappers and enraged spouses.
“It is a time when we should be having national introspection to know where the rain began to beat us, how to dry our clothes, and ensure that we are no longer exposed to rainfall.

“Unfortunately, we are not addressing the cause of our affliction and only trying to rationalise our needless failure, passing the buck and running from the solutions to our problem.
“We are in a period where empty platitudes are being offered our people instead of concrete assurances on reasoned prescriptions,” the forum said.

Nwodo, who also spoke with THISDAY on the phone, said that he was yet to read the president’s speech but with Nigerian’s main source of income from crude oil threatened, government must unleash Nigeria’s potential by devolving powers to the states.

He warned that the world’s demand for oil was receding and that it might even further decline substantially in the next seven years, with implications as the main stay of the nation’s economy.
“Unless we begin to develop alternative sources of revenue our country will cease to exist. The only way to avoid this is to release our potential by devolution of powers.
“Until the government is nearer to the people and the people take their destiny into their hands the country cannot progress.

“We never agreed to be a country where the federal government will be a united policeman for the whole country. We are not running a federation, we are running a unitary government and we cannot escape this,” Nwodo said.
Meanwhile, a former governor of Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa, in his reaction to the president’s stance on restructuring, called for the country’s economic restructuring to ensure the delivery of good governance.

Musa made the call in a phone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Monday.
The former Kaduna governor said the problem with Nigeria has always been leadership rather than its structures, explaining that the regional system failed because leaders were pursuing a secessionist agenda.
Although he aligned with the president’s position that the process of governance needs to be improved upon, he faulted the economic system being operated currently.

Musa said the economy was in the hands of the private sector, hence the impoverishment of the masses, and suggested the restructuring of the economy to ensure that the government plays a greater role.
“The economy should be restructured. What we are operating now in which the economy is in private hands cannot help us.

“We should restructure the economy so that government can play a greater role for sustainable development,” he said.
The former governor agreed that saboteurs were behind the current fuel crisis and urged the government to address the situation.

He also called on Buhari to form a government of national unity in the New Year for all-inclusiveness, adding that Nigeria would be better off in 2018 if people subordinated personal interests to the public interest.

In his reaction, the publicity secretary of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Lagos State, Shakirudeen Olofin, commended the president for restating the government’s commitment to the fight against corruption.

He, however, advised that the president should ensure that all pending corruption cases are speedily resolved to serve as a deterrent to others.
Olofin urged Buhari to be decisive in dealing with the fuel crisis, especially persons suspected to be responsible for the situation.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/01/02/southern-middle-belt-leaders-disagree-with-buhari-insist-on-restructuring/

It have reach to the stage where ethnicity is overthrown by realities of time.
If SS SE SW and MB will come together with one voice and heart without any intent for sale out then let us celebrate a new dawn.

They know what to do if they are serious. Imagine how useless the North will be if SS, SE, SW and MB can genuinely come together, speak with one voice and act with one purpose.
No president from North will boldly say nonsense.

Too late to say shiii

2019 his gonna be bundle out of office.

fiizznation:
Nonsense. Nobody have time to waste on one bogusity. If you want restructuring, elect your next president that will waste time on bogus restructuring. I believe 2019 is just 354 days away.

Nuff'said

Who minds political job men? Except pigs and idiots, whose mission is to create choas.

All I see there is raking that would end with press releases! Get an audience with the presido and drum some of these ideas into his skull and hear his own plan since it's obvious the chaps surrounding him are comedians!

we from the south west say NO to restructuring as long as it makes our master buhari happy
Again we say NO. This country must remain like this. any attempt to speak for change is an act of terrorism

onye gba oso?
.................... .

usba:


Mynd44 lalasticala ishilove oma4j

mynd44 indeed
so u don't like that word "pig" and every day u use it on others. anyway I didn't call u a piglet. I just used ur own medicine on u.
I challenge the mods to show me the difference between the comment I mentioned and the comment I posted. I will continue this till the word "pig" is stopped being used for IGBOS

usba:


Mynd44 lalasticala ishilove oma4j

Why calling on MODs, you first addressed some people as pig's and he continued from where you discontinued your good work?




Why disturbing the moderator's??

Northern central, including Kaduna?

Somebody should help buhari vegetable understand the connection between system and structure in hausa. Obviously the illiterate doesn't even know what structure is, talk more of restructuring.

Musa said the economy was in the hands of the private sector, hence the impoverishment of the masses, and suggested the restructuring of the economy to ensure that the government plays a greater role.
“The economy should be restructured. What we are operating now in which the economy is in private hands cannot help us.

“We should restructure the economy so that government can play a greater role for sustainable development,” he said.
The former governor agreed that saboteurs were behind the current fuel crisis and urged the government to address the situation.

