Restructuring dominates ‘Handshake across the Niger’ agenda

.           South East, South West, South South, Middle Belt forge coalition

 By OBINNA EZUGWU

Nigeria must restructure to survive. This was the agreement of various notable speakers at a unity rally between the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere and various leaders of the Middle Belt and South South geopolitical zones in honour of the late General Aguiyi Ironsi and Col. Adekunle Fajuyi in Enugu last week.

The event which was put together by an Igbo think tank group, Nzuko Umunna was attended by personalities of note from all the three zones of Southern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, including Chief Olu Falae, Dr Nnia Nwodo, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Ex govs David Jang, Olusegun Mimiko, Idongesit Nkanga and Emeka Ezeife, Yinka Odumakin, Ifeanyi Uba and a host of others.

The notable absentees however, were the governor’s of the South East zone. While Enugu governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi sent his Special Assistant on Special Duties, Mr Uwakwe Azikiwe to represent him, and Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu sent his deputy governor; governors of Anambra, Imo and Ebonyi stayed away.

Notwithstanding, it was an event which was well attended and lived up to its billing. Various speakers took time to emphasize the need for Southern and Middle Belt unity, and restructuring featured prominently in all the speeches.

Nigeria is very sick right now- Chief Olu Falaye.

In his contribution, former presidential candidate, Chief Olu Falae said that Nigeria has become very sick and that only unity between the Igbo and the Yoruba can salvage it.

“The coming together of our two peoples is not just starting; it started long ago. The relationship has suffered ups and downs. There were times when I was at the centre of it, but I have no doubt in my mind that our union is an idea whose time has come.

“And it has not just come at anytime; it has arrived at a time critical in our nation; when our nation will signify the returning to health of the Nigerian project. I believe that the handshake will trigger the healing process of Nigeria because Nigeria is sick; very sick right now…”

Mutual distrust has destroyed what binds Igbo, Yoruba together – Dr. Ifeanyi Uba

Capital Oil CEO and one of the organisers of the event, Ifeanyi Ubah, said it was time to change the narrative in the relationship between the Igbo and the Yoruba.

“The dawn of a new era is upon us. For long, the Igbo and the Yoruba have been made to believe that they were sworn enemies; for ages, our mutual antagonist has promoted a non-existent feud and distrust, waging a sword into the heart of what binds the Igbo and the Yoruba. This falsehood has been on from generation to generation and many of our youths today have swallowed hook line and sinker the notion that the Igbo are not to trust the Yoruba, and that the Yoruba ought to tread with extreme caution when dealing with an Igbo man.

“For this to be dealt with, a conscious effort to demystify this fabrication became paramount, especially for the young generation who have no idea of what transpired in the last century, but believe that what is being said. It has become pertinent to educate them on the source and strength of the brotherhood and friendship shared between the Igbo and the Yoruba.

“After all, we are all southerners. This brotherhood which has largely been ignored or deliberately swept under the carpet and the need to remind us of our age long mutual relationship is the reason for this handshake. Today, this brotherhood is symbolised by the travails of Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi and Col. Francis Fajuyi. These two champions are the reason we are here today.

Our stance on restructuring is irrevocable – Dr Nnia Nwodo

 President-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Nnia Nwodo, while lamenting the incessant killing of Nigerians by Fulani herdsmen, insisted that restructuring had to be done.

“Today will go down in the history of Nigeria as a remarkable day. At a time our unity is threatened, at a time religious/ethnic cleansing is going on in some parts of Nigeria; at a time many Nigerians are losing hope in the joint enterprise called Nigeria, two major ethnic groups in Nigeria are coming together to re-emphasize their oneness; to recall the incidences in history which binds them together; to note their differences, historical agreements, regrettable pasts and proclaim ‘Let bygones be bygones’.

“Today we have come to say thank you to the Fajuyi family for paying the highest price of solidarity and brotherhood to the the Ironsi family, and by implication, Ndigbo. The late Col Adekunle Fajuyi in offering to go along with his boss and guest, rather than leaving him alone to be slaughtered, was dramatising brotherhood. We belittle Col Fajuyi if we do not continue to promote that brotherhood.

“At the dawn of self government and the commencement of political parties, Sir Hebert Macaulay exhibited strong brotherhood with Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. When Chief Obafemi Awolowo was  incarcerated Dr M. I Opara exhibited that brotherhood as he looked after him in prison. Both of them sunk their differences and formed the United Progressive Grand Alliance. Many of us benefitted from this fraternity. At the end of the civil war, no Igbo man had his property confiscated in Western Nigeria.

