Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, on Thursday, said Nigeria’s federation was built on falsehood, adding that the country has the potentials to be great again if the regions are given the autonomy to develop at their own pace.
He said such would allow the states to build their security architectures to enhance the federal security architecture.
Adams, who is presently on an official trip to Europe, said in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, that Nigeria’s history and efforts of the founding fathers before and shortly after independence in 1960 were watershed, but added that the past and present crop of leaders had drifted along the line by initiating policies that are capable of destroying Nigeria’s federation.
The Yoruba generalissimo, however, wondered how a nation that was birthed with lots of hope and aspirations 61 years ago suddenly turned into a shadow of itself.
Iba Adams said many countries in the world triumph today because the foundation of their federation was built on truth and tailored according to the agreement they had before and after independence.
He disclosed further that it is in Nigeria’s interest for the Federal Government to stop unending borrowings in order to salvage the future of the country.
“The growing spate of insecurity has created a lot of fear across the country. This has also resulted in loss of hope, especially, with the Federal Government’s unending borrowings.
“Many would, no doubt, describe Nigeria as the giant of Africa, but the irony of our present situation in the country is that at 61, Nigeria’s federation was built on falsehood, and that has affected the entire system. For instance, the spate of insecurity has reached an alarming state with bandits killing and maiming Nigerians everyday”
Iba Adams also reacted to the killing of the late Dora Akuyili’s husband,Dr. Chikwe Akunyili who was murdered last Tuesday by hoodlums at Nkpor while returning from a trip to Onitsha, where he had gone to obtain a posthumous award of excellence for his late wife.
“The senseless killings, banditry and kidnappings across the land have been a major challenge for the present administration, and we cannot but call for Nigeria to be restructured along regionalism where, for instance, all the six states in the South-West will control their fortunes and have their destinies in their own hands. Insecurity can only be tackled when each region have the autonomy to control their security architectures”,
“The beauty of this is that each of the regions under this federation are blessed naturally with innate natural resources,solid minerals and agriculture can also do the magic for the less-productive region”,
“This kind of arrangement, as far I am concerned, can actually salvage the country as it is in the case of Scotland that is presently enjoying certain autonomy under Britain.
” I am presently on a tour across Europe and I see the level of security and how the leaders have been responding to the needs of the citizens, but back home in Nigeria, I think the Federal Government needs to step up its activities, especially, by making the nation safe for the citizens. We cannot continue to lose our best brains to insecurity as it was with the case of the late Chikwe Akuyili and several others”.
Recently,President Muhammadu Buhari,at the 76th United Nations General Assembly(UNGA)requested for debt service extension and relief for Nigeria and other developing countries.He admitted also that the COVID-19 Pandemic has worsened the biting economic situations of poor nations,adding that the G20 countries must consider the plea as imperative.
Buhari also argued that debt relief and suspension initiatives to all developing countries,Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States facing fiscal and liquidity challenges would reduce the protracted burden encountered by those countries”.
“But despite the positives of debt service extension plea, Nigeria is also saddled with the multifarious challenges, including rights abuses, poor governance,nepotism, poverty, injustice and insecurity which have created major setbacks all over the country”,
“All these remain the snags of his administration. But the federal government can solve these problems by addressing the issue of rising conflicts and agitations and also seek justice, fairness and equity across the country” he said.
