The pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Sunday said the call for restructuring of the country’s political architecture is a popular one among all knowledgeable personalities, elected governors and leaders of entrenched federating ethnic nationalities.
Speaking through its Secretary General, Chief Sola Ebiseni, Afenifere said that the restructuring being clamoured for by various interest groups in the country will not be at the whims and pleasure of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The remark of Afenifere came against the backdrop of reports where Buhari said there was nothing to restructure.
Buhari, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Shehu, at the launch of Kudirat Abiola Sabin Gari Zaria Peace Foundation, said he cannot hand over to unelected persons.
Ebiseni said: “It is so unfortunate that Nigeria has descended so low that the position of the federal government or even the president would have to be deduced from some innocuous officials.
“From what I read in the papers, the fellow to whom this statement is credited is one Executive Secretary, Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Shehu, who presides over the sharing of the revenue of the federation to which his state probably contributes nothing. How else can he impress his principal than tell him what would soothe his sectional and sectarian ego.
“The elected governors of the constituent states of the federation, the leaders of the entrenched federating ethnic nationalities, former leaders, presidents and knowledgeable personalities are all calling for the restructuring of the political architecture to reinvent the foundational federal principles of the polity and here you find an opportunistic official heading a parasitic office which had no place in a true federal state talking down on the nation.
“It is my submission that the statement could not be the opinion of General Buhari who is already seeking restructuring in the current land use under the 1999 constitution to reopen grazing routes under a law made pursuant to the 1963 constitution.
“We are at a critical stage where children, particularly in states with the highest population of children out of school in the world, can no longer go to school at all for fear of being kidnapped for ransom. State governments are demanding the powers to establish state police to deal with insecurity and prominent traditional rulers, especially emirs have called on their people to rise in their own defence and some uninformed government officials are threatening us with war if we seek restructuring or self determination. It is so nauseating, this rudderless government.
“In any event, restructuring of the political architecture of the country in the interest of the people, their security and general wellbeing is not going to be at the pleasure of the president or the whims and caprices of his uncouth officials.”