“I went to school in the University of Ibadan, I was elected president of the Students Union in a Yoruba dominated university. Today, Igbo abound in property ownership, manufacturing and commerce in Lagos. We implore the Yoruba to begin to invest also in Igbo land. The Igbo/Yoruba alliance which has catalysed the Southern Leadership Forum and the Middle Belt union is a bold statement that unity is possible in Nigeria. We shall soon extend our hand of comradeship to our far Northern brothers.

“Our irrevocable stance that Nigeria must be restructured is non-negotiable. To abandon restructuring is to self destruct. Every credible analysis shows that unless we devolve power to the states and allow them control of their natural resources and basic utilities of power, environment, education and infrastructural development, Nigeria will collapse.”

Igbo, Yoruba must fight common aggression- Pa Adebanjo

 Afenifere chieftain, Pa Ayo Adebanjo in his contribution, regretted that the lack of unity between the Igbo and the Yoruba was self destructive, and said a change had become necessary.

“We have realized that as long as the Igbo and the Yoruba are against each other, we are destroying ourselves. The peace of Yorubaland, the peace of Igboland is the peace of Nigeria. The Yoruba have come here in our own enlightened self interest; we have not come here for a political event, we are coming together to fight a common oppression, and together we will fight that oppression.

“Any founding unit of this country who wants to claim right to the presidency, it should be through the political process, not by anyone doing you a favour. You don’t have to be president of Nigeria because of the favour of any group; it is your right, and the only thing that can guarantee you that right is the restructuring of Nigeria.

At the 2014 constitutional conference, we have constitutionalised the procedure of being a president in Nigeria; that has been done, not at the favour of anyone. I want you to accept and make sure that this is done before you do any election in Nigeria again. If you hold any election without restructuring, you are parting with your destiny. We must be sure under what constitution we are going to have that election.

“The killings, the marginalisation, the oppression; even the corruption can always be wiped out if there is true federalism in this country. West and East, we are not ganging up against anybody, we are only saying, let’s be together on an agreed terms. And those agreed terms had been agreed to by our founding fathers: Dr (Nnamdi) Azikiwe, Chief (Obafemi) Awolowo, and the Saduana of Sokoto. Those who say they don’t want to restructure Nigeria are those who want to destroy Nigeria. Before we came together, before the colonialists granted us independence in 1960, we had agreed in 1954 on the terms of which we will be together, these are historical facts.”

Nigeria must restructure – ex-gov. Jonah Jang

Former governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang who led the Middle Belt delegation insisted that the only way to secure the future of Nigeria was for restructuring to happen.

“I salute Nigeria today because of this occasion; this is what we have been waiting for. What is happening here today is history. It has been the plan of those that never wanted to see the unity of Nigeria as a nation to continue to divide and rule; telling the Igbo, as has been said, not to trust the Yoruba and the Yoruba not to trust the Igbo.

And going to the minorities to start divide and rule because we have many tribes and they are putting one tribe against the other, and therefore some will say that it is their birthright to continue ruling Nigeria and that it is also their birthright to continue misruling Nigeria.

“I want to say it here loud and clear, that the time has come. If you look at these youths sitting up there, and look at us sitting down here, what future are we leaving for these youths? I have always said that some of us have one leg is on the grave, one is outside. The one inside the grave cannot come out to join the one outside; it is the one outside that will join the one in the grave and we will be buried. What are we leaving behind for our children? This handshake across the Niger is very commendable, it should be extended across the Benue; it should be extended across the riverine, it is a handshake for all Nigerians.

“By the grace of God, we will ensure that true federalism which our founding fathers gave to us, but has been manipulated… I’m sorry to say, but some of us had been part of it in the military because the constitution we are having today is a constitution given to this nation by the military, not the people’s constitution, and we need to have the people’s constitution.

“The people’s constitution must state specifically how a federation should be run; devolution of power to the states. The question of restructuring of Nigeria is not debatable, and it is not in the hands of any one individual, no matter his position in Nigeria, to decide whether Nigeria should be restructured or not.

We are under apartheid, slavery in Southern Kaduna – Gwandu

 Representative of the Middle Belt Forum, Chief Timothy Gwandu in his contribution said: “I sat down and I looked at the records, and the record I looked at was the 2006 census.

“I saw that in the South West, there were 27.5 million people; in the South South, there were 21 million people; in the South East, there are 16.3 million people; in the Middle Belt, approximately, there are 33.9 million people, totalling 99 million people. If you turn around and look at the North West and the North East, there are 44 million people with the North West having 33 million and the North East having 11 million. How can 99 million people say let’s restructure and some people who are smaller in number say no we cannot restructure.

