Barely two weeks after the Ibadan Yoruba summit on restructuring, more stake holders in Yoruba land has added their voices to that of the summit and is calling for total restructuring of the current system of in Nigeria.
Major traditional rulers in Oyo state, the Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Adetunji, the Oyo state governor Abiola Ajimobi and his Lagos and Ogun state counterparts Akinwunmi Ambode and Ibikunle Amosu respectively yesterday said there was no alternative but a total restructuring of the nation.
The stakeholders made this call at the zonal public meeting organized of the All Progressives Congress, APC, committee on true federalism held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan yesterday.
Inside Sources gathered that over 100 memoranda were submitted by various interest groups which include Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Nigerian Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress from Oyo, Ogun and Lagos States, Afenifere Renewal Group, National Union of Road Transport Workers, Atayese and several others.
Citing the case of Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia, the Alaafin of Oyo who spoke on behalf of the traditional rulers said If we do not restructure like our leaders have said, we should remember that the Union of Soviet Social Republics was set up by force, it collapsed. In Czechoslovakia, they did what we are fighting for, but it collapsed too.
Alaafin in his words “So, how did we get to where we are now? What happened? How did we come to this situation? Those that are in the army came together and said that they didn’t like the way Nigeria was going, but they did not call anyone in the East. Akintola already knew they even wanted to kill him and they killed some soldiers in the North. We need to repair what is on ground now. That is what our governors are saying we should do. The killings of political leaders was unjust and the blood we shed is still hurting us”
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State while addressing the meeting said; “The call for restructuring is so deafening that ruling party and government cannot afford to close their ears or see it as mere noise in the market place. Interestingly however, the views about that singular word ‘restructuring’ are as diverse as the people agitating for those making it nebulous. And for any undiscerning mind, attempts to decipher or comprehend ‘restructuring’ in the Nigerian context may result in more confusion and/or outright lack of clear understanding.
“It should, however, be stated that the fact that the call for restructuring under whatever name organize, be it true federalism, devolution of powers, regionalism, resource control or whatever, has again resurfaced in Nigeria, it is an indication that something needs to be addressed on the current structure or arrangement.’
“While I am not totally opposed to the idea of regionalism, I believe that except there are legal caveat, regions may be too powerful and this may further heighten the possibility of secession by a certain region that is tired of continuing with a united Nigeria, for whatever reason.’’
