Delay in restructuring Nigeria portends danger, tribal group warns

A renowned Yoruba Group known as Voice of Reason (VOR) has demanded urgent restructuring of Nigeria’s political, economic and social structures, warning that a delay in doing that would spell doom for the country.

The group in a statement on Thursday, equally called on President Buhari to take over governance of the country and purge his administration of many unelected characters currently ruling the country by proxy.

Chairman of the group, Dr. Olufemi Adegoke, said: “The President at his inauguration said: “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”. On that day majority of Nigerians walked tall and looked towards a new chapter in the governance of Nigeria in which no man will be oppressed.

“Much of the nation, especially in the South and Middle Belt, have demanded for political restructuring. Rather than ease the disenchantment of these regions with the emasculation of their development aspirations, the President has ignored even his own party’s prescription for devolution of power.

“Yet the President persists in clearly sectional decisions on economic issues lacking in economic logic. We are yet to see the compelling reasons why Nigeria must build a refinery and railway lines into Niger Republic. We are yet to be told who would be financing the projects. Some years ago, the Nigerian Defence Academy was upgraded to the status of a university ostensibly to copy US West Point.

The group also cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari against continuous detention of journalist and pro-democracy crusader, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, against court orders.

“It would appear that the President’s body language, which his operatives generally watch for indications on how to act, might have informed the actual desecration of the temple of justice by the DSS a few days ago in the attempt to forcefully re-arrest Omoyele Sowore and one other person, who were facing trial for ‘treasonable felony’, and had been granted bail by a competent court.”

“We would like to believe that President Buhari cannot possibly be directing all these excesses of his appointed officials. He however needs to rise up to the oath of his office and protect our hard-worn democracy. Today, he represents our hopes for its sustenance by virtue of the office he occupies and we call on him to uphold the banner. He must be able in four years hand over the banner without stain.

“There is a pattern of continuously levying new charges against accused persons until the accused gives up all attempts to for bail. Some judges also seem to be co-operating by setting bail conditions that are obviously impossible for the accused to meet. All these are devious ways of denying people justice. Justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done. Any Government committed to serving justice must also do so not only in word, but indeed and in spirit.