Okwe Obi, Abuja
Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani, has warned proponents of restructuring not to use the subject matter as an alibi to heighten tension in the country.
Addressing newsmen yesterday in Abuja, Uguru, who doubles as the President-General of Eastern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (ENPA), argued that restructuring does not begin and end with the geo-spatial delineation of landscape as some persons tend to convey.
“The subject of restructuring, which is canvassed as Nigeria’s ultimate panacea should not not be used to infuse further tension in our geo-politics. In the complex advance of tiers of government, it is not also a proposition of a system of political nomenclature, albeit, possibly inclusive,” he said.
Harping on the #EndSARS protest which crippled economic activities, he said the agitation, “have projected the feelings of Nigerians in profound and clear terms, but this is only a micro segment of the governance scope and ethical fabric of our nation.
“The Nigeria public now knows that the youth is a virile force, which interprets hope for the future of our country.
“The #EndSARS protests have provoked an intriguing war of conscience in all segments of our society. Our future will therefore depend on how this conscionable war is resolved; whether it weighs on the side of conscience toward God or personal sense of self-elation.
He, however, said: “It is unfortunate that the demonstrations have assumed dimensions that hurt the very intents of organised agitation through activities of violent breaches.
“Nevertheless, we are sorrowful at the consequences of bloodshed and arson that the distraction has caused.”
He commended the “prompt response of government to the #EndSARS demands, which indicates willingness to address the issues raised,” and said “patience is required to effect certain adjustments.
“We believe that the era of blame share is waned. All of us have a responsibility to rebuild our nation through conscience search, psyche reconstruction and a re-engineering of values.”
