Wole Soyinka, a Nobel laureate, has predicted that Nigerians would continue to call for restructuring after the new administration assumes office on May 29.
Soyinka stated this during an interview on Roadmap 2023, a Channels Television program on Monday night.
Agitations for restructuring of the Nigeria federation have increased in the last decade, proponents say it has become inevitable to guarantee good governance.
Soyinka stated that the government of President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu must renew its focus on the persistent calls for restructuring the Nigerian federation in order to avoid serious difficulties with its programs and policies
According to Soyinka, “Whoever is President, must understand that the people of this country will not cease demanding a restructuring of this nation.
“New voices are being heard and they are more powerful than before. They are not just whining voices, they are voices based on actualities. We have failed in so many directions and they are saying, ‘Let us try in this direction’ and you cannot ignore it.
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“Otherwise, even your economic policies will fail, your infrastructure and transformation will fail. We will just go back threading the same old spur.”
Despite promises by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) government while assuming power in 2015 to restructure the country, the incumbent administration has failed to do it.
In 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari said that the problem with the country was not about the structure, but way of doing things.
However, in 2021 Buhari stated that the issue was beyond him, stressing that only the National Assembly can tackle issues relating to restructuring, true federalism or devolution of powers.
“The ongoing constitutional review process being conducted by the National Assembly will hopefully address the agitations of those calling for the restructuring of the country.
“On the contentious issue of restructuring or true federalism or devolution of powers, like you all know, this is a constitutional matter with which only the National Assembly can deal,” the President said, according to a statement signed by his spokesman Femi Adesina.
