Prominent leaders from the Southern part of the country yesterday said without restructuring and devolution of powers, there may be no general election in 2019.
This formed part of the discussion held at a colloquium on restructuring organised by the Island Club, Lagos.


The colloquium titled ‘Restructuring: Challenges, implications and the way forward’, was attended by prominent leaders in the South West, South East, South South and the North.


Niger Delta activist, Annkio Briggs, who was one of the discussants said she had the mandate of the Niger Delta people to speak on their behalf. She said if the country does not restructure, there would not be elections in 2019.

Annkio Briggs said: “The country is like a moving train without brakes and in order not to crash, we need to restructure. All regions must come together and agree on restructuring and everybody must say what restructuring means to them, and we must agree on restructuring before 2019 election. There is so much injustice in the country.

“For instance, there are 419 local governments in the North and 365 local government in the South and the north gets far more resources from the Federal Government than the people producing oil in the country. Niger Delta is producing more and getting less.


We must have a new constitution or we can use the 1963 constitution and work on it. We can have a new constitution that will take care of these injustices like the issue of Fulani herdsmen and religion. If we cannot restructure, we should call the zones together to call for a referendum, so that each zone can determine how they want to live.”


The lead discussant, Prof. Stephen Adebanji Akintoye, said the federal government has become inefficient and corrupt because of oil revenue from the Niger Delta. He said the abandonment of export products that were helping Nigeria has become a problem.


“Restructuring has become inescapable for Nigerians. The struggle for a rational federal structure has been a major concern since we were young men. Nigeria needs to restructure due to the harsh effect of the federal structure of Nigeria. Youths in South-East, Niger Delta and South-West are telling us that they do not want to be part of Nigeria anymore. It is under this that the cry for restructuring is growing louder.

“Some people are saying restructuring is a confusing idea and I dare say their strategy is clever, but not clever enough. We want a federalism that is widely acceptable and the best structure is federalism whereby each zone would be a federating unit and control and develop its own resources for the good of its people.

This is the only solution to our nationality problem.The structure we operated in 1963 was very productive because each region had its constitution and controlled its resources,” he said.


Prof. John Ogu, a former Deputy governor of Ebonyi State, who represented the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, John Nwodo, said the marginalisation of the South-East and the unfair treatment meted out to the Igbo from the end of the civil war till date were the factors that aided the rise of separatist groups like the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).


He said: “What IPOB is doing now is a cry for justice.They are saying the Igbo have been treated very badly and have been marginalised since the civil war ended, and it is only restructuring that can remedy some of those wrongs. It can be done by amending the 1999 constitution holistically or by creating a new constitution.

“Restructuring does not mean the disintegration of the country, but making Nigeria a federation and changing the unitary system of government, that the military handed to us, to a federal system of government to ensure security.”
Former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, said restructuring is not about the North against the South.



“Restructuring is decentralising power to make a way from distribution and consuming arrangement for every federating units to increase its fiscal resources for development. The country is on a precipice. No one can predict what will happen on October 1. Any country that cannot boast of security for its citizens and property is not worthy of being called a country. We need to have state and local police to protect the lives of citizens and property. The ruling party has said voters should not vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 because of restructuring, so we are now watching to see whether the All Progressives Congress (APC) will restructure before 2019.”


A former Minister for Information, Labaran Maku, agreed with the consensus on restructuring. He said: “Nigeria needs restructuring. It offers Africa and Africans a great hope if we can reform the structure and its internal powers. The majority of us believe that restructuring will make Nigeria a great country, and these kind of debates are needed to ensure that restructuring works.”


Ayo Adebanjo, a chieftain of Afenifere chastised northern leaders who are opposed to restructuring. “The military introduced this constitution which thrives on a unitary system of government, but you cannot run Nigeria on a military system of government, because we have so many ethnic groups. We have passed that stage where people will try to make us think that restructuring is new. It is not. We must restructure now or the country may not survive. The North does not want to agree on restructuring because they are beneficiaries of the awkwardness of this 1999 constitution which was thrust on us by the military” he said.


General Alani Akinrinade condemned what he described as the deafening silence from most prominent northern elders over the quit notice given to the Igbo living the north before October 1 by northern youths.
He said: “Besides a few northern elders who criticised the northern youths for the quit notice given to the Igbo, I am sad that most of the elders I expected to have condemned it have maintained a deafening silence.”



http://sunnewsonline.com/no-restructuring-no-2019-election-southern-leaders/

if Nigeria is restructured by 2019 I will be glad and proud to call this country my home.

he can my state be producing oil and and sending the money to the north while my villages is polluted by the same oil.

restructuring is not break up, restructuring will make each state to sit up.

states like Enugu will produce power through coal and sell it to rivers in exchange for oil or money.

Benue will produce tonnes of food and sell it to Lagos.

Restructuring is the solution.

lalasticlala

Let's see the road map

Also how the whole thing will look like

Then millions of Nigeria will take their stand

how can u restructure something that doesn't have structure,disintegration all the way

edochie12:
how can u restructure something that doesn't have structure,disintegration all the way

Bros did you notice that

Ipob miscreants are everywhere ?

maxiflexy:
.

Long epistle loading

I also want Nigeria restructured, but I'm not too comfortable with the present apostles of restructuring.

sarrki:

Bros did you notice that
Ipob miscreants are everywhere ?

