Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s failure to obey court orders as a national embarrassment.

It was also a day President General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, declared in Lagos that restructuring of Nigeria is now or never.

They said this at the maiden Handshake Across Nigeria summit, with the theme: Nigeria beyond oil organised by Nzuko Umunna in partnership with The Core Federalists, which was held in Lagos, yesterday.

Soyinka, who was the keynote speaker, also said present and past leaders have consistently abandoned recommendations made by Nigerians on different occasions on how to move the country forward and that restructuring the country is not an option but a necessity that will help avoid the constant bloodshed in the country and guarantee its unity.

“We want government to understand that they are part of the community and have been given a mission of carrying out the will of the people… Insecurity has reached a certain level that even when we bring experts in, they wonder what exactly they have come to do. They are given a certain problem to solve and when they arrive here, they meet another problem.

“We have had many instances of armed killer herdsmen who wreak havoc across communities in the country and, rather than show empathy to the victims, the Inspector General of Police goes there to say they were killed because they blocked the grazing routes for cattle.

“One way of stopping the bloodbath is to reconfigure the nation. States must be given maximum control over their resources. There are some who prefer to grow rice, there are others who prefer to grow religion and we know where religion has taken us, today.

“Some people will like to say it is not really religion that has gotten us to where we are. I agree with you, but, some people have manipulated religion to suit their purpose.

“Those insisting on restructuring do so because they know that there is something wrong with the state of Nigeria. Many times, Nigerians have come together to proffer solutions and the way forward for the country, but, after spending so much time and effort, nothing ever comes out of it. The recommendations are left to gather dust. How much longer shall we continue like this?

“Forgiveness is a virtue. Although I have the same temperament as my late friend, Tai Solarin, but, it is a national embarrassment that our president has refused to obey our laws. Citizens should not be the one to choose to obey laws.”

On his part, Nwodo said those campaigning against restructuring of Nigeria have painted an unfortunate and untrue picture.

He said: “The new model we propose for Nigeria recognises that revenue in the world, today, is promoted by two main sources namely, human capital development leveraging on technology to drive the critical sectors of the economy and agriculture. Nigeria beyond oil must contemplate the implementation of legislative independence to the federating units, sovereignty of mineral and oil resources to the federating units, a painstaking resolve to support all electoral processes and candidates that would bring about this change.”

Adebanjo said anyone who opposes restructuring is living in denial about the fragility of the country.

He said: “It is unfortunate that President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, do not understand each other as regards restructuring. I can understand the president’s predicament because education is necessary to comprehend what restructuring entails but, I do not know why the vice president, who is a professor of Law, does not know what it entails.

“How can the vice president say he wants devolution of powers, state police and the likes, yet, he says he does not understand what those who talk about restructuring want? If the man who is the president does not understand what restructuring is, because of his education deficiency, should the vice president not also know what it is?

“If you do not restructure, the country would break up. If you say that the unity of the country is non-negotiable, then, you do not have a choice than to restructure.”

But, Director General of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Yima Sen, who represented the convener, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, had a different view about restructuring.

He said: “As a group, NEF met several times with northern governors and northern traditional rulers over the issue of restructuring and discussions are still ongoing. But, one thing we have decided is that we are going to dialogue with our people and know what they want.

“Most often, the elite push an agenda because they think that is what those they are leading want and they usually do it out of pride and arrogance.

“We should be humble when pushing an agenda. We need to move from the level of sentiments to the scientific. It is important that, when such important issues are discussed, the elite should be humble enough to ask their people what they want and that is what we are doing.

“We are not going to decide for our people whether they want restructuring or not. We are going to ask them and listen to what they have to say.”

Chairman on the occasion, General Ike Nwachukwu, said even though the unity of the nation is sacrosanct and non-negotiable, the country cannot maximise its full potentials if it does not return to federating units.

“Although they were appointed by the government, they are responsible to the people of Nigeria.

