The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has again made a case for the restructuring of the country, insisting that Nigeria will continue to battle with its socio-political and economic challenges until the federal system is restructured, The Punch reports.
Afenifere, which pitch its tent with former President Goodluck Jonathan against President Muhammdu Buhari during the 2015 presidential election, because of its belief that the former President would implement the outcome of the 2014 National Conference, said the new administration might not make headway without executing the recommendations.
The newspaper had reported on Wednesday that Buhari was not favourably disposed to the implementation of the report, despite the fact that Jonathan handed over the document to the President, alongside his (Jonathan’s) handover notes.
Spokesman for the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, in an interview said the group would speak on the alleged abandonment of the report.
He said: “If we don’t deliberately restructure Nigeria as Nigerians, Nigeria on its own will be restructured the way we are going.
“If we get to a stage where people (who are) working can no longer be paid; if we continue the way we are going now; I can tell you – mark my words – if we go on like this for six to 12 months, you will begin to hear the news that some governors are fleeing the country.
Odumakin argued that the defects in the country’s federalism had been there before Buhari and Jonathan’s administrations, describing it as an old wound.
According to him, a change of government was not enough to correct the system.
He wondered whether the change of government would change the country from a one-product economy that we have seized to rely on (crude oil), adding that the country had budgeted $17bn for its 2015 fiscal year, it now generates lesser revenue due to the fallen price of crude oil.
Odumakin said: “I am talking about the impending crisis we are facing because of the structure we are operating – the monolithic economy. We are losing over N16tn every year because the constitution says that the owners of the resources cannot tap their resources. Go to every place, illegal miners are having a field day.
“If we want this country to move forward, we have to restructure. I cannot say at the moment that the President will do it or not, but we have to do it.”
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