New Telegraph

Clark: Without restructuring, Nigeria risks chaos, worse insecurity

One-time Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, has warned that Nigeria might witness more chaos and worse state of insecurity if the government failed to restructure the polity ahead of the 2023 general elections. The nonagenarian said the looming chaos will make the current agitations by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Yoruba Nation a child’s play if government refused to heed the series of warnings on the need to restructure the country. Clark gave the warnings yesterday during a chat with journalists at his Asokoro residence, Abuja.

The elder statesman who also leads the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) charged President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow Nigeria to disintegrate due to what he described as the authoritarian attitude of one individual. He stressed that restructuring has become very imperative, because it was one of the key issues in the APC’s manifesto when it was formed and during the 2015 presidential campaigns. Clark alleged that the National Assembly spends about N1billion annually on review of the 1999 Constitution, without making any headway. He enjoined them to halt the waste of resources by embarking on restructuring the polity.

He noted that eminent Nigerians from the South and the North have been calling for restructuring even as he urgedPresidentBuharito, as matter of urgency, convoke a Representative Assembly or Town Hall meeting to consider the All Progressives Congress (APC) Committee Report on Restructuring or the 2014 National Conference report. According to him, Nigeria must be ready to fight for liberation as the prison is not only for thieves, but for those who are fighting for the interest of their country.

The renowned Ijaw leader stressed: “Mr President, I beg of you, in the name of Almighty God, I am now very close to 95 years, and on behalf of my fellow elders and our children, act NOW. We have no other country to call our own, no other country to go to if Nigeria breaks due to authoritarian attitude of one individual.

Please, retrace your steps and embrace and implement your party’s report, the El-Rufai APC Committee report. Nigerians will accept it. “The South is calling for restructuring; the North is calling for restructuring. The whole country believes in restructuring. Restructuring was also one of the key priority issues in the APC manifesto when it was formed, and during the 2015 presidential campaigns, which he has now abandoned, on assumption of office. “It may be necessary here to remind Nigerians the role played by our illustrious son, late Gen. Murtala Mohammed, in the elimination of apartheid in South Africa when he was in office for only six months.

It is, therefore, unimaginable and understandable that an officer in the government of Gen Murtala Mohammed will be the one to create an obstacle or oppose what his former boss instituted. And this was what our beloved late Gen Mohammed went to South Africa to fight against. We cannot be slaves in our own country.

“Nigeriansarereadytoaccept implementation of the 2014 National Conference, or the APC’s El-Rufai Committee report, any of which will no doubt satisfy the generality of the Nigerian people. “It is, indeed, shameful and unpatriotic for the leaders of APC to pretend that they have not seen the El-Rufai Committee report or even the 2014 National Conference report.

Some are even shamelessly stating that they do not know what restructuring means, and allow President Buhari to take over total control and direction of the party’s government; instead, they are more interested in who is to take over from him in 2023, for which they pretentiously worship him like god, just to gain favour.

The Tinubus who brought restructuring to the manifesto of APC have not spoken because they fear that if they do, they will not be allowed to contest for the presidency of the country come 2023. “Nigeria must be ready. The prison is not only for thieves, it is meant for those who are fighting for the interest of their country. Some of us are ready for treasonable trial.

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