By Akinwale Kasali
The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has disclosed that restructuring of the nation is the only solution and alternative available in tackling the myriad of problems bedeviling the Nigeria.
The Yoruba Generalissimo stressed that only if the nation is constitutionally restructured before the nation can move forward and develop optimally.
Adams was conferred the Aare Onakakanfo chieftaincy title which was last held by the widely acclaimed winner of the June 12 1993 Presidential election, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, before his mysterious death in 1998.
The factional leader of the Oduduwa Peoples Congress, OPC, opined that the country is not practising true federalism because its component units have been weakened by the concentration of power on the central government.
He made this statements when he featured on a programme on Arise News on Sunday, 25th October, 2020 while speaking on the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests by Nigerian youths.
He said the youths have sacrificed a lot to advance positive cause in Nigeria.
“We have to know the genesis of the grievances of the youths regarding #EndSARS. Part of their demands included a change in the constitution. After they were attacked by the military on Tuesday, a lot has happened.
“The realisation that Nigeria’s constituent units are too dependent on the federal government for security hit hard, with the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu admitting he was not in charge of the situation.
“If we continue like this, the future of Nigeria is bleak, that’s why I’ve clamoured for restructuring.”
Adams suggested going back to Nigeria’s 1963 republican constitution and, also, revert to the regional system of government.
He, however, noted that the regionalism he espoused should be fashioned after the existing six geopolitical zones as enshrined in the 1999 constitution, and not the three regions of north, east and west, as practised in pre independence era and early years of independence.
“it was the only constitution written by the leaders of this country, If Nigeria doesn’t restructure, it will break as soon as possible,”.
He also stressed that lack of education, poverty, frustration, lack of hope and unemployment are the main reason whereby arson and looting was the order of the day across the country over the past week.
“Most of the kids committing these atrocities are not up to 20 years old, most of them are not employed.
“Let’s go down memory lane to when we benefitted from free education and free health while growing up. If you have education till secondary school, you will know the implication of engaging in crime. If you take education away from your children, you will have series of problems.
“Most of the urchins that were destroying property live under the bridge. They know they have no future”.
Adams revealed the role he has played in de-escalating the civil unrest in Lagos, even though the political leaders of the southwest region didn’t reach out to him, but as the Yoruba Generalissimo, he had to do his part for peace.
“Of all the southwest governors, none of them called to ask what I can do. Even if I was not Aare Ona Kakanfo, as someone who headed an organisation of about six million (OPC) people, they should have contacted me.”
He recounted how he cautioned against ethnic jingoism, by dousing tension that was building between different ethnic groups in Lagos as by warning against civil war.
“You cannot try to douse tension without providing solutions. We can’t move forward without going back to our constitution.
“Nigeria is a country of many countries. You should not run a unitary system in a country of 200 million people”.
Using the United States of America as a yardstick, Adams said the country operates a federal structure.
“Every region should develop at their pace. You bring 70 to 80% of power to the centre, but all crimes are local”
He also added that the OPC has been helpful in securing lives and properties and curb violence in the country.
“The police stations that were not burnt were jointly protected by the police and the OPC. I’ve been receiving calls recently as many leaders requested for protection from the OPC.”
He, however, lambasted the present crop of southwest leaders, stressing that most of them put on the cap of late sage, Obafemi Awolowo but they don’t follow the ideology of Awolowo.