“If we are talking democracy, I come from the part called Southern Kaduna, I want us to understand something. Southern Kaduna is made up of 3.9 million people according to the 2006 census. It has a geographical landscape larger than 23 other states of the federation. But Southern Kaduna, because it is made up of multi ethnic, multi linguistic minority ethnic groups, it is denied its rights. When I hear people talk about liberty and liberation of Nigerians from Libya, I ask when will they talk about our liberty and liberation in Southern Kaduna?

“Lord Lugard who was a white man was not a Christian, he was an atheist, drank a lot and did not believe in Jesus Christ. The missionaries gave me Jesus Christ, not Lord Lugard, but when he was leaving, he handed me over to a new set of masters. This new set of masters falsified the laws and the structure and I’m perpetually in slavery.

“I can never rise above a particular limit. So I’m the proverbial fly in a cup, that is kept covered and sealed and I can never rise beyond whatever somebody else has placed as my limit. When I come to Igboland, and I come to Yorubaland, and I see that you are more in number with a greater hegemony, and yet can’t speak with one voice, I feel sad about it. Sad for the one reason that freedom can only come when even amongst you, the smaller groups give right to the bigger groups because that is what we are asking for in Nigeria.

Handshake across the Niger, another opportunity that must not be missed – Pa Edwin Clark

Leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Pa Edwin Clark represented by the former military governor of Akwa Ibom State, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga said:

“Sometimes you see opportunity not but once; opportunity is knocking the second time for us. If we miss it this time, I don’t know what I will say. In my little geography, I knew that there is north, south, east and west. But when Nigeria decided to come together, we had North, East and West. If there is a political North, there must be a political South. Otherwise, it would not be balanced.

And the opportunity we had before between Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo put together the intellectual prowess. There was no mountain they couldn’t have moved in this country, but unfortunately, they moved in parallel lines. Today, we remain parallel slaves.

“This opportunity of Gen Aguiyi Ironsi and Col Fajuyi is that second opportunity that must change the cause of history. I want to thank all of us for making this possible. We have talked today about restructuring, perhaps some of us don’t even understand what we are talking about. Please, leave this place knowing full well that you cannot restructure without considering at least three levels of restructuring. First, fiscal federalism!

The founding fathers knew that there had to be fiscal federalism, that’s why they said 50 percent must be given to areas where whatever product generated came from, and the rest 50 percent to the rest of the country. Incidentally, the military came in, operated unitary system of government which suited the military establishment, but today we cannot continue with that. So, we must go back to what our founding fathers said we should do because that was the agreement.

“Today, we are having unitary system and calling it federalism, that’s why people are saying true federalism because what we are operating is fake. Therefore, we must go back to what the true situation should have been. In Nigeria, when they talk about federalism, we are thinking about the federating units alone, that is true.

When General Gowon created states, we had six states in the North and six in the South, but today we have 19 in the North and 17 in the South. We have almost 100 more local governments in the North than in the South. This translates to power and resources, and if you don’t have this (corrected) you may not be doing the right thing.

We need to return to the right constitution- Governor Ugwuanyi

Welcoming the guests, the host governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties, Mr. Uwakwe Azikiwe said:

“We need to return to the right constitutional structure to allow every constituent part to unleash its potential in wealth creation, grow its own pace and enjoy reasonable autonomy in meeting its local needs and addressing its challenges. That way, the grudges, the bickering, the mistrust, the restiveness, the unhealthy rivalry, the security challenges and the general underdevelopment bedevilling us will dissipate.

It is restructuring or no Nigeria, FG must produce Nnamdi Kanu – Fani-Kayode

Former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode who got the loudest ovation from the crowd said:

“This is a great gathering, long overdue. It should have happened many years ago. And it’s the beginning of great things. But we must focus on the issues and stop trying to be too politically correct.

“Let’s look at those issues very briefly. In this nation today, there are slaves called vassals and there are masters. Unfortunately for us, those that see themselves as masters consider the rest of us as slaves and vassals. What we need to do is to come together and say to them with one accord that we are no slaves, we have never been slaves and we will never be slaves. The suffering of the people of the south east is something that we in the rest of Nigeria have to apologize to you for.

“You lost almost 2 million people in the civil war. After that, year after year, decade after decade, pogroms in the North of primarily the Igbo and also other southerners continue. They didn’t stop there; they have also, as they have always done, slaughtered people of the Middle Belt. Their people have suffered almost as much, if not more than the South East.

“I will also say this, what has happened in the last one year in the East concerning those that are members of IPOB; what they have done to them is absolutely reprehensible. It is unacceptable; it is wrong. I stand speaking today as a friend to the great Nnamdi Kanu, I will never forget him, and I call on President Muhammadu Buhari, I ask you to produce him. Bring him back to us. If there is no restructuring, let there be no Nigeria.”