A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Comrade Jonathan Vatsa on Wednesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to heed to the calls by eminent Nigerians for the restructuring of the country.
Vatsa, a former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, said the drum beats for restructuring of the country is loud enough for the President to hear, adding that “as things are in the country today, I don’t think there is an alternative to restructuring”.
In a chat with journalists in Minna, the former Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, said he believed that the present system of winner takes it all can not take Nigeria anywhere as a country, stressing that every region should go and contribute to the center.
According to him: “It is only restructuring that can bring the best out of every section of this country. This monthly sharing ceremony in Abuja can not help us as a country.”
He also warned that the only alternative to restructuring is what the country should not pray for “because there is strength in togetherness. The country is gradually moving towards the red point of secession. So, I think the President should listen to the calls by some eminent Nigerians”.
A similar call was made by the Northern Elders Forum, who said that Nigerians have the right to demand for changes when it becomes obvious that government has failed in its most basic responsibilities.
The group made its stance clear through its spokesperson, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who spoke on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television.
He said, “The two basic functions of the state is to secure citizens and provide for their welfare. Now, the Nigerian state is failing in both camps. So, restructuring for us means addressing those failures and identifying ideas, suggestions, and changes that can actually fit into the process of improving them."
President Muhammadu Buhari has in a recent statement through his spokesman, Garba Shehu, warned that no one can force him into doing certain things in the country to satisfy certain people. He said as the leader of the country, he is aware of his responsibilities and cannot be forced or threatened making certain decisions.