THE Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Aare Gani Adams, has once again restated that for the country to curtail its economic, political, security challenges and pervasive poverty, restructuring remained the only way out of the quagmire the nation is experiencing.
Adams who stated this in Akure, Ondo state capital, during a special grand reception organised for him by the people of the state, maintained that restructuring is the only panacea to the nation’s unending problems.
He called on Nigerians leaders to embrace restructuring and drop their selfish interest, saying, “Politically and economically, the world continuously witnesses transformation across countries.
“In Nigeria, the situation should not be different. Of course, changing a country is not a task for the lily-livered but historically, and as the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, I know for sure that Yoruba leaders have a record of not succumbing to machinations of ‘enemies of the society’.
“Obviously, there is nothing impossible for the determined mind. One thing I am sure of is that the Yoruba, as a bloc in Nigeria, are determined to ensure that this country is equitably restructured.”
Expressing optimism that the country would be restructured, Adams said “there is no going back because that is the only way this country can survive. Nigeria is going through various crises today because some leaders are stubbornly against restructuring.
“But, I want to assure this gathering that by God’s Grace, whether now or in the future, this country will be restructured.
“There is no way we can guarantee peace and security if this country is not restructured. If this country is restructured in a way that every locality controls the instrumentality of security, the wanton killings of Nigerians will stop automatically.
He explained that the distribution of powers to states and local government will not only enhance the growth of this country but also attract rapid development.
Adams said that it is only restructuring that can bring out the numerous challenges that the country has been faced over the years, saying that the too many powers at the centre have also been traced as the root cause of bad leadership in the country
“If this country is restructured economically, no finance Commissioner will be going to Abuja every month to collect a pittance in the name of monthly allocation.
“If this country is restructured equitably, the current revenue sharing formula in which the Federal Government collects 52.6 percent of centrally-collected revenues in the Federation Account, leaving States and Local Governments with 26.7 percent and 20.6 percent will stop.
“If this country is restructured politically, responsible politicking, through independent candidature, will be introduced into our polity which will automatically knock out god-fatherism from our politics.
“To have an egalitarian society, restructuring is the answer. We want Nigeria to survive as a nation. That is why we are agitating that Nigeria must be restructured and our political and economic powers must derive legitimacy from the people.”
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