Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, on Friday, came out in support of restructuring as a solution to the current challenges facing Nigeria, rather than pursuing a constitutional amendment.



This was as they raised concerns over Nigeria’s constitution, highlighting that it is riddled with inconsistencies and contradictions.

The renowned cleric, Onaiyekan, emphasized the urgent need for constitutional reform, stating that the current document does not adequately address how religion relates or contributes to the national progress of the nation.

Onaiyekan pointed out that the constitution has consistently failed to provide a clear framework for governance and religious affairs resulting in confusion and inefficiency within the political system.

He emphasized the need to decentralize power and foster greater autonomy for states, allowing for more effective governance and decision-making at the local level.

These stakeholders and others spoke at a policy dialogue on new governance structure for Nigeria, organized by the Abuja School Social and Political Thought, in Abuja.

His words: “If we take the present constitution, whether as amended or not amended it is riddled with inconsistencies or contradictions, problems when it comes to seriously talking about how religion relates to the nation.

“Which is why it is obvious we must look at it again. So, maybe it is good that we give it a look at changing to a parliamentary system. Perhaps we need to find out to ask those soldiers who threw away the parliamentary system and introduced the presidential system. What reasons did they have?”


Meanwhile, one of the representatives of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, Dr. Akin Fapohunda, while emphasizing on the need for restructuring, said Nigeria has not clearly defined the process for restructuring.

He proposed that with restructuring, each region would be encouraged to seek out ways to drive significant development and generate their own resources independently, rather than relying on resources from the nation’s capital.

“The bottom line is that we have no process. We are seeing the good but we have not defined the process, milestones and timelines that’s what is missing. We agree that the house is rotten and it needs to be pulled down and we designed an alternative model, which you are now selling. The political class, their teeth are dug into the one million barrel of crude that they are sharing every time. So, we have to confront them.

“What we are talking about is parliamentary and presidential governance, state/regional constitution—every region must have its own constitution, not one relative one that we are all battling and the third thing is to rework the list of functions”, he said.

A Catholic priest, Fr George Ehusani, said Integrity is key to nation building and national prosperity.


He added that elite idiocy would ruin any nation, no matter what kind of perfect, structural blueprint that they adopt.

“It is the place of leadership integrity in nation building, and national stability and prosperity. For I have become more convinced today than ever before that leadership debauchery and elite idiocy will ruin any nation no matter how perfect the political structure and governance blueprint that they adopt.

“And it has been well established by social scientists that the collapse of powerful civilizations is hardly ever precipitated by external attack, but instead by internal decay or what the ancient mystics call due to the want of honor in the soul, the want of order in the soul”, he said.

Corroborating, Uche Onyeagucha, while also supporting the calls for restructuring, said the move should not be only limited to constitutional amendments but reduction of the powers at the center.

“Good enough, Tinubu before now was one of the strong advocates of restructuring. But, what does restructuring mean? It simply means reduction of the powers at the center. If you don’t reduce the powers at the center and send it a little bit to the regions for them to manage, you’re wasting time with restructuring.


“This attempt at amending or altering the Constitution is the sixth attempt. When we were in the House of Reps, we didn’t have the privilege of doing one. I was in two-three to seven set, but ever since we have heard five attempts and it will become a four yearly ritual. Unless we do something dramatic with this one.

“There is this impression that is being created as if there are states that are not rich. Every state in Nigeria is rich, mention the state and I’ll tell you how rich they are. There is this assumption that we must all depend on oil. So many states don’t need the oil from the Niger Delta. There are states that don’t have oil but they have so much gas and they’re not even tapping into their gas.

“Several others have different minerals in their area. It is high time we let every state know that they are rich.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/03/hardship-onaiyekan-afenifere-others-make-case-for-restructuring/