Ex-Head of State says Nigerians can never agree on restructuring

Former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon has casted doubt over agitations for restructuring the country, saying that the different ethnic groups will find it difficult to agree on how to define it.

While speaking in Minna, Niger State, he said the composition of the country's over 500 ethnic groups will make it difficult to reach a united decision on how restructuring should take place.

He said, "Nigeria is made up of over 500 ethnic groups, languages and dialects and so many various groups called nationalities and they want restructuring.

"This restructuring everybody is asking for, we will have about 500 different ideas of restructuring. There is call for restructuring to reduce the number of states to only a few either back to the old region or to the zones.

"Those are some of the ideas that I do not know whether it will be possible for any state today to wish to be merged with another state. Let us see whether our politicians will see guidelines to be able to achieve what they want.

"But I have my problem whether the states will be financially capable so they will be able to run there states properly."

Calls for restructuring the country has grown louder recently amidst the wave of separatist sentiments that has been sweeping the country especially with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the southeast region.