Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo says Nigeria will not make
any progress if the country is not restructured.
Obasanjo, who spoke on Friday at the year’s edition of the
Sobo Sowemimo annual lecture organised by Abeokuta Club, said insecurity is one
issue common to all regions and no part of the country is safe from the menace.
He said the way forward is restructuring, adding that
without it, Nigeria will remain “insecure, unprogressive, stagnated and, at
worst, disintegrate”.
“Let me lay more emphasis on the issue of security, which in
itself is serious enough to make restructuring imperative. The south-west
governors cried out and devised Amotekun as a solution or part-solution,”
Obasanjo said.
“Criminality is the order of the day. And it cuts across the
entire nation. Insecurity is one issue of commonality among Nigerians, no
matter their tribe, language, religion, geographical location, gender, age or
social position.
“I leave out economy which is in the doldrums and fighting
corruption where you see more heat than light and which is festering like a bad
sore.
“That, to me, is what reform of federating units and
restructuring is all about and not about break-up or disintegration.
“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.”
The former president said disintegration is not the solution
to the crisis in Nigeria, but that being silent about the problem also makes
everyone culpable.
“Papering over the obvious cracks in Nigeria’s polity is not
the answer, tearing up or seeking disintegration is also not the solution,
remaining silent makes us accomplices and irresponsibly so,” he said.
Noting that the current security architecture cannot assure
Nigerians of safety, he called on citizens to come together, take initiatives
that will bring solutions to the crisis.
He said: “I am, of course, discounting invidious and
irredeemable Fulani fundamentalists and hegemonists. Federal security
architecture, as organised and operated by the present government, cannot give
any individual or group hope, let alone assurance of security within Nigeria.
“We are all challenged to put our thinking caps on, join
hands and seek solutions together, otherwise, we will be destroyed piecemeal.
“There is no time to stand and stare or just to continue to
call on governments that are ineffective. Let us take initiative and spearhead
actions that will involve governments and the governed and will devolve
security architecture, apparatus, arrangement and responsibility in
subsidiarity.”
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com