Gani Adams takes restructuring campaign to Dubai

The Aare Ona Kakanfo-designate, Otunba Gani Adams, has declared that the only solution to the crises in Nigeria “is restructuring to take out the cancer of disintegration currently ravaging the country on every side”.

“Nobody is calling for the disintegration of Nigeria but a lot of things are wrong with our democracy back home and to address these anomalies, we must restructure the country along regional lines”.

Adams, who is to be installed as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland on January 13 by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, spoke at the weekend at the launch of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) chapter of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Oodua Progressive Union (OPU), in Dubai.

UAE is the 79th country where Adams has launched the Union.

Those who graced the event, included OPU UAE Coordinator, Owoseni Akindutire, the Head of Chancery of Nigerian Embassy in UAE, Mrs Kemi Ogunbanjo, Coordinator of OPU in Europe, Akinrogun Victor Adewale; Secretary, Nigeria Community in Dubai, Mr. Austin Edeko; President, Nigeria in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), Kuwait, Alhaji Abdul Wasiu Elu; while the Guest Lecturer was Mr. Gabriel Akinadewo.

Speaking further, Adams, who lamented that Nigeria, as it is presently constituted, is not sustainable, declared: “It is our belief in OPU that the time is now for the country to take the option of restructuring. We also warn that any restructuring that is not tailored along regional line, reflecting the six geo-political structure of the country, would be a mere wasting of time and resources.

Read also: 8 thugs arrested over attack on Ondo monarch

“Regionalism is most suitable for the country at this time as each region will be governed by laws that best suits it and, I think, the experience and success recorded in the defunct Western Region best registers the need for a return to regionalism.

“Already, groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra and the Niger Delta Avengers have, more or less, shattered whatever illusions we may retain, regarding the Nigeria we are living in. While Nigeria will obviously be better off remaining a nation, it is also true that a surgical operation is required to take out the cancer of disintegration currently ravaging the country on every side.

“Nigeria is supposed to be a Federal Republic but it operates a unitary constitution where the states, like children, simply go to Abuja at the end of every month to collect food. They cannot even feed themselves.

“Is it not an utter shame that the descendants of Oyo Empire, Kanem-Borno Empire, Benin Empire and others have to go, cap in hand, to Abuja, collecting allocation that cannot even pay workers’ salaries when the traditional system, which guaranteed full employment and a decent standard of living, can be recreated through proper federalism like we had in the First Republic?”

The Guest Lecturer, in his submission, declared that Nigeria, blessed with human and material resources, can only be great if it changes its orientation from being a consuming to a productive nation.

Citing insecurity, lack of infrastructure, series of agitation and lack of direction to drive the economy, as some of the challenges Nigeria is facing, Akinadewo told the audience how other countries, with similar challenges in the past, surmounted the obstacles.

“Nigeria cannot sustain a system in which the Federal Government controls the least mineral product in the remotest part of the country. States and regions should be allowed to mine resources, remitting a fixed percentage to the centre.”

He enlightened the audience on how Singapore, who got independence in 1965 and Japan, after the Second World War, were able to put their past behind them “to become first class countries today”.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now