PDP chieftain backs calls for restructuring, 2014 Confab implementation

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Delta State, Mr. Funkekeme Solomon has thrown his weight behind the calls for the restructuring of the country amidst secessionists’ threats, saying that total disregard for the calls might portend doom for the country’s unity.

Solomon, an ex-lawmaker and former Commissioner for Works in the state, told Journalists in Asaba that there was need for the Federal Government to give critical consideration to the multiple calls.

Noting that implementation of the 2014 National Conference Resolution was another way forward; Mr. Solomon explained that confab report implementation would be a way of pacifying the agitators, and restoring cohesion to National unity.

He said that Nigeria was currently swimming in deep political crisis, because it was bedeviled” by inequity among stakeholders, and blamed arrogance on the part of the stakeholders particularly, the North for the frustration among other stakeholders.

The former Commissioner attributed the culture of arrogance of the North to the colonial masters, who allegedly ceded demographic and political advantages to the North in relation to other stakeholders. According to him, the colonial masters not only gave undue political and demographic advantages to the North, but also mischievously made irrelevant indices as land mass, population, number of local government areas as criteria for sharing national wealth.

He added, “there are those who believe that the country had been mired in many crisis, including the Fulani herdsmen’s problem, agitations by Niger Delta militants and the secession threat by the Indigenous People of Biafra, because the current federalism being run in the country is simply not working.

If a particular set of people keep thinking they’re being cheated and marginalised, they will keep threatening secession, they will keep making noise disturbing the peace of the country.

He said that though the agitation for Nigeria’s restructuring had always been part of Nigeria’s history, particularly after the civil war, the current unusually high tempo of agitations are a reflection of how poor the current government has handled issues relating to national unity. “Look at the Biafra issues, look at the Niger Delta Militancy, these issues would have been long resolved if we had restructured, but it is not too late. Otherwise if we keep pretending and acting like things are normal, we are just going to escalate issues and the situation will degenerate further”, he added.

He called on Deltans to join hands with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to make the state a hub of economic viability. His words: “the only problem that irritates me is the rumour mill in Delta, it is pathetic, and in most cases the rumour mills cannot produce the truth, Deltans should eschew rumors and help the government of the day to succeed.

In another development, after several months of crisis and violence that trailed the botched elections into the executive of the National Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Delta State Chapter, the various factions have resolved to sheathe their swords to give peace a chance and pave way for capacity building, engage in constructive and meaningful development of the youths in the state.

This was the outcome of a roundtable discussion held at the Conference Hall of the Secretary to the State Government, Asaba to reconcile all factions of the council.

The peace accord, which was signed by all factions including representatives of NYCN in the 25 local government areas in the state and 26 of its affiliate organisations, was facilitated by the Delta State Conflict Management Alliance (DSCMA) in collaboration with the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP), aimed at dousing the tension and violence that erupted during its election to conclude the electoral process to fill vacant positions in the executive body.

The NYCN in its general congress conducted a transition election on January 10, 2017 at the expiration of the tenure of the past executive, but the process was truncated due to violence, irregularities, political interference and alleged imposition of candidates.

The DECMA facilitated peace accord agreed among other things to conclude the election process within two weeks to fill the remaining vacant positions in the state executive council which will be guided by two members of the platform without any external or political interference.