AFRICA

Time To Restructure Nigeria Has Come, Says Coalition of Ethnic Nationalities

The Coalition of Indigenous Ethnic Nationalities (CEIN), has declared that the time for restructuring Nigeria is now considering the faulty political and socio-economic problems threatening the corporate existence of the country.

The group stated this in a statement on Thursday in Kaduna, jointly signed by Prof. Benjamin Okaba (Chairman), Mr. Timothy B. Gandu (Co-Chairman) and Mr. Nubari Saatah (Secretary).

The statement noted that since the return of democracy in 1999 the expectations of

Nigerians for a better country has degenerated into despair, as a result of the decaying political and socio-economic problems.

The group said the emergence of secessionist movements, ethnic and religious intolerance, insurgency, banditry, decline in the economy and socio-economic activities and alleged skewed distribution of the “common wealth” are evidence that the country is degenerating.

“Today, more than at any point in Nigeria’s history, calls for the urgent restructuring of the country have been at their loudest, and continue to reverberate”, the statement said.

The group said it has recommended templates for restructuring the country which it believes, if implemented, will serve to steer Nigeria away from a more tumultuous future.

“CIEN would like to inform the Nigerian public and the political leadership, that after due deliberations and consultation on the restructuring of the Nigerian federation, we have put together recommendations and templates which we strongly believe will contributed immensely to our current state.

“The the Coalition of Indigenous Ethnic Nationalities has taken cognizance of the fact that our faulty socio-political and socio-economic structures are traceable to the 1999 Nigeria Constitution.

“We therefore believe that the call for the restructuring of the Nigerian Federation is germane and an idea whose time has come”, the statement reads.

“It is on this note that CIEN would like to inform the Nigerian public and its political leadership, that after due deliberations and consultation on the restructuring of the Nigerian federation, we have put together recommendations and templates which we strongly believe if and when implemented, will serve to steer Nigeria away from a more tumultuous immediate future, and towards a more prosperous future where the hopes and aspirations of the indigenous ethnic nationalities will be actualized.

“In furtherance of this, and conscious of the times, CIEN has forwarded a letter and accompanying recommendations to the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, as we move towards deepening the conversation on the restructuring of the Nigerian federation.

“CIEN has also forwarded these recommendations to the leaderships of the Nigerian Senate, and the House of Representatives, respectively.

The group called on the political representatives to rise to the occasion and take the necessary actions that will give Nigeria’s over 450 ethnic nationalities a voice and a renewed hope in Nigeria’s future.

By John Shiklam in Kaduna