Restructuring: Gani Adams craves stakeholder’s summit in South-West states

The 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Dr Gani Adams has urged the organisers of the recently held South West Stakeholders Education and Economic Development Summit, to host the programme in every state of the South West zone to sensitise the people on the need for the restructuring of the country to enable the zone operate as a unified region.

The Aare Ona Kakanfo designate, according to his Director of Media and Communications, Femi Adepoju made the charge in Lagos in a statement.

Lauding the initiators of the summit which was chaired by Dr Christopher Kolade, Adams said it is important the Summit is held throughout the South West states so that the citizens can also understand the need to give full support to the clamour of the leaders of the zone for a revert to regional system of government.

The first edition of the summit, initiated by The Southwest Patriots Movement (SPM) and powered by Awolowo Foundation among others, held in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun state on Tuesday.

“Going by the submissions of every one at the summit in Abeokuta, it became obvious that the South West cannot develop beyond the pace allowed for it by the Federal system we are operating at the moment,” he said.

This he mentioned, was one of the reasons he believes, the economic and education development in the South West has a lot to do with its running its own budget and policies under a regional government.

“The need for the South West to operate under a regional formation came into the fore more forcefully at the Summit and everybody discovered, more than ever before, that we have potentials in the South West that can launch us into our comfort zone only if the federal system will allow it.

“This is the message our people need to know, majority are aware no doubt, but we need to let everybody know why we desire a regional system now, so this summit must be taken to every state in the zone”

According to the Aare Ona Kakanfo, Ambassador Tokunboh Dosunmu Awolowo highlighted many of the achievements of Chief Obafemi Awolowo as the Premier of Western Region at the summit,

these he posited, were made possible because the Nigerian government at the time operated a system that allowed the regions to tap into their potentials and administer the regions in the most profitable way that serves the best interest of their people.

He said if we dream of witnessing the glorious era of Chief Awolowo again, it is important a regional government is allowed adding that he “continue to wonder how possible it will be for the South West to drive the kind of education that suits it when it doesn’t have control of the economic policies the nation operates on.”

Patrick Okohue with Agency Report