national restructuring and true federalism.
Speaking at
a public lecture commemorating the 24th anniversary of the annulled June 12,
1993 election, Mr. Falana’s comment was a response to Minister of Information
Lai Mohammed’s statement that national restructuring was not a part of the
president’s program.
Mr. Falana
emphasized that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) supported
restructuring in its party manifesto during the 2015 presidential campaign. The
APC-led government would therefore be going back on its promises by abandoning
its earlier commitment to restructuring.
“Last week,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed said restructuring is not in the program of President
Buhari. Let me refer Alhaji Mohammed and the government of President Buhari to
the manifesto of the APC, the first paragraph of that manifesto.
“The APC
manifesto says, ‘the government will initiate action to amend our constitution
with a view to devolving powers, duties and responsibilities to states and
local governments in order to entrench true federalism and the federal spirit.’
That is page one, paragraph one of APC manifesto.
“Therefore,
Mr. Governor [Akeredolu], your party, the government at Abuja, cannot go back
on the commitment to restructure Nigeria,” he said.
Mr. Falana
added that economic restructuring of the country should be the government’s
priority given the poor state of the Nigerian economy.
He
criticized former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his vice president, Atiku
Abubakar, for setting the Nigerian economy back by selling off the commonwealth
of the country through dubious privatization schemes.
“Alhaji Atiku
Abubaker, who is now a front liner for this campaign [restructuring], please
don’t be deceived; Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo
were in power for eight years. They let the status quo remain and the question
of restructuring was not one of the bases of their quarrel.
“Political
restructuring without economic restructuring is not a panacea to our problem.
Obasanjo and Atiku restructured the economy of Nigeria; they sold our common
patrimony, our national assets, and they sold them through privatization,” he
declared.
He also
lamented that Nigerians are suffering under the APC-led federal government
while accusing Mr. Buhari of not keeping to some of his promises.
“It is a
shame that the president of the largest black nation has to travel down to
Britain to be treated,” Mr. Falana said, referencing the president’s medical
vacations to the UK.
The human
rights lawyer added that June 12 is a time to commemorate the life of the late
Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola and should not be seen as a struggle for the
people of the southwest alone.
Mr. Falana
also took the opportunity to criticize a “quit notice” issued by some youths
under the aegis of AREWA telling Igbos to leave the north, stressing that
tribal sentiment has hindered progress and development in the country.
Ondo State
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who hosted the event, said Nigerians should embrace
unity and peace, noting that living in division would not help the country
develop into a giant of Africa.
“This has
become more exigent now that the country faces a serious identity crisis. Must
we also remind the simpletons who issued empty threats that nobody will be
evicted from any part of the country?
“Is it not
shameful that while we all condemn xenophobic attacks in South Africa and other
places, we are unable to live with one another?
“In whose
interest are the exigent calls for political restructuring without considering
the economic potentials and inputs of virtually all regions that have been
rendered parasitic and unproductive by an avaricious and untoward generation?”
he queried.
Mr.
Akeredolu later declared the popular Democracy Park to be named MKO Abiola
Democracy Park.
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