Falana says restructuring can’t guarantee unity, political stability

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has said that “restructuring Nigeria can never guarantee unity and political stability” without democratisation.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) stressed that the ruling class has always restructured the country and that the current structure was imposed on Nigerians by military dictators.

Falana’s position was encapsulated in a paper he delivered at the 19th Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos yesterday.

“No doubt, the country is ripe for restructuring or power devolution; but it cannot guarantee unity and political stability without the democratisation of powers and equitable redistribution of the commonwealth along egalitarian lines,” he noted.

The rights activist also said: “Restructuring without equitable redistribution of the commonwealth will not promote unity or political stability.

Unity is not an abstract phenomenon. In concrete terms, unity means the corporate existence of Nigeria.

“Since the rich are united in exploiting our national resources, the exploited poor and oppressed people should unite to free themselves from poverty.”

The eminent lawyer also posited that Nigerians must support the battle against corruption for it to succeed.

He said government must play its part by embarking on developmental projects that will positively impact lives.

For the fiery lawyer, the imperialist economic agenda of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC)–led Federal Government, which accentuated poverty in the country, must be abandoned.