Governor says north isn't scared of restructuring

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State says those who hold the view that the north of Nigeria is afraid of a restructuring of Nigeria, are bloody liars.

Calls for restructuring of Nigeria have reached deafening proportions in recent times; with the term assuming the status of a buzzword.

The governing All Progressives Congress (APC) has set up a committee to draw up modalities and recommendations toward the process.

Northern elders and Governors from the geopolitical zone have also been meeting to fashion out a workable blueprint for restructuring.

The north of Nigeria is often accused of being vehemently opposed to restructuring because that will deprive the region of further benefits accruing from the rich crude oil wells of the South.

However, speaking at the ‘Arewa Research and Development Project Conference on the North and The Future of the Nigerian Federation’ which held in Kaduna, Tambuwal said the school of thought depicting the north as opposed to a restructuring is deeply flawed.

“The idea that the north is against restructuring because it benefits most from the current state of things is circumscribed and patently false”, the Sokoto State Governor said.

He added that, “the fact that some people continue to parrot such a lie only help to give credence to the flawed argument. Let us be clear: the north wants restructuring as much as anyone else.

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“However, as a people we do not easily jump onto the bandwagon because we are always there for the long haul. We believe that any decision we take must be inclusive, and respect procedures and processes so that the outcome is sustainable”.

Tambuwal also challenged vocal advocates of restructuring to define what the term really means and outline how the process will pan out.

“I think we should first, as a country, agree on a mutual definition of the term restructuring. In my view, if restructuring means taking stock of our arrangement to ensure that no State takes a disproportionate amount of the resources, or most of the available space in the education or job sector, or subjugate the others' culture or religion, or lords it over the other so that the number of the poor and uneducated whose future is circumscribed by their circumstance is shared proportionately, then we are game.

“We all want a country where there is peace and progress, where justice is a given, where all lives are safe and people can pursue their legitimate livelihoods wherever they choose.

“I believe each state in this country has areas of comparative advantage and life is a cycle so that what was once the largest revenue earner can in time become less so while something else takes ascendancy.

“As a country, we must look to the future and agree on what in the long run will benefit us all. I must give kudos to the organisers for choosing such an appropriate theme for this conference”.

Tambuwal also expressed happiness that the organisers of the conference have included educating the north as part of their deliberations. “The truth is that the modern world is one that puts premium on human capital rather than natural resources. The development of that capital therefore must take precedence over anything else we want to do as a people”, the Governor added.