Just look at the rubbish balerebe musa is spewing When economic experts are calling for more private participation in the economy, this one is calling for Govt control economy. Obviously these people do not learn from history. How many countries with govt controlled economies are among the first 20 economic powers? Does Venezuelan economic crisis rings a bell? How about USSR? This is one of the major reasons why one Nigeria will never work!
Northern economic ideology is just like that of North Korea where govt is the sole driver of the economy. These people don't believe in private driven economy. To them, govt led economy is the perfect system that will pull Nigeria out of underdevelopment. And you wonder why Nigerian airways is comatose. Was it not govt control that destroyed defunct Nigeria airways? Only an uninformed person believe that govt driven economy is the answer. Even China's economic development, a country still practising communism is driven by the private sector. If China stucked to their 1940s economic system where the economy was in govt control, they will never be what they are today. It was China's deliberate policy of privatization to give room for private led economy in 1970 that made it possible for China to leapfrog the economy of Japan today.
Somebody should remind musa that America, Japan, Germany, South Korea, to mention a few never became economic giants by accident. They became world economic powers via private sector driven economy.

Divide this country and let everybody go his way. One Nigeria is a mirage!

The zoo republic with animals everywhere

This is how they are running away from the zoo into slavery in Libya and auctioned for $400

A disgrace to the whole world

And the baboons keep shouting one zoo

The living place of the devil

life tire them, just waiting for the day, I will leave this country for China,




------------------
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Buhari doesn't understand what restructuring is...

.

BeeBeeOoh:
• Balarabe Musa calls for economic restructuring

Tobi Soniyi, Shola Oyeyipo and Segun James with agency report



http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/01/02/southern-middle-belt-leaders-disagree-with-buhari-insist-on-restructuring/

second time similar story they make frontpage

Mod, this nonsense must stop

This is 2018

Saaruman:
Just look at the rubbish balerebe musa is spewing When economic experts are calling for more private participation in the economy, this one is calling for Govt control economy. Obviously these people do not learn from history. How many countries with govt controlled economies are among the first 20 economic powers? Does Venezuelan economic crisis rings a bell? How about USSR? This is one of the major reasons why one Nigeria will never work!
Northern economic ideology is just like that of North Korea where govt is the sole driver of the economy. These people don't believe in private driven economy. To them, govt led economy is the perfect system that will pull Nigeria out of underdevelopment. And you wonder why Nigerian airways is comatose. Was it not govt control that destroyed defunct Nigeria airways? Only an uninformed person believe that govt driven economy is the answer. Even China's economic development, a country still practising communism is driven by the private sector. If China stucked to their 1940s economic system where the economy was in govt control, they will never be what they are today. It was China's deliberate policy of privatization to give room for private led economy in 1970 that made it possible for China to leapfrog the economy of Japan today.
Somebody should remind musa that America, Japan, Germany, South Korea, to mention a few never became economic giants by accident. They became world economic powers via private sector driven economy.

Divide this country and let everybody go his way. One Nigeria is a mirage!

AWESOME COMMENT! I don't blame Buhari. Blame the Yorubas leadership who are enabling him. Blame Tinubu, Osibanjo, Fashola who shouted true federalism, resource control and state police when they were in opposition but have gotten power, rather than impose this solutions on Buhari and his cabals or abandon the administration are contented with crumbs of political appointment which will only last but for a season.

What a myopic use of political power!

T

BeeBeeOoh:
• Balarabe Musa calls for economic restructuring

Tobi Soniyi, Shola Oyeyipo and Segun James with agency report



http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/01/02/southern-middle-belt-leaders-disagree-with-buhari-insist-on-restructuring/

If these Southern and Middle Belt leaders are serious about restructuring, they should unite, form a coalition to vote out Buhari in 2019, instead of these noises. We are sick and tired of their noises, only for some of them to surreptitiously vote back Buhari, come 2019.

#copied

nnachukz:
They know what to do if they are serious. Imagine how useless the North will be if SS, SE, SW and MB can genuinely come together, speak with one voice and act with one purpose.
No president from North will boldly say nonsense.

It can only happen in the fairytale

"In 1983, when the Shehu Shagari administration was overthrown, its budget for a country of 80 million people was $25 billion. Thirty-five years after, the Buhari government has just proposed a $23 billion budget for about 180 million people!...."


Wow!
Nigeria is really in a mess.

usba:


Who minds political job men? Except pigs and idiots, whose mission is to create choas.

LionDeLeo

zionmade1:
we from the south west say NO to restructuring as long as it makes our master buhari happy
Again we say NO. This country must remain like this. any attempt to speak for change is an act of terrorism

onye gba oso?
.................... .

You are part of the problem of the South or are you a saboteur or robot planted to always sow the seed of discord among the southerners? If yes, you have failed. Whatchout for this troll and put him/it/her under surveillance. Ndi ara.

free2ryhme:


If these Southern and Middle Belt leaders are serious about restructuring, they should unite, form a coalition to vote out Buhari in 2019, instead of these noises. We are sick and tired of their noises, only for some of them to surreptitiously vote back Buhari, come 2019.

#copied

I'm with you on this.

This is the next joker (restructuring) that will determine next election direction besides good governance and it is long overdue. Unfortunately, Buhari does not key in into this