The controversy over the restructuring of Nigeria has continued with Afenifere, the Yoruba socio- political group, asking northern leaders opposed to restructuring not to hold the country hostage.
The group’s position came on the heels of the support for restructuring from former military President, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, who said, last week, that the Nigerian federation, as currently structured, needs reform that will emphasise the individual strength and advantages of the component units so that governments can really work to improve the lives of Nigerians..
Before then, former VP Atiku Abubakar, also a northerner, had also expressed his support for restructuring. Among northerners opposed to restructuring, Governor Nasir el-Rufai, on Thursday, described those advocating for the idea as opportunists. Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo spoke on a day the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie – Oyegun said he did not know what the proponents of restructuring mean, saying they should not armtwist him to use a confusing terminology which means different things to Nigerians.
Afenifere, while welcoming Babangida and Atiku’s intervention on the restructuring debate, yesterday, urged northern leaders still opposed the idea to take a cue.
It noted that the fact that Babangida and Atiku had spoken in favour of the idea means that not all northern leaders are against restructuring. The National Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr Yinka Odumakin, told newsmen “We welcome their intervention, IBB, especially.
We remember Babangida was opposed to restructuring in 1999 when we held a national conference with the late Mr. Alao Aka-Bashorun,we were flogged out of the place. For him now to come to reality to say we have to restructure, and to have spoken those words, and to break it down the way he has done, shows that he has realized the mistakes of those years and that it is the right thing to do. We welcome him, he is a critical voice and he has added value to it.
“For Atiku Abubakar, he has been consistent on restructuring over the years, right from when he was in office. We have noted his intervention for over ten years. He has added value to the debate, he has removed the notion that not everybody in the North is against restructuring. “So, the two of them have added value to the debate.
They have shown clearly that those of us, who have been talking about restructuring, know what we are saying and they have confirmed our position that it is the right thing to do. “We know that those who oppose restructuring are doing so for their selfish interest cannot see the larger picture and do not care about the future of this country. But those who can see that this country is in danger, and that we have moved to edge of the precipice and we need to arrest the drift, are the critical voices from the North who are speaking loudly for restructuring now. We welcome their intervention and see them are co-citizens who want to save this country from disintegration.”
On those still opposed to restructuring, he added: “They should join the train for us to rescue this country. Everybody can see that there are danger signals. Nigeria is gradually becoming a failed state.. We just have to restructure to bring about inclusiveness to governance. This will bring about an era of prosperity all over Nigeria because that is the most important aspect of restructuring.
The idea of restructuring is to move from us from scarcity to abundance, it is scarcity that is causing all the fighting in the land.” On its part, Ohanaeze Nidigbo, the dominant Igbo socio-political group, is believed to align with the Afenifere’s position that the North cannot continue to block the agitation to restructure Nigeria if it was to move forward.
Although the President General of the group, Dr Nnia Nwodo, could not be reached, a source close to the group cited a former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (retd), as conveying the message to Afenifere and the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF). “Ohanaeze Ndigbo is in support of what other Nigerians are saying.
We cannot be different. Ohanaeze is thinking along the same line; that Nigeria must be restructured. We are on the same page with them”, the spokesman for Ohanaeze Ndigbo, who preferred anonymity said, yesterday. Late into the night, Igbo leaders, comprising state governors and legislators, were in a closed-door meeting in Enugu to hold further talks on the state of the nation.
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