Obasanjo fears Nigeria may disintegrate without restructuring

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday said except Nigeria is restructured by reforming the Federation units, the country may disintegrate.

According to the former President, insecurity is one issue common to Nigerians, regardless of tribe, language, religion, location, gender, age or social position, noting that without reforming the federating units, Nigeria would remain insecure, unstable, unprogressive, stagnated and, at worst, disintegrate.

Obasanjo spoke on Friday at this year’s edition of the Sobo Sowemimo Annual Lecture organised by Abeokuta Club. The event was titled, “COVID-19 and the Nigeria security issues: The way forward.”

He said: “Let me lay more emphasis on the issue of security, which in itself is serious enough to make restructuring imperative. The South-West governors cried out and devised Amotekun as a solution or part-solution. We have yet to see how successfully that will be operated. Other zones are clamouring for a solution because in no state and in no geopolitical zone is life and property safe and secure.

“Criminality is the order of the day. And it cuts across the entire nation. Insecurity is one issue of commonality among Nigerians, no matter their tribe, language, religion, geographical location, gender, age or social position.’’

Recalling that the Northern Elders’ Forum, through its spokesperson, Akeem Baba Ahmed, had declared President Buhari a failure on account of persistent insecurity within the nation, Obasanjo said: “I leave out economy which is in the doldrums and fighting corruption where you see more heat than light and which is festering like a bad sore. That, to me, is what reform of federating units and restructuring is all about and not about break-up or disintegration. Insecurity brought about by widespread criminality of Boko Haram, insurgents, herdsmen/farmers conflict, terrorists, bandits, armed robbers, militants, kidnappers, abductors and human traffickers is a new phenomenon that is ravaging the entire country.’’

Continuing, he argued that it was evident that no ethnic group or geopolitical zone and even the Fulanis in Nigeria are collectively satisfied with the present situation in spite of the President, Muhammadu Buhari, being a Fulani man.

Read also: Obasanjo commends Buhari’s govt for efforts to tackle COVID-19

“I am, of course, discounting invidious and irredeemable Fulani fundamentalists and hegemonists. Federal security architecture, as organised and operated by the present government, cannot give any individual or group hope, let alone assurance of security within Nigeria,’’ Obasanjo said.

He further said that from the beginning of June, there had been agitations and protests of a revolutionary nature in Mali.

He added: “Not that I am afraid of revolution, no, not at all, but I love and cherish peace and, of course, not peace of the graveyard. If I am concerned about security issues in Mali because of possibility of flow-over to other parts of West Africa, I should be more concerned about security in any part of Nigeria. I have not lived for the demise of Nigeria nor for its destruction or incapacitation in any form. Rather, I have lived to make and see a great and united country.’’

Obasanjo further noted that there was a time when kidnappers, militants, and human traffickers ravaged the East and the South-South and the North was relatively unaffected.

“Now, no part of the country can claim to be safe from the menace and insecurity caused by terrorists, armed robbers, human traffickers, kidnappers of all sorts, cattle rustlers, insurgents, bandits and herders/farmers conflicts.

“We are all challenged to put our thinking caps on, join hands and seek solutions together, otherwise, we will be destroyed piecemeal”, he submitted.

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