No restructuring, no development in Nigeria, experts declare

Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Transcorp Plc, Valentine Ozigbo and Professor Femi Olufunmilade have joined other leaders to demand that President Muhammadu Buhari facilitates the process of restructuring Nigeria to move the country forward in terms of development.

This is coming shortly after Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Nnia Nwodo renewed calls for the country’s restructuring.

Speaking in a Zoom conference organised by Governance Index at the weekend, Ozigbo said the best time to restructure the country was now, adding that all economic indicators have shown that Nigeria was in a big mess with its current debt service ratio.

He stressed that restructuring would give the country an opportunity to develop and be more efficient, saying, “We are in a big mess. There is no doubt about it. It is now we will see manifestations of COVID-19 and our inability to service our debts should give us concern.”

Also, Professor Olufunmilade of the Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), Edo State, who canvassed urgent need for restructuring of the country, said that there was the need for the Federal Government to unbundle governance structures, adding that any state that could not provide for itself should face the music.

He expressed dissatisfaction with non-implementation of All Progressives Congress (APC) manifesto, which he said, hinged on restructuring, insisting that majority of people in the North also want the country restructured.

He, however, explained that there were minority elements in the North who are using divide and rule to misinform their people about restructuring, adding that President Buhari still has three years to restructure country as promised in the APC’s manifesto.

On his part, Director General of The Heritage Centre, Katch Ononuju, said most Northerners want restructuring, but that only the Fulani were resisting progress and restructuring.