Hardly can a day pass without the terms "Restructuring" and "Secession" making the rounds in the media these days. To some people, restructuring is the only panacea for the myriads of troubles scaring our country in the face while to many others, it's an outright dismemberment. Interestingly, restructuring is a term whose meaning is as diverse as the diversity of those calling for it to the extent that smart politicians have capitalised on it to hoodwink gullible followers into supporting it thereby advancing their political ambition. It's important to note that a term as diverse as this cannot be expected to produce a distinct result because it's diversity of meaning is a pointer to the fact that the result will not be far from our current situation.
The closest description of restructuring as it pertains to Nigeria is the message I received today from Etisalat ( now 9mobile), it reads " Dear valued customer, Etisalat is now 9mobile! Our name and logo changed, but our commitment to you remains stronger. Thank you for choosing 9mobile". Restructuring is deceitful and an avenue of empowering our politicians to continue their business of looting under a baptised dispensation. Unfortunately, what the proponents of restructuring don't take into consideration is the political psychology of Nigeria's different ethnic groups and the timing. Restructuring to the South means fiscal federalism and the devolution of power to the states or regions but to the North, it's simply an ordinary baptism without any reasonable change of the status quo. Restructuring was expedient in the 60s not now. You cannot start talking about nation building at 57. The ingredients such as love, similar value system, mutual trust and understanding that can make for a united, peaceful and progressive country are all gone or were never in existence. The only unifying factors in Nigeria today are "corruption" and the "oil" in the South. Therefore, restructure it or leave it like this, an Igbo or Ijaw man in the North will always remain "Nyamiri"; Yoruba in the East will remain "Ofemmanu"; and Northerner in the South is either " Hausa"; "Mallam" or "Almajiri" and an Igbo in the West remains "Afonja", "Omoigbo" , etc; as long as these stereotypes and their attendant mutual distrust, hate and suspicion remain, any slightest provocation in the North will always lead to the burning of Igbo shops and even beheading. A country whose unity is dependent on the blood of a certain group of people is not supposed to be a country in the first place. This is the reality we must all face!
One of the arguments for restructuring as pertaining to Ndigbo sees a restructured Nigeria as the best for Ndigbo owing largely to their presence in all the nooks and crannies of this country doing business and investing in those places. This is false and highly misleading because this attitude more than anything else has underdeveloped Igbo land because we share the same country with people who have an opposing value system and mentality; as long as this exists, expect a more precarious situation for Ndigbo whether in a restructured Nigeria or in our current structure! Whatever restructuring that doesn't include the restructuring of the political psychology of an average Hausa/Fulani, the British interest in Nigeria, the widespread mutual suspicion, distrust, hate, Igbophobia and the cold war among the different ethnic groups in Nigeria will even make matters worst than our current situation. Tell yourself the truth, is this possible in Nigeria? Your answer is as good as mine!
Finally, this is not the time for political correctness but a time to face the reality that restructuring is a hoax, a canard and a political gimmick used