• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Why restructuring of Nigeria suffering setback, says Shehu Sani

2023: Leave Nigerians alone if you have nothing to offer, Shehu Sani tells APC

A former member of the Nigerian Senate, Shehu Sani has opened up on why the growing agitation for the restructuring of Nigeria is not being realised.

The vocal senator, who represented Kaduna Central in the eighth national assembly, in his twitter handle on Sunday, said the agitation is not getting the desired push because the North sees it as a Southwest agenda.

Sani went further to list other obstacles to include the fear that restructuring is only about “control of oil resources. According to him, there is also the “fear of loss of political patronage, territory and economic privileges”.

Other obstacles identified by the right activist are “opportunism and lack of political will and courage by past and present government.

Political and economic interests across the geo-political zones, Sani believed would have to rise above parochial and interests for restructuring of Nigeria to succeed.

There have been increased agitation in recent months from various quarters for the restructuring of Nigeria with the latest coming from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who warned that the country may collapse without restructuring.

Obasanjo speaking virtually at the 2020 SoboSowemimo annual lecture held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, last week, said: “My personal conviction is that, with the experience we have had operating the current constitution where we have seen some important aspects of the sonstitution being breached willfully and wantonly and with the centre seemingly being overwhelmed by the issue of security, with crying need from different quarters for reform of the basic structure of Nigeria’s federating units, there is need for the repositioning of our country for the purpose of unity, equity, competence, good governance, security, stability, healthy competition, justice, fast socio-economic development and making Nigeria undisputed regional leader.”

He further stated that “as a regional leader, Nigeria must always be at the table and be an effective contributor to global decision-making process and adequate share in worldwide division of labour and global resources, I remain firmly convinced that without reform of federating units, as I will like to satisfy those who may not like the word ‘restructuring’, Nigeria will remain insecure, unstable, non-progressive and stagnated at best or disintegrated at the worst,” said the former president.

 

JOSHUA BASSEY