The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111 has called for urgent restructuring of the country so as to avoid what happened to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) and Romania.
Oba Adeyemi, who said there was need for immediate restructuring of the country, declared that delay in the payment of salaries, pensions, ASSU strike and other socio-economic crises will continue to occur unless the country was restructured.
He noted that ASUU strike will continue to occur because the Federal Government cannot implement the said agreements it made with the unions due to shortage of funds.
The monarch made these submissions in a memoranda he presented on behalf of traditional rulers from Oyo, Ogun and Lagos state at All Progressives Congress (APC) South West Zonal public meeting on true federalism held on Monday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
He said that the present structure where state with highest population (Lagos) of over 20 million people is having only 20 local government, while Kano with 6 million population is having 44 local government areas is unjust and unfair.
He noted that those in power should heel the calls from various quarters to restructure the country, warning that countries such as USSR and Romania were once in this kind of situation but the leaders turned deaf to the call which led to forceful break-up.
Oba Adeyemi 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.
“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.”
Present at the meeting were Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, who is the Chairman for the Oyo, Ogun and Lagos meeting, Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo; Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Micheal Adeyemo and the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji.
Others include Eleruwa of Eruwa Oba Solomon Adegbola, Secretary to Oyo State Government, Alhaji Ismail Alli, top government functionaries, traditional rulers, groups and associations from the three states.
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