Restructuring: Old Midwest professionals to meet Wednesday

Some professionals from the old Midwest region (now Edo and Delta states) are scheduled to meet in Benin on Wednesday to review the regions position on restructuring.

A statement by the spokesman of the Midwest Movement, renowned playwright, Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki on Monday indicated that the professionals across differennt fields who are indigenes of the region would deliberate on the all important issue and come up with the best deal for Midwest.

According to him, as agitation for restructuring gets louder, professionals from the business sector, academic, political class, media, civil society groups and others, who are indigenes of the old Midwest region will converge on Benin City on Wednesday.(tomorrow).

He mentioned some of the delegates at the meeting to include himself, another of the big players in the Nollywood, Richard Mofe Damijo; Senator Domingo Obende; a senior lecturer in the Faculty ofLaw, University of Benin, Professor Edoba Omoregie; former  presidential adviser, Professor Echefuna Onyebeadi; Dr. Chris Itsede; an editor with Thisday, Iyobosa Uwugiaren and Mr. Ide Eguabor.

He listed others to include Admiral S. Ogoigbe (rtd); Dr. Godwin Akpobire; Dr. Mo Eyeoyibo; Dr. Loretta Ogboro-Okor; Ebiere Akangbou; Prince Kassim Afegbua; Mena Ajakpovi; Arc. Frank Evbuomwan; Dr. Mogba Eyeoyibo; Dr. SEO Ogbonmwan; Olorogun Theo Mukoro; Engr. Wole Abu and others.

The statement read in part: “We The Midwest Movement call for a restructuring of the Nigerian nation. The objective is to achieve a  better deal for the Midwest within the Nigerian commonwealth.

‘’We the Midwest Movement believes that the destiny and future of the territories of the Midwestern Region/Bendel State cannot be attached to any agitation of the Eastern or Western tribes and our neighbours.

Neither can any of the territories of the Midwestern Region/Bendel State be annexed by any such agitator(s). We are a distinct People.

‘’We, the Midwest Movement call for re-federalisation of the Nigerian Nation-State, based on informed understanding of best practices, employing the fiscal allocation provisions of the pre-1966 constitutions as useful templates.’’

The Movement stated that it was not searching for the balkanisation of the country or the declaration of Midwest Republic adding that it will insist on engaging in the federal argument as one region of the regions.

The statement further read: “The Midwest Movement shall examine and properly situate the history of the Midwest Region/Bendel State, and its rightful place in the future of Nigeria.

‘’THE Midwest Movement shall be a constituent assembly/constitutional assembly for the purpose of drafting or adopting a position document that best reflects the aspirations of the Midwest peoples of Edo and Delta states.

‘’We shall set out terms of engagement with: the larger Nigeria federation and/or the Niger-Delta/South-South or as a separate union, this must be tertiary; a last resort.’’