LAGOS JULY 25TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Contrary to the insinuation of some Nigerians, former Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Gubernatorial candidate in 2007 general election, Chief Sunny Onuesoke has reiterated that Nigeria can be restructured without going to war.
Speaking to group of journalists in Kano, Kano State, Onuesoke pointed out that Nigeria has developed to a state where it would be restructured without shedding a drop of blood, adding that Nigeria at an embryo stage got independence from the British government without fighting war despite that those from some part of the country were opposed to it then.
“If we can get our independence from our colonial master without f war, I wonder why we cannot restructure our system on true federalism without shedding blood among ourselves,” Onuesoke reiterated.
Onuesoke who said Nigeria has been restructured so many times without fighting wars although not the right type of restructuring, recalled that every time there is a constitutional change in Nigeria that is restructuring because such constitutional provisions are either giving power and authority to those in government or to the people vice versa.
“Since independence, Nigeria has been restructured from four regions that made the regions self sufficient, to twelve states, to twenty three states and now thirty six states including removal of the federal capital from Lagos to Abuja. In all this restructuring no war was fought,” he recalled.
The PDP Chieftain who maintained that Nigerians must renegotiate their union in order to make it stronger argued that greater autonomy, power and resources for states and local authorities would give the federating units greater freedom and flexibility to address local issues, priorities and peculiarities.
“Restructuring Nigeria on true federalism will help to unleash our people’s creative energies and spur more development. It will reduce the premium placed on capturing power at the centre. It will help with improving security. It will promote healthy rivalries among the federating units and local authorities. It will help make us richer and stronger as a nation,” Onuesoke affirmed.
Onuesoke who noted that restructuring of the country is long overdue advised that the nation has to be structure in such a way that every ethnic group, no matter how small it is, will have the sense of belonging stressing that after restructuring Nigerians would remain united by the ideals of freedom and unity, but the long-term ideal will be to ensure that no one feels cheated or Thoppressed, the country is stable and peaceful.