Calls for the restructuring of Nigeria was again re-echoed as elder statesmen and socio-cultural leaders converged on Saturday, saying Nigeria was long overdue for restructuring.

They also warned the Federal Government that the country was bleeding from bad leadership and poor policies and that the government must not take Nigerians for granted, as the security and socio-economic situations of the country were deteriorating.

A leader of the Afenifere socio-cultural group, Chief Ayo Adebanjo; a former vice-presidential candidate and Serving Overseer of Citadel Global Community Church (formerly known as Latter Rain Assembly), Lagos, Pastor Tunde Bakare; a former presidential candidate and political economist, Prof Pat Utomi; and the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland land, Gani Adams gave the warning at a virtual programme with the theme, ‘#EndSARS consolidation of handshake across the Niger: An interactive session with Iba Gani Adams and Igbo/Yoruba champions.’

Others, who participated at the programme were political scientist, Mr Akin Osuntokun; as well as singers, Onyeka Onwenu and Eedris Abdulkareem. It was moderated by the Publisher of Ovation Media Group, Chief Dele Momodu, and Maazi Ezeoke.

Speaking at the virtual programme, Afenifere chieftain, Adebanjo, said that President Muhammdu Buhari had chosen to “remain stubborn despite calls by several elder statesmen and sections of the country” that Nigeria was due for restructuring.

According to Adebanjo, the country must return to the 1960 Independence Constitution when the regions had autonomy.

He said: “My view is that we don’t look into the past. The way forward is for us to join hands together for the unity of this country. It is not the question of self-determination that we are after. Anybody opposing restructuring is an enemy of a united Nigeria.

“Buhari is an enemy of the country by not restructuring. If we don’t restructure, this country cannot stay. I am not opposed to self-determination but self-determination is the last resort. We are not going to beg to be a part of Nigeria.

“The government of the day should be reasonable enough to restructure this country on the basis of true federalism. From the outset, we have insisted that we cannot keep this country together in a unitary system of government.

“A lot of problems we are having now are self-inflicted by the northern hegemony. Is Buhari more Fulani than the Sardauna of Sokoto? If we don’t understand what restructuring is, let us go back to the Independence constitution.

“The problem we have now was brought by the military – the military gave us this constitution and imposed state and local governments arbitrarily. Hence, people are cheated. The present system we are using was created by the military. All the leaders of this country have been telling Buhari, restructure this country. He remained stubborn and what we have are killings.

“I won’t live in this country under this constitution. I like to warn the Igbo that they are deceiving them that they will give them (Igbo) presidency. They are also deceiving (Asiwaju Bola) Tinubu. I want to make it clear again that if you make my son the president under this constitution, I will oppose him. I am an embittered Nigerian because of what Buhari is doing to us. If we agree to an equitable deal, there will be no problem. Give us regional autonomy.”

Gani Adams, on his part, made a strong case for restructuring, insisting that any region was free to call for a breakup if restructuring was not heeded to.

He said: “When we talk about restructuring without a strategy, it will be very difficult. We will continue crying for restructuring for another 100 years and our institutions will be destroyed. The generation coming behind us may not have the kind of patience that we have. Look at the recent protests they organised.

“They have a seven-point demand – education, health and others. When we say we don’t want this country to break, we don’t want to go our separate ways, the only thing that can grip the North and spike their hearts is to say if we don’t restructure, we will break up.”

Pastor Tunde Bakare, in his remarks, also joined the call for the restructuring of the country.

He said: “There are those who believe we should go our separate ways but honestly I do not subscribe to that view. I have never advocated it. I believe we can restructure Nigeria. If we think it has failed, it is because of the people who are not committed to it.

“Let us be practical. We need a trustful give-and-take. Restructuring is an idea whose time has come. It will come to pass. I believe very soon that any right-thinking leader will know that we are better off together than fighting one another and going our separate ways. If Nigeria can get it right, Africa can get it right.”

In his contribution, Prof Pat Utomi said Nigeria should begin to “build production clusters instead of the mentality of sharing” currently in place.

He said: “I can speak of the model of the United Arab Emirates and other models. I find myself supporting Pa Adebanjo. Part of the challenges we have had is that this divide-and-rule politicking has prevented us from focusing on development. The strategy which many of us have suggested is closely related to a decentralised approach.

“As we pointed out, in the UAE, Dubai is one of the emirates and they are all competing. You have Abu Dhabi and they are competing on who would bring the most progress to their people. This was the competitive communalism in Nigeria in the 1950s. I believe that Nigeria should really be thinking in terms of Megalopolis.

“In Nigeria, we have been playing this game of sharing instead of producing. How do we put together production clusters that are globally competitive and build centres of development? This real rubbish about sharing should stop.”

Political scientist, Osuntokun, Onyeka Onwenu and Idris Abdulkareem in their contributions, called for good leadership, restructuring and protection of the rights of people in every section of the country.

Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, however disagreed with others, calling for outright self-determination of the regions in the country.

Kany said: “I respect the divergent views and opinions. One thing that comes across in this debate is the weak position from which the South is tending to, should I say, in debating this restructuring of a thing.

“Restructuring cannot work because Nigeria has conflicting and faulty foundations. The powers are in the North. We are talking about the disparity in terms of how society should function. You cannot go to the Fulani and beg them for restructuring. What makes anybody in their right senses think they can give it to you now? Once you do not have that leverage, you cannot get restructuring.”

Cc
Mynd44

https://www.ripplesnigeria.com/bakare-utomi-adebanjo-adams-re-echoe-calls-for-restructuring/

Yes We Move... Another Echo of protests....

Before you call for restructuring of Nigeria. we need to call for brain restructure of Nigerian leaders first

Are Odili, Ibori, Orji Kalu, Tinubu, Alams not Southerns? Did they not all contribute to looting their people? What we need is the rule of law. You can restructure all you want, but the same corruption will continue until the rule of law is imposed. We should stop chasing shadows

We should start another protest in the south to push for restructuring.

Why? Is it too bad for the leadership of this country under Buhari to listen to the cries for restructuring from southern Nigeria? Is power too intoxicating that it makes the occupier blind and deaf? I don't understand.

When the head refuses to see and hear, does it serve anymore purpose to the body?

bjdon:
Are Odili, Ibori, Orji Kalu, Tinubu, Alams not Southerns? Did they not all contribute to looting their people? What we need is the rule of law. You can restructure all you want, but the same corruption will continue until the rule of law is imposed. We should stop chasing shadows

We need regional government, you in the north can continue searching for rule of law.

Goldencheese:
Why is it too bad for the leadership of this

The north is afraid of their shadows.

#RestructureNow



Fayemi made a silly assumption on the sharing formula if the FG should restructure Nigeria....

Asking that FG should go with 43% while States 33% and the LGs 24%....


Why should the FG control the highest shares? When states will be paying workings and developing their states and reforming state own agencies.....


I supported his restructuring pattern but not the sharing formula.....

#Mind44

@lalastic clacla...


@seau osewa..




please do the needful push this to front-page.....the mode on frontier today is so slow...we are reading one news now for #2hrs to 3 hrs

freshMallam1122:
#Mind44

@lalastic clacla...


@seau osewa..




please do the needful push this to front-page.....the mode on frontier today is so slow...we are reading one news now for #2hrs to 3 hrs

Every sunday
If you noticed