Obasanjo ‘bombs’ restructuring, secession advocates

In spite of the positive disposition to sustained calls for restructuring by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that what actually needs restructuring is not Nigeria as an entity, but the mindset and wrong mentality of Nigerians.

He made the submission on Friday at the palace of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli, during a courtesy call to the monarch after an earlier visit to Engr. Leemon Ikpea’s Lee Engineering and Construction Company Ltd, where he inspected oil and gas hardwares locally manufactured by the company.

Obasanjo, who was reacting to remarks on marginalisation and a request for a fair share of the national cake due Itsekiri by the Olu of Warri, stated that the way out of any difficulty the country might be wading through was not secession, but dialogue.

He noted that there was nothing wrong in a group of people or an ethnic group asking for equity and justice, saying it was legitimate.

He, however, took a swipe on agitators for secession and restructuring, saying that dismemberment of any part of the country was unacceptable.

The solution to the agitation for restructuring or secession, according to the former military general, is a change of mindset and good governance to deliver the goods to Nigerians.

The former People’s Democratic Party BoT chair, urged other eminent Nigerians to speak up against things that are wrong in the country as well as proffer remedies, saying keeping sealed lips amounted to conspiracy.

He reiterated his abhorrence for war as the solution to the progress and sustenance of the country, noting that anyone who had experienced one before would not pray for another.

He commended the Itsekiri for not choosing the option of secession, but advocacy and dialogue to press home their grievances.

His words: “For me, for any group of people to say that they wanted a dismemberment of this country is unacceptable.

“I believe that we can solve our problems through dialogue, debates,  discussions and conversations.

“I participated in the civil war, but may I never participate in another in my life. It was gruesome, destructive and deadly.

“Most of the people who are now clamoring for whatever they are clamouring for, they don’t even know what war means.

“Whoever has seen the devastation of war, the destruction of war, the mindlessness of war will never want to see war again. And may we never see war again.

“But I believe that the answer to most of our problems is mindset change, change of mentality.

“If we need restructuring at all, it’s the restructuring of our mindsets and the restructuring of our mentality.

“How will anybody in his right senses believe that the way out of our problems in Nigeria is separation?

“If we have problems, we can talk about it. It’s our diversity that makes us a great country.

“I don’t want to have a Nigeria of sameness where we’ll all be dancing the same Apala or Juju. The beauty and greatness of Nigeria is in our diversity. “

Meanwhile, the elder statesman has disclosed that in spite of several challenges, the country was still making some appreciable progress even though more progress was needed.

According to him, “some progress is being made. We have difficulties and we have problems. But in spite of these, some progress is being made.

“We need to make greater progress than we’ve made. If we do that and we have good governance, no impunity, there’s justice, equity and we make everybody have a sense of belonging, I think we’ll be there sooner than later.

“There’s nothing wrong with Nigeria, but a lot is wrong with Nigerians. And what we need to do is correct what is wrong with Nigerians.”

While urging eminent Nigerians to speak up on things going wrong in the country, the former military general said: “some of us have to speak up. If things are wrong and you do not speak up, you’re an accomplice.

“We have to say that this thing is not good enough and proffer something better.

“The dismemberment of this country is not the solution. Harmony and cohesion are what should substitute dismemberment. “

Former President Obasanjo was accompanied to Delta by business tycoon, Otunba Oyewole Fasawe and two others and to the functions by Acting Governor Kingsley Otuaro and Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, RT. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, among others.