Group Demands White Paper On Nigeria’s Restructuring Reports

A group, the June 12 Coalition of Democratic Formations has told the Federal Government to issue a white paper for the implementation of various recommendations on the restructuring of Nigeria.
The Acting Chairman of the group, Mr Linus Okoroji, made the call at a news conference in Lagos on Saturday.
He said that Nigeria’s restructuring could be achieved by the government setting up a constituent committee to review and harmonise various national conference reports, including the Pro-National Conference Organisation report.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has convoked conferences repeatedly over the years, in a bid to engender harmony, good governance, equity, unity and progress in the heterogeneous nation but none of the reports has been implemented by the government.
Okoroji said that the June 12 Coalition, which was in the forefront of the struggle for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate of late Chief Moshood Abiola, had always insisted on Nigeria’s restructuring.
June 12 has since been recognised by government and signed into law as Nigeria’s Democracy Day.
Okoroji, however, said that with Nigeria about to commomerate the June 12 anniversary, there was need to address the real problems confronting the nation which the June 12 mandate had sought to address.
“It is our considered view that restructuring of Nigeria is the true answer to the myriad of challenges besieging the country.
“There are all sorts of crimes all over the place -in the northeast, northwest, north central, southwest, southeast and south south.
“Insurgency, kidnappings, banditry, herdsmen killings, armed robbery, pipelines vandalism and ritual killings, resulting to countless deaths of innocent citizens and destruction of properties worth billions of naira.
“Therefore, we at June 12 Coalition of Democratic Formations are left with no option than to insist that only the return to federalism can set Nigeria back to the path of glory, progress, stability and prosperity.
“It will also promote individual citizens, tribal and ethnic liberty, freedom, peace and unity in diversity.”
Okoroji said it would be unfortunate, absurd and bizarre that any individual, group or an ethnic nationality in the 21st century, could be pursuing domination or instigating fear of domination of other individuals, groups or ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.
“What will serve common public good is to promote equity and fairness, unity in diversity and provoke healthy competitions among federating units,” he stated.
The activist, however, lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for being a pacesetter by recognising June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day.