Northern leaders’ call for restructuring, a carrot and stick approach ― Afenifere Chieftain

A chieftain and the Organising Secretary of the Pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Kole Omololu, has described the call for restructuring by the northern leaders as a carrot and stick approach.

Omololu who stated this in a statement signed by him condemned the leaders from the northern region of the country for attaching conditions in throwing their weight behind the calls for the restructuring of the country.

Omololu berated the northern elders for failing to address the socio-economic and political challenges confronting the country during its just-concluded summit and said the elders were only interested in arrogating to themselves the power to determine who occupies the highest position in the country.

Omololu said “The North has the right to state the conditions under which it will continue to stay in Nigeria but the South has the right to state its own terms. The South insists on restructuring which includes state police, regional armies, regional customs and immigration.”

He maintained that “no useful purpose is served when stakeholders issue threats or arrogate to themselves the power to determine who occupies the highest position in the land or not.”

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According to Afenifere Chieftain, “The communique pretended to advocate one united, just and equitable nation but we notice the loud silence on the unprecedented kidnapping, brigandage, forceful occupation of farmlands and destruction of communities in the southern parts of the country, condemnation of the activities of the bandits and kidnappers in the Southern parts of the country.

“Would the Northern People’s summit expound on equitable representation of the South in the headship of the country’s security, intelligence, paramilitary and other national institutions?

“We notice the threats against Southerners in the North.

“We in the South are not helpless as we were in 1966. The North may find that it is weaker in 2021 than it was in 1966.

“The time has come for an all-inclusive national dialogue of all stakeholders and nationalities. We should not be inhibited by past failures and half measures. A clean state presents itself.

“Let us put our imprint on it. Eminent, detribalised personalities across the country should seize the initiative to bring all parties to a dialogue.”

It will be recalled that leaders of the northern region of the country had last week declared their support for the restructuring of the country but said they would not succumb to the rotation of power between the North and the South.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE