Once again, the General Over-seer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God has lend his voice to addressing some of the issues which has to do with the survival and growth of the nation Nigeria and also the fostering of the national unity of the country as a Federating unit.
Pastor E.A Adeboye is the leader of one of the biggest Religious denomination in Africa and across the world. The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Nigeria has its members from the 36 states of the federation with the various ethnic groups and tribes all well represented in the institution. He’s well known and respected in the country and the African continent for his simple self and personality and his numerous contribution to the growth and development of Nigerians.
Speaking in a broadcast has enjoined the federal government of Nigeria under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to see to the restructuring of the country now with no further delay or put the country at risk over its failure to do so.
It will be recalled that the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration came into power in its first term with one of its campaign promises based on the need to restructuring the nation. There have been several calls from well meaning Nigerians home and abroad on the need for a proper restructuring of the Nigerian system. The nation Nigeria since its inception as a sovereign state upon its amalgamation in 1914 and its eventual independence in the year 1960 has failed to comfortably exist peaceful and harmoniously which has led to other challenges which has deprived the nation Nigeria of the much needed growth and development.It’s been stated that the current system does not fully accommodate the various complexities that comes with the uniqueNigeria Federating units. There’s been various calls for secession of the Nigeria Federating units into three to allow the three major ethnic groups to function Independently as sovereign nations on their own with recent agitations from the south east as the IPOBS agitates for the sovereign status for Republic of Biafra while there’s been some minute demand for the republic of Oduduwa by the South West.
While many has called for the saving of the Nigeria nation before it gets out of hand, Pastor E.A Adeboye while addressing the Nigerian government stated that if there’s anytime better for the Nigerian nation to restructure, there’s no better time than now.
According to him he explained that there’s nothing wrong with the Nigerian nation having a government that is totally and one hundred percent fully indigenous and which is exclusively unique to us. The Nigerian system has been described by many as a system which is a product of colonial rule a d administration which does not fit into the Nigerian realities.
“I believe that we might want to look at the Problems of Nigeria in a slightly different manner. Some people feel that all our problems will be over if Nigeria should break up. I think that is trying to solve the problems of Nigeria as if it’s a simple equation. The problems of Nigeria will require a bit of simultaneous equation and some of them are not going to be linear either- forgive me I am talking as a mathematician.
Why can’t we have a system of government that will create what I will the United States of Nigeria? Let me explain. We all know that we must restructure. It’s either we restructure or we break, you don’t have to be a prophet to know that one. This is certain- restructure or we break up.”
Why many have thrown in their weight behind the prominent Nigeria leader, and while others might not adopt his proposed restructuring template, the obvious facts still remains, there’s a need for Nigeria to restructure.
The nation Nigeria has many things to lose in the case of a breakup and I believe that it is the joint hope and prayers of many that the Nigerian nation is not divided. However there are sacrifices to be made to ensure this. There is a need for the Nigerian government to take issues of the nation at heart and not turn a blind eye or deaf eyes to it.
While everyone has a duty to ensure the sustainability of the nation as a unified one, the Federal Government of Nigeria has a lot to do, they must be the one leading the charge to restructure the nation. There’s must be a national dialogue process which will see to the creation of a template that will see to this and ensure the sustainability of the future of the country.
Restructuring in Nigeria is needed on many ground, Nigeria needs a total overhaul of its current political system; restructuring in the form of political decentralization and a different Economic template is necessary as it will to a great extent birth a more economically viable and politically functional nation.
Nigeria, despite the fact that it’s a federal Republic has a unitary constitution pattern, one in which the federal government holds an encompassing power and authority over the Federating units. The nation Nigeria is made us a a federating states with thirty-six states which also consist of a federal capital territory and also a 774 local government areas which also includes the Federal Capital Territory. Here within the Nigerian Federating Nation, the federal government controls the revenues and almost all the nation’s resources which include oil and natural gas.
This arrangement in its political structure was not like this before. The nation used to have a 4 region under the 1963 constitution namely Northern Nigeria, Eastern Nigeria, Western Nigeria and Mid Western Nigeria.
In the absence of a federal government allocation or revenue from oil, the nation depended on export crops which were important and central to molding the nation’s economy. Here political Federalism reduced the power of the central government.
Its high time Nigerians and its Leaders stop the unending and pathetic politicization of the news for restructuring the nation. The future and the survival of the nation as a united Federating unit depends on it, the even growth and development of the nation solely rest on this attainment of this.
By Marcus Amudipe