Former governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, has said he will continue to support the call for restructuring only if the arrangement will ensure political stability that will bring progress, free, fair and just leadership in Nigeria.
Shekarau stated this in Akure, Ondo state capital while speaking with journalists after a book launch titled “Nigeria: The path we refused to take” written by the Secretary of Afenifere, the Pan Yoruba Socio-Political group, Bashorun Seinde Arogbofa.
The former governor however called on the Federal government to listen to the voice of the people by setting up an appropriate body to harmonise all the previous constitutional conferences in the interest of the country.
He noted that some people are championing the cause of restructuring of the polity in order to serve their personal interests.
He said, “I support restructuring but you see the problem is, as many as interpretation about restructuring Nigeria is as many as the people talking about restructuring.”
“What I am saying is that all these interpretations, the government in power must sit down and collate all the interpretations to an appropriate body to interpret to Nigerians the meaning of restructuring. I know you will agree with me, that different people have different meaning to the restructuring.”
“Unless as nation, we identify collectively on what we mean by restructuring, we will never get there. I support any restructuring, any arrangement that will ensure political stability that will bring progress, which will bring free and fair and just leadership in Nigeria. That is my idea of restructuring.”
According to him, this would douse the agitation for restructuring rocking different regions of the country, saying that since all the six geo-political zones are clamouring for restructuring, government should listen to the voice of the people.
He explained that there should not be no need for another conference to address the restructuring issue but the government should set a body of trusted people who can come out with ideas on how to move the nation forward.
Shekarau said, “Not necessarily another conference, but setting up of an appropriate body, trusted people to collate all the reports of the previous conferences , to collect all the ideas, to identify and can even go into referendum on a particular understanding of what restructuring is all about.”
“Now, everybody is interpreting it in his own way and that is not a Nigeria. If we are not careful, we will fall in to the hands of few elite.”
“Some people want restructuring that will give government a regional geo-political zone because they want to be super governors in a geo-political zone.”
He however said, “I don’t want to bring in any particular interpretation that would break Nigeria, but the interpretation that would move Nigeria forward. I am not speaking here as a northerner, but I am speaking as a Nigerian.”
“In the Southwest, it is not just about the state police, even in the Southeast, it is not just about Biafra, the Southeast want additional states. All others zones have six states while one has seven. The Southeast needs additional one state.”
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