Those clamoring for the country to be restructured, according to President Muhammadu Buhari, have nothing to say.
The Nigerian leader, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Shehu, stated at the launch of the Kudirat Abiola Sabon Gari Peace Foundation in Zaria, Kaduna State, that no country will ever agree to “dissolving a system and calling for an obscure conference to come and discuss how we can move forward as a nation.”
He said;
“You are telling us to dissolve 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.
There is no government in the world that will cede their authority to the people that are not elected.
“Those who are discussing restructuring, my question is what are you going to restructure?
“If you ask many Nigerians what are they going to restructure, you will find out that they have nothing to talk about.
“Some of them have not even studied the 1999 Constitution. The 1999 Constitution is almost 70 to 80 per cent 1979 Constitution.
“It is okay to demand for restructuring, renewal of constitution, but what is most important now is how can Nigeria states make local governments functional? How can Nigerian states make the judiciary independent?
“Rather, we ask Nigerians to put focus on putting pressure on National Assembly members to make sure that the local government autonomy as enshrined in our constitution is respected and implemented.
“So, if that were to be done, some of the issues like insecurity, you will find a situation where local government chairmen, in collaboration with traditional rulers, will form a chain a communication to figure out what is really happening.