Gani Adams, Nigeria ruling class averse to Restructuring

Gani Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, has claimed that the restructuring movement has evolved into self-determination.

He explained that this is due to the ruling class’s aversion to restructuring.

This was mentioned by the Yoruba war general in Lagos during the public launch of the book “Roundtable Discussion on Economy and Restructuring in Nigeria,” published by the Ilorin-based National Pilot Newspaper.

“We have progressed from reform to self-determination,” he said, adding that one of the reasons for this is that Nigeria’s main political bloc is not ready for restructuring.

“We have different types of restructuring, and if Nigeria is to be restructured, we have to go back to the 1960 to 1963 constitutions and learn from how we started as a country.

“We need to embrace regionalism that gives each region the chance to develop at their own pace.”

According to Adams, the consensus of opinions among the Yoruba people both at home and in the Diaspora was for the region to go for self-determination, adding that self-determination did not imply going to war.

“If we go for regionalism on the basis of confederacy, it is okay. If we have a situation where the regions are allowed 70 to 80 percent autonomy to do certain things, that is okay. For the Yoruba nation, the minimum demand is regionalism with autonomy,” he said.

Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, Chief Olabode George who was represented by a former Commissioner for Agriculture in Lagos State, Dr. Charles Akitoye, said there was no way restructuring could be separated from the economy.

“The situation we are in now is unacceptable. We must reconstruct the country if we want to grow into a nation. We are merely a country now and the process may need some partitioning. It is long overdue,” he said

The book reviewer, Prof. Alloysius Okolie, said it was unfortunate that many people misunderstand restructuring “to mean dismembering the country or dividing it into pieces,” adding, “The refusal to do the needful is the major problem of Nigeria and not banditry or insurgency.”

The Editor-in-Chief of National Pilot Newspaper, Billy Adedamola, said the medium was concerned about nation building.

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He clarified that the book is the product of experts sitting down and assessing the country’s situation.

“People may wonder why we are making this effort,” he said. As journalists, I believe our responsibilities can extend beyond only reporting and working on stories. We have a role to play in the development of the country.

Our beloved country has recently been undergoing unprecedented crises.

“One of the causes of the country’s crises is the economy, which has become the bane of our national life.

No government has been able to come up with a solution. Although we’re dealing with economic issues, there’s been a lot of talk about reform. There is skepticism about our country’s long-term viability.”