THE committee set up by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to define restructuring for Nigerians is unnecessary. Rather, it is an indirect way of telling Nigerians that the change regime is not ready to have anything to do with restructuring of the entity called Nigeria. Setting up such a needless committee shows that the ruling party does not reckon with the prominent Nigerians and others that have been canvassing for the polity to be restructured. This utter disdain for the feelings and aspirations of majority of Nigerians is regrettable.

It is ironical that a party that promised that it would restructure Nigeria if it wins the election is the one that set up the so-called committee to define and determine what it means by restructuring to Nigerians. Is APC telling us that it does not know the meaning of ‘restructuring’ before making the promise?

Has the meaning of restructuring changed since 2015? Who is indeed fooling who? Setting up the committee is a waste of time. The committee has no business sitting at all.  We don’t want such a jamboree at this period of economic recession. Nigerians will not accept the definition of restructuring from the prism of APC. The APC government should not take Nigerians for a ride or subject them to another episode of the needless drama of the absurd. We have had enough comic relief in this greatly endowed country that has refused to be great. We don’t want that comic act, meant for another Nollywood film, to understand what restructuring means. 

We are tired of the dramatic, the acts of the lions, hyenas, jackals and lower animals. We do not need this rumble in the jungle to determine who between the APC and Nigerians can define restructuring better. I do not know why the ruling party thinks that a handful of party faithful will define restructuring for over 150 or 170 million Nigerians, most of who are well educated, enlightened and more informed. The acting President and law professor, Yemi Osinbajo, should do us a favour and disband the ill-fated committee headed by Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.

I say this because nothing good can come out of that committee headed by someone who is averse to restructuring and who has openly condemned those canvassing for it. The committee is indeed dead on arrival, it will not fly. If the government cannot take the definition of restructuring as offered by well-informed and well-meaning Nigerians since the debate hugged the headlines, I don’t think that Nigerians will accept the definition that the APC committee will bring forth.

Restructuring is about the future direction of the country, politically, economically and indeed in all ramifications. It is about power devolution from the centrist unitary federal government to the federating units; it is about fiscal federalism, it is like going back to the regions but not exactly the four disbanded four regions of pre-1966 military coup.

The restructuring being canvassed now can be along the line of six regions from the present six geopolitical zones.

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The present lopsided 36 state structure must be abolished alongside the amorphous 774 local governments to give way to a truly federal government. The regions will have their own police to be able to tackle rising criminality in the country. The regions will control and manage their resources and pay some taxes to the central government as done in the United States and other federal systems. Ours should not be different.

The inability of most of the 36 states to sustain themselves economically supports the call for restructuring the country. The non-existence of democratically elected local government system shows that the third tier of government does not exist. The few elections conducted in a few states by the state INEC is at best a charade because the ruling party in each state always sweeps the poll. That is not democratic.  The fierce struggle for the presidency is because we do not have a truly federal system of government. 

For such fierce contest to abate, power must devolve to federating regions while the federal government is left to take care of defence, foreign affairs and economy. The APC government’s pretence that it does not know what restructuring means is not believable until its tiny committee comes out with its own definition of the term. This government has displayed great contempt for restructuring and other progressive ideas in the country since assumption of power over two years ago.

It does not like to hear of the word in the first place. The advocates of restructuring have been called names, labeled and stereotyped. But such name-calling and labeling will not extinguish the campaign for the wobbling entity to be restructured for more effectiveness. If the APC does not know the meaning of restructuring, it should humbly ask former military head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, former Vice Presidents, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State governor, Balarabe Musa, former Commonwealth scribe, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, leaders of Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and a host of other Nigerians that have elaborately and definitively explained the concept.  The APC can read well-researched and articulated essays on restructuring written so far by eminent Nigerians. They can borrow from abroad on how other countries have restructured their polity for the wellbeing of their citizenry. The APC should stop thinking that all is well with the country the way it is and that those calling for restructuring are election losers and wailing wailers. The Wednesday rejection of restructuring, power devolution by the Senate will not stop the agitation. It is going to heighten it the more and may even lead to more separatist agitations in the country. Those making restructuring difficult and impossible are indirectly making separatism possible. They have vindicated IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu’s position on the future of the country. Those that are against restructuring are indirectly supporting the break-up of the country. 

The APC should stop its monologue and embrace dialogue on issues that concern all Nigerians. We do not need a political party to define and determine our future. The future of Nigeria will be determined by all Nigerians either through a consensus or referendum. One issue that requires referendum now is restructuring because 90 percent or more of Nigerians want the country to be restructured.

   The very insignificant few that are opposed to restructuring should not take the country to ransom. Restructuring is the only way forward for this country and its evolving democracy. It is the last hope for this country.