- The Alaafin of Oyo on Monday, September 18, called on the federal government to heed to the calls for the restructuring of Nigeria
- Oba Adeyemi said if Nigerian is not restructured, what happened in USSR and Romania may befall it
- He said delay in payment of salaries, pensions and other socio-economic woes will continue unless Nigeria is restructured
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, has called on the federal government to heed to the calls for the restructuring of Nigeria.
Oba Adeyemi said Nigeria needs to be restructured to avoid what happened to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) and Romania befall it.
He said the ASUU strike, delay in payment of salaries and pension and other socio-economic woes will continue unless the country is restructured.
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Speaking in a memoranda which he presented on behalf of the traditional rulers from Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states in Ibadan on Monday, September 18, Oba Adeyemi said the present structure of the nation is unfair.
Describing as unjust the fact that Lagos state with over 20 million people has only 20 local government areas, while Kano state with about six million population with 44 local government area, Alaafin said, there could be a forced breakup if the country is not restructured.
Alaafin of Oyo said: "What I am saying is that, if we did not restructure Nigeria what happened in USSR may happen; USSR broke with force. Romania also was divided through force. That is the way their leaders were doing."
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“36 states workers are not being paid, the governors cannot pay them. What caused this was the killing of political leaders in the first republic who were sectional and unjust.
“Ironsi scrapped the Federal structure and replaced it with unitary, since then we have not come back to true federalism. Until we go back to the glorious days of marketing board, there is no need for Federal Ministry of Culture, Federal Government has no culture.
“Lagos has 20 local government areas with 20 million people, Kano has 44 local government with 6 million people, where do they do that throughout the world. Just like Kano, Jigawa state has more local government than Lagos State.
“There will continue to be ASSU strike. Eighteen years ago, they signed a memorandum of understanding, they can’t solve it. We are concentrating too much power at the centre. The present state of things can only be resolved through a summit like this," Oba Adeyemi said.
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NAIJ.com earlier reported that the All progressives Congress (APC) recently set up a committee on the restructuring of Nigeria.
The committee, the party said, will be chaired by the governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai.
Also, the committee is made up of current APC governors, a former governor and other party officials.
The committee, the APC said will establish a common meaning of restructuring that will be acceptable to all Nigerians.
You can watch this NAIJ.com TV video asking if Nigeria should be restructured or if the country should split:
Source: Naij.com
ROSY CREST
Tuesday, 19 September 2017