To make INEC truly independent, there is the need to review the system of appointing its members.”

http://saharareporters.com/2018/11/20/buhari-failure-obey-court-orders-national-embarrassment-%E2%80%93-soyinka

PDP and fake news

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Baawaa:
PDP and fake news

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http://thenationonlineng.net/soyinka-ohanaeze-afenifere-insist-restructuring/
Always ensure you check on the net first if in doubt before coming to disgrace yourself in a public forum.

“What many consider as the great corruption is stealing of money but what to me is the great corruption is when people are deprived justice, when you do things without regard to the rule of law.”-Disregard for Rule Of Law Worst Corruption Than Stealing Of Public Funds
(The United States ambassador to Nigeria, William Stuart Symington)

"Laws become fragile under the influence of dictators."-Wayne Gerard Trotman

Story

It is very sad that the court of law that should be the opium of the masses has not become a weapon in the hand of the government against the masses. It is well.


Get a blog or website for your companies, businesses, schools NGOs at affordable price. Check my profile for my contacts.

Afonjas please come and listen to the words of your elder


What he sees seating down you blind followers can't see even if you climb mountain everest

Baawaa:
PDP and fake news

you need brain re set

Baawaa:
PDP and fake news

Do U have sense at all or U jus came empty headed like dat...

Is it now that our progress is knowing that.

Sai Tyranny and Dictatorship

deboysben:
Afonjas please come and listen to the words of your elder


What he sees seating down you blind followers can't see even if you climb mountain everest

As far is afonja man that's talking,I have no time to waste reading,since they are still supporting their slave masters who rubbed them of their presidency ,by imposing an imposter Jubril of Sudan on Nigerians

Prof don wake up o..
Good morning, Prof.
-----------
Are you in Nigeria/London But wants to get things done in London or the Uk?

kindly see this…
https://www.nairaland.com/4815910/nigeria-london-wants-get-things#72605396

OK....

This man is only making noise because he has not been settled for his previous campaign. Also he has been sidelined from the current campaign. Trust an afo..... at your own peril.

gloriaa:
Is it now that our progress is knowing that.

Proff I mean not "progress".

dat nigga called bu-bu na weak man

There are some who prefer to grow rice, there are others who prefer to grow religion and we know where religion has taken us, today.





This message is for the core north. They have no vision and in years to come they'll reap the repercussions of the "almajiri" menace.


Give an Igbo man money; he starts a business.

Give a Yoruba man money; he gets education to empower himself.

Give an Hausa man money; he gets another wife because his religion supports it. In the end, Innocent children are let loose into the streets to beg with plates.






Alas! ladies and gentlemen, you can all see for yourselves the one region that has continued to hold us back.

See yabbing

Why do we expect a Jubrin from Sudan to obey The Nigerian constitution and laws? To him, "nothing spoil".

No be him country dey spoil! No be him people dey suffer!

May be we should not worry, baba knows what he is doing.

Atiku said he will restructure Nigeria in just six month. So lets just wait patiently.

When our leaders get into power they seem to think they are above the law if only they listen to Prof.

“We want government to understand that they are part of
the community and have been given a mission of
carrying out the will of the people… Insecurity has
reached a certain level that even when we bring experts
in, they wonder what exactly they have come to do. They
are given a certain problem to solve and when they arrive
here, they meet another problem.

which goes to tell you how useless our leaders have turn out to be.

Baawaa:
PDP and fake news

Do you know the meaning of the word Fake?

But you gave him your support to become President na

I also watched him say same thing on one function that was televised on AIT 2 days ago .

He must not even say it b4 we know buhari regards court judgement as tissue paper (courtesy okorohausa)

What is el zakkky still doing in prison? Free him says the court! Despite u didn't free him they also opened fire on his followers. This is morally, socially and ethically so wrong.

''The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all'' ......JFK .....May the 2015 '15 million' and their new recruits,who may want to repeat or 'reinforce failure', be delivered of their ignorance through illumination from Gods light from above IJN!