Afonja Mozlem Spotted!!

Restructuring should not come from political class, human being especially political exposed ones are sooo selfish.

ProWalker:
I also want Nigeria restructured, but I'm not too comfortable with the present apostles of restructuring.

True bro, noisemakers but no action!

Sarrki many people dey curse you shar
God will hear them one day if you no change

StakerLives:




Afonja Mozlem Spotted!!

Assumed am a Muslim

Prove to me how is your religion better than mine ?

Prove or remain silent forever

sarrki:

Assumed am a Muslim
Prove to me how is your religion better than mine ?
Prove or remain silent forever

Sorry sir, but i don't condemn other peoples religion.

sarrki:

Long epistle loading

sarki hwfa ur BMC salary never she this month.
seun, mynd 44

sarrki:


Assumed am a Muslim

Prove to me how is your religion better than mine ?

Prove or remain silent forever

Haba

[b][/b] REVOLUTION AND RESTRUCTURING IS THE KEY TO BETTER NIGERIA

limeta:
Sarrki many people dey curse you shar
God will hear them one day if you no change

Curses can't work because:


John 8:7: Jesus said. Those without sin should cast the first stone.

If the federal government is genuinely sincere, they ought to know that restructuring will heal and harmonize the country even further. After all, Restructuring was the selling point of this incumbent government, during election campaign of 2015 general election in Nigeria.

StakerLives:




Curses can work because:


John 8:7: Jesus said. Those without sin should cast the first stone.

That was long time ago sarrki
Things 've changed since then

God bless Nnamdi Kanu for giving this old men a voice.
Without Nnamdi Kanu, this would not have come to the table for dicuss.

He is the voice of the opressed.
Afonja wether youu like it or not, Nigeria will change for good.
It takes a strong and fearless leader to do what this man is doing.
Risking his life to set all free.

Its not all about lpob.
Ipob is a tool to liberate the opressed who are afraid of the Fulani/ hausa hegimony

Ogonimilitant:
God bless Nnamdi Kanu for giving this old men a voice.
Without Nnamdi Kanu, this would not have come to the table for dicuss.

He is the voice of the opressed.
Afonja wether youu like it or not, Nigeria will change for good.
It takes a strong and fearless leader to do what this man is doing.
Risking his life to set all free.

Its not all about lpob.
Ipob is a tool to liberate the opressed who are afraid of the Fulani/ hausa hegimony

I sincerely dont like the way Nnamdi kanu operates sometimes

Nice. Every discussant made very good points and I'm loving the Southern alliance, more can be achieved when we're united.

sarrki:
Let's see the road map

Also how the whole thing will look like

Then millions of Nigeria will take their stand

Oh shut up you gobshite!

I have been thinking lately if Sarrki is a programmed robot. Just thinking ooo sha

StakerLives:




I sincerely dont like the way Nnamdi kanu operates sometimes

if does not act they way he is acting , Nigeria will not shake the way it is shaking. Nigeian government will continue their business as usal. Dont condemn the young man, every region should tow his part and see how great Nigeria will be again. Let us support him by clamouring for seccession in all the southern part untill the north come to negotiation table.

Ogonimilitant:
if does not act they way he is acting , Nigeria will not shake the way it is shaking. Nigeian government will continue their business as usal. Dont condemn the young man, every region should tow his part and see how great Nigeria will be again. Let us support him by clamouring for seccession in all the southern part untill the north come to negotiation table.

I still prefer Restructuring to Seccession

sarrki:


Bros did you notice that

Ipob miscreants are everywhere ?

bros
why is it that every opinion that runs counter to your own is from IPOB and why must you rush to bring IPOB into every other thread? tell yourself why NNAMDI KANU and IPOB are getting you so frustrated

what then is the difference between what KANU is saying about anambra election and what this ones are saying, KANU said we stop from November this year and this ones are saying we stop from 2019, since they are saying the same thing why not we use this November election as test run

Restructuring is the only way.

Urhobo says they want it
Ijaw says they want it
itsekiri says they want it
Efik says they want it.
all Niger Delta minorities need it.

let us control the resources in our land why paying tax to the central government, with the tax the Government can assist states that are poor and need rescue.

People need to understand that the best way to move this country forward is to restructure the country, let's go back to Regional System of government.

No restructuring no election-Southern leaders.

No referendum no election-Nnamdi Kanu

I thought haters said that the call to boycott elections is a treasonable offense?

Sentiments have a way of clogging people's reasoning

Well as for me,referendum is the way to go,the foundation of Nigeria is faulty and irredeemable.

Nigeria was not created for Nigerians but for the imperial powers,though the imperialists kept Nigeria in the custody of the Hausa Fulani

THE SUN MUST SET FORTH AT DAWN

StakerLives:




Curses can't work because:


John 8:7: Jesus said. Those without sin should cast the first stone.

You are a good man

With good heart

You understand the word of God

A stitch in time saves nine..

A re-structured Nigeria would be better monitored, taxes may be increased, but the effects would be felt.

The governing bodies would be closer to the populace and better tracking and transparency among regions.

If you need good and great IGR, you make your region friendly and accomodating to bring about business and investments..

You cant be fighting war and terrorism for years and still reap and even much more like nothing happened.

Although it would lead to dis-integration eventually... as the contribution to the central would be seen as corruption and needless when regions become stable.