₦airaland Forum

Former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, says there is nothing wrong with restructuring the country provided it is done within one Nigeria context.

Mr. Gowon said this when Shehu Sani, the Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Wednesday.

Reacting to calls by some Nigerians to restructure the country, Mr. Gowon said there was nothing wrong with restructuring.

He recalled that Nigeria was restructured under his leadership as the head of state with the creation of states in 1967.

“We can restructure within one Nigeria context. I did it in 1967; we created states to stop eastern Nigeria from seceding.

“We had to do something to ensure the fear of their seceding did not exist; a serious issue of a part of the country wanting to breakaway when we already lost a part to Cameroon.

“If we had allowed the eastern region to go away, the map of Nigeria would have looked funny; it would have been tilted one way.

“So, we decided overnight to break the fear through the creation of states. If we had to save the country that was the only way to do it.

“We also ensured that no state was too big or too small to threaten the unity of the country,’’ he said.

Mr. Gowon, in 1967, announced the creation of 12 states, namely, North-Western, North-Eastern, Kano and North-Central states.

Others are, Benue-Plateau, Kwara, Western, Lagos, Mid-Western, Rivers (a South-Eastern state), East-Central and East-Central states.

The former head of state added that the call for true federalism by some Nigerians was also not a bad idea, as long as it was done within the context of the nation’s unity.

“What is true federalism? As long as it means respect for oneness of our country, it is alright, but if it means to breakaway, it is not my way of thinking’’, he said.

(NAN)

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/208038-gowon-backs-restructuring-nigeria-gives-condition.html

Well said.
No one should insult this man pls
He has seen it all and his not anyone's mate
On nairaland! Not even Seun! Well, even if
You insult him, he won't know. Just saying oo.

Truly, breaking Nigeria is not in HIS THINKING. But in others, it is. For God's sake these men should see beyond self that Nigeria as presently constituted and managed, cannot survive few more decades.

It will be wise if we can accept this hard facts as being true and work towards realizing same.

but Europe was continuously balkanized till the 90's. Noting sacrosanct about Nigerian unity

"If we had allowed the eastern region to go away, the map of Nigeria would have looked funny; it would have been tilted one way."

I thought that the reason why Nigeria didn't allow the Eastern region to secede was to protect the minority tribes who were forced into B.iafra? Now the man is saying that the only reason they went to war was to avoid having a funny shaped country. The truth shall come to light one way or the other...

Have always advocated for one Nigeria

But am now seriously having a rethink
Why the extreme fear to let them go when its clearer that the union is soo unfruitful


True federalism or secede.
Why is the choice so difficult for some.

NeduLuiZ:
Have always advocated for one Nigeria

But am now seriously having a rethink
Why the extreme fear to let them go when its clearer that the union is soo unfruitful


True federalism or secede.
Why is the choice so difficult for some.

I wonder.

Calling for a breakaway from one Nigeria is totally not the way forward. Come to think of it, our problems is not from above, it's still within us! If we should reason like human beings and not like animals we would understand that the northerners are not lamenting the way we do, why? Because even in the midst of this bad economy, they still see them selves as one and always stretch the hands of help to their brothers! We the southerners, we are too greedy and only one person wants to control the who money and expect others to die and parish knowing whom he or she is! This is a food of thought for every reasonable citizen of this country. Now things are bad but let's still bear it in mind that we caused it with our thumbs!!!!!