Afenifere, Ohanaeze, PANDEF Knock Buhari Over Opposition To Restructuring

THE pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, the
Ohaneze Ndigbo, Pan Niger Delta Forum and the Middle Belt Forum
have kicked against the latest position of the President, Major
General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on the call for the restructuring
of Nigeria.

Buhari had during the launch of Kudirat Abiola Sabon Gari, Zaria
Peace Foundation in Zaria, erased any doubt about his dislike for
the call for Nigeria’s restructuring.

Buhari, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, Revenue
Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Alhaji Mohammed
Shehu, had said, “those who are discussing restructuring; my
question is, what are you going to restructure?

“If you ask many Nigerians what they are going to restructure,
you will find out that they have nothing to talk about. Some of
them have not even studies the 1999 Constitution. The 1999
Constitution is almost 70 to 80 per cent 1979 Constitution.

“Those calling for whether separation or restructuring; some of
them I will say they are very naive or even mischievously
dangerous. Those agitating for restructuring are ignorant of war
and its consequences.”

But while Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Middle Belt Forum
kicked against the President’s stance on the issue of
restructuring, the Arewa Consultative Forum and an elder statesman,
Tanko Yakassai, aligned with Buhari against restructuring.

Restructuring necessary to get out of current
predicament – Afenifere

Reacting, Afenifere in a statement by its Secretary General,
Sola Ebiseni, reiterated that the country needed to be restructured
to get out of the current predicament.

Ebiseni added, “It is my submission that the statement could not
be the opinion of General Buhari (retd.), who is already seeking
restructuring the current Land Use Act under the 1999 Constitution
to reopen grazing routes under a law made pursuant to the 1963
Constitution.

“We are at a critical stage where children, particularly in
states with the highest population of children out of school in the
world can no longer go to school at all for fear of being kidnapped
for ransom.

“State governments are demanding the powers to establish state
police to deal with insecurity and prominent traditional rulers,
especially Emirs have called on their people to rise in their own
defence and some uninformed government officials are threatening us
with war if we seek restructuring or self determination. It is so
nauseating…this rudderless government.”

What’s holding Nigeria together no longer the same –
Ohanaeze

In his remarks, the spokesman for Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Alex
Ogbonnia, described the 1999 Constitution, which Buhari was talking
about as fraudulent and should not be the basis for the
renegotiation of Nigeria.

He said, “There is no way he (Buhari) can think that what has
held us together for about 60 years ago will remain the same.

“He has made his opinion but the truth now is that there is need
for him to understand that the dominant view in Nigeria is that
Nigeria should be restructured. We are saying that the centre is
too homogeneous. The solution is restructuring.”

Restructuring advocates are patriots, M’Belt replies
Buhari

Similarly, the President of the Middle Belt Forum, Bitrus Pogu,
said those calling for restructuring of Nigeria as presently
constituted were the genuine lovers of the country and not
troublemakers.

Describing Buhari’s remarks as unfortunate, Pogu said it was
only those who never wished Nigeria well that would push for the
status quo to remain.

Pogu said, “Those clamouring for restructuring are genuine
lovers of Nigeria; they are people who want Nigeria to work for the
benefit of Nigerians because they have realised the skewed system
which we are operating have created a lot of problems where
insecurity has increased and things are not working well. Nobody is
saying that Mr President’s powers should be seized,

Presidency either dishonest or confused, says
PANDEF

Meanwhile, PANDEF’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson,
said the presidency was insensitive to the unity of the country and
her future.

PANDEF statement read in part, “The President’s statement
indicts not only his party, the All Progressives Congress, but
himself, as well. It speaks to the fact that they are either
dishonest or incoherent and confused.

“How could a President whose party constituted a committee on
restructuring that was chaired by one of his, Governor, Mallam
Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, make such comments? The Governor
El-Rufai Committee concluded its assignment and submitted a report
to the party, of which the President is the supposed leader over
two years ago.

“That the President could make such comments, though, through a
representative, reflects the core of the nation’s problems at this
time. That he could threaten war and the destruction of livelihoods
of Nigerians shows that this Presidency is insensitive, callous,
and doesn’t care about the unity and future of Nigeria.”

ACF knocks agitators of restructuring, aligns with Buhari

However, the ACF National Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Yawe,
who supported Buhari’s stance on restructuring said, “We in the ACF
disagree with them (agitators). What we have found rather strange
is that some of the agitators for restructuring are the same people
calling for the dismemberment of Nigeria.

“We don’t see how you are going to restructure a non-existent
country. Before you restructure, we want a referendum so that we
have a country to restructure. How can Nigeria be restructured if
it no longer exists?”

