Restructure or break Nigeria now – Pat Utomi, Henshaw others declare

Prominent Nigerians from various ethnic groups in the North and the South have called for the disintegration of Nigeria if it cannot be restructured.

The leaders, including a foremost economist, Prof. Pat Utomi; former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Mailafia Obadiah, who contested the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress; Senator Bassey Henshaw; Niger-Delta activist, Ann-Kio Briggs; Yemi Adamolekun, among others, said Nigeria should be restructured.

They spoke at the second Goke Omisore Annual Lecture organised by the Voice of Reason, a Yoruba intelligentsia group.

This was contained in a statement on Saturday.

Other dignitaries who attended the lecture were Chairman of the Nigerian Tribune Titles, Chief Mrs Tokunbo Awolowo – Dosunmu; former Foreign Affairs Minister, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi; Dr. Seyi Roberts; former Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Lanre Towry-Coker; widow of late Goke Omisore, Olamide; Mr Emeka Ugwu-Oju; and Dr. Akin Fapohunda, among others.

The speakers also argued that the country was not fair to the youths, saying there was no encouragement for the youths, while the political elite were scuttling the dreams and aspirations of the younger generation.

The statement read in part, “Speakers unanimously agreed that impunity, lawlessness, anarchy and subjugation of the younger generation currently reigns supreme in Nigeria.

“They suggested that if the political, economic and social structures of the country are not restructured in line with the current realities in the country, Nigeria as a sovereign country should be terminated peacefully because if not ended now, there’s a higher tendency that the country would terminate herself and if that happens, it would lead to a gargantuan disaster.”