Why Buhari must restructure Nigeria, by Okoko

EFFORTS by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government to fight corruption and diversify the economy may be doomed unless he restructures the country in line with the principle of true federalism based on the national conference report, a former president of the Ijaw National Congress and delegate to the conference, Professor Kimse Okoko, has said.

Okoko told The Guardian that implementation of the recommendations of the conference report remains a panacea to ending ethnic and religious bigotry that has bedevilled Nigeria.
He said if the country remains the way it is structured now, it will be unable to achieve much in terms of human, economic and physical development, stressing that the present unfair structure of Nigeria is partly responsible for the endemic corruption that is ravaging the country.

“ If we don’t restructure, no matter how we fight corruption, it will not stop. The overconcentration of power and wealth at the centre is an incentive for people to be at the centre and of course that gets way down to every part of the country.
Without the restructuring of the country along the lines of true federalism, we will not go far in our effort t develop, stabilize and develop the country and diversify the economy” he said.

Okoko argued that the current structure of the country is skewed against some parts of the country that have been oppressed. According to him, If one part of the country feel oppressed, it will be difficult for that section of the country, they are not going to continue to support those things that are inimical to their progress, particularly those things that inimical to their ownership of the resources.

“So, the restructuring is key to the final solution of the problems of this country. I am urging the federal government to implement the recommendations of the national conference. It is a shame that some delegates are saying that the outcome of the national conference is against the North.

That is completely stupid because there was nothing like that. All positions were through consensus. The implementation of the national conference recommendations will save this country from continued instability, economic malaise, ethnicity and bigotry. I am urging the Federal Government to implement the national conference recommendations,” he said.

He urged the president be consistent and persistent in taking the war to the Boko Haram insurgents, appealing also that those who be fished out and dealt with decisively or the insurgency may go on forever.
Okoko advised the Buhari administration to strengthen and improve radically the educational sector because that is the sector that is going to provide the manpower for the required leadership in all facets of Nigeria’s national life.

“So, the educational sector must be looked at seriously. He should also ensure the improvement of the energy sector in this country. We have the gas and others resources to fix the power crisis in this country. If these areas are looked at and tackled, I think we will get out of the woods and then can attain the height we ought to have attained among the comity of nations,” he said.