THE pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, the
Ohaneze Ndigbo, Pan Niger Delta Forum and the Middle Belt Forum
have kicked against the latest position of the President, Major
General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on the call for the restructuring
of Nigeria.

Buhari had during the launch of Kudirat Abiola Sabon Gari, Zaria
Peace Foundation in Zaria, erased any doubt about his dislike for
the call for Nigeria’s restructuring.

Buhari, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, Revenue
Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Alhaji Mohammed
Shehu, had said, “those who are discussing restructuring; my
question is, what are you going to restructure?

“If you ask many Nigerians what they are going to restructure,
you will find out that they have nothing to talk about. Some of
them have not even studies the 1999 Constitution. The 1999
Constitution is almost 70 to 80 per cent 1979 Constitution.

“Those calling for whether separation or restructuring; some of
them I will say they are very naive or even mischievously
dangerous. Those agitating for restructuring are ignorant of war
and its consequences.”

But while Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Middle Belt Forum
kicked against the President’s stance on the issue of
restructuring, the Arewa Consultative Forum and an elder statesman,
Tanko Yakassai, aligned with Buhari against restructuring.

Restructuring necessary to get out of current
predicament – Afenifere

Reacting, Afenifere in a statement by its Secretary General,
Sola Ebiseni, reiterated that the country needed to be restructured
to get out of the current predicament.

Ebiseni added, “It is my submission that the statement could not
be the opinion of General Buhari (retd.), who is already seeking
restructuring the current Land Use Act under the 1999 Constitution
to reopen grazing routes under a law made pursuant to the 1963
Constitution.

“We are at a critical stage where children, particularly in
states with the highest population of children out of school in the
world can no longer go to school at all for fear of being kidnapped
for ransom.

“State governments are demanding the powers to establish state
police to deal with insecurity and prominent traditional rulers,
especially Emirs have called on their people to rise in their own
defence and some uninformed government officials are threatening us
with war if we seek restructuring or self determination. It is so
nauseating…this rudderless government.”

What’s holding Nigeria together no longer the same –
Ohanaeze

In his remarks, the spokesman for Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Alex
Ogbonnia, described the 1999 Constitution, which Buhari was talking
about as fraudulent and should not be the basis for the
renegotiation of Nigeria.

He said, “There is no way he (Buhari) can think that what has
held us together for about 60 years ago will remain the same.

“He has made his opinion but the truth now is that there is need
for him to understand that the dominant view in Nigeria is that
Nigeria should be restructured. We are saying that the centre is
too homogeneous. The solution is restructuring.”

Restructuring advocates are patriots, M’Belt replies
Buhari

Similarly, the President of the Middle Belt Forum, Bitrus Pogu,
said those calling for restructuring of Nigeria as presently
constituted were the genuine lovers of the country and not
troublemakers.

Describing Buhari’s remarks as unfortunate, Pogu said it was
only those who never wished Nigeria well that would push for the
status quo to remain.

Pogu said, “Those clamouring for restructuring are genuine
lovers of Nigeria; they are people who want Nigeria to work for the
benefit of Nigerians because they have realised the skewed system
which we are operating have created a lot of problems where
insecurity has increased and things are not working well. Nobody is
saying that Mr President’s powers should be seized,

Presidency either dishonest or confused, says
PANDEF

Meanwhile, PANDEF’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson,
said the presidency was insensitive to the unity of the country and
her future.

PANDEF statement read in part, “The President’s statement
indicts not only his party, the All Progressives Congress, but
himself, as well. It speaks to the fact that they are either
dishonest or incoherent and confused.

“How could a President whose party constituted a committee on
restructuring that was chaired by one of his, Governor, Mallam
Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, make such comments? The Governor
El-Rufai Committee concluded its assignment and submitted a report
to the party, of which the President is the supposed leader over
two years ago.

“That the President could make such comments, though, through a
representative, reflects the core of the nation’s problems at this
time. That he could threaten war and the destruction of livelihoods
of Nigerians shows that this Presidency is insensitive, callous,
and doesn’t care about the unity and future of Nigeria.”

ACF knocks agitators of restructuring, aligns with Buhari

However, the ACF National Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Yawe,
who supported Buhari’s stance on restructuring said, “We in the ACF
disagree with them (agitators). What we have found rather strange
is that some of the agitators for restructuring are the same people
calling for the dismemberment of Nigeria.

“We don’t see how you are going to restructure a non-existent
country. Before you restructure, we want a referendum so that we
have a country to restructure. How can Nigeria be restructured if
it no longer exists?”