Represented by Executive Secretary of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation Fiacal Commission, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Shehu, the President said, if you ask those agitating for restructuring what is it about, they have nothing to tell you.
The President who believed that some of those things being canvassed have been addressed in 1999 Constitution as amended while he asked them to read the Constitution.
The President maintained that government anywhere in the world not cede its authority to unelected individuals or group
He said: “Some of them have not even studied the 1999 constitution. The constitution that is almost 70 to 80 percent of the 1979 constitution.
“It is okay to demand for restructuring and renewal of constitution, but what is most important now is how Nigeria can make local governments functional, how Nigeria can make judicial and legislative arms
“Nigerians need to focus on putting pressure on the National Assembly to make sure that the autonomy as enshrined in our constitution is respected and implemented.”
“So these are the things I expect those calling for agitation to do. And I have also said that majority of those calling for restructuring are people that are so afraid to go into partisan politics. And even if they were to go, they will not win.”
“There is no government in the world that will cede its authority to the people that are not elected,” he declared.
“You are telling us to redissolve a system and call for an obscure conference to come and discuss how we can move forward as a nation, that can never be done and no country will agree to that.”
“Those who are doing that should go back and meet their representatives in the House of Assembly asking for amendment of the constitution since due process needs to be followed.
“We have different combination of ethnicity in many states. In Kano and Kaduna, Igbos have properties there. The same goes with Yorubas. There are Fulanis in PortHacourt too.
“Those calling for separation or restructuring are very naive or even mischievously dangerous. They are ignorant of war and its consequences because Nigeria is a dominant force in West Africa.”
