Nigeria on the brink of collapse, Clarke issues grim forecast on country’s future

The raging insecurity plaguing Nigeria has elicited a very grim prediction from a renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Robert Clarke, who said the country might not survive the next six months due to the scourge.

Clarke made this assertion during a guest appearance on Channels TV Programme, Sunday Politics.

He disclosed that “there is no gainsaying that Nigeria is on the brink of collapse. I had, seven years ago, 70% interest in this government, today I don’t have 10% in this government again”, while bemoaning the security situation which he said, was worse than the situation during the Shehu Shagari-led government in 1982.

Ripples Nigeria had reported that Clarke in 2016 had described Nigeria as a country in ruins, saying that only the return of the military would save the situation and restore order.

Asked how the kind of change he was advocating would happen, Clarke retorted that, though he was not pushing for a coup, he somehow believed that “God” would orchestrate a change and return a military ruler to the seat of power.

He said that his desire and prayer was for the soldiers to return for at least a 2-year period.

In his latest interview on Sunday, Clarke reiterated his earlier stance saying “the security situation in this country today is so bad that I, Robert Clarke, cannot guarantee Nigeria another six months.

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“The problems are so overwhelming and they have been created by these same politicians since 1999 constitution came in to be and this crop of politicians, young boys then, who were swimming in Sani Abacha’s loot and trying to form as many political parties for him, got into money and came into politics, Nigeria has never been the same.

“Nigeria is worse than it was in 1982. 1982 when Shehu Shagari was the president of the country is a better Nigeria than today, 2021. What is the cause? The cause is the leadership we have.”

However, the renowned legal luminary proffered some solutions to the malaise stating that “Nigeria has to be changed from what it is today and the only way to change it is to create a state (of emergency) that will make the 1999 constitution ungovernable. We want a state of emergency to be created in Nigeria today.

“How do we do it? Under the Nigerian constitution, the President, who is the commander-in-chief has all the power to delegate all his chief powers to the chief of defence staff. Let him now talk to the president of the Senate, let him now talk to the Speaker of the house and all the governors that a state of emergency is now going to be declared in Nigeria, which means all governors must go, all legislators must go.

“The military will now set up six geographical zones that we believe in our hearts, still exists but let’s start on that. Allow military governance over those states.

“I can assure you, the day Nigeria is released to six states, and there is a state of emergency, 80% of the money being spent on governance will be returned to the treasury. Then, we can sit and rejig Nigeria, let all the states control their internal resources.”

By Mayowa Oladeji…

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