Prominent Nigerians have restated calls for restructuring the country with Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka insisting the move is unstoppable.
“A methodological way of stopping the bloodbath in the country is to reconfigure the nation. And nobody has the right, either through body language or any other means, to say no,” Soyinka said during the Handshake Across Nigeria summit organised by Nzuko Umunna/Aka Ikenga and Core Federalists in Lagos yesterday.
He noted: “States must be given maximum control over their resources. There are some who prefer to grow rice. There are others who prefer to grow religion and we know where religion has brought us today. If some people prefer to grow rice and others wants to grow Sharia, then both sides should be given the means to develop.”
Also at the event themed ‘Nigeria Beyond Oil’, were former Minister of External Affairs Ike Nwachukwu, President General Ohanaeze Ndigbo John Nnia Nwodo, Afenifere chieftain Ayo Adebanjo, and President Middle Belt Forum Pogu Bitrus.
In his welcome address, Nwachukwu dismissed the concern that some states would get unfair deals in a restructured Nigeria. “There is no state without the basic requirements for economic and human capital development. The fear therefore, that some states would be disadvantaged under this arrangement would be removed because the Federal Government would intervene directly or through loans to the federating units to realise their developmental projects.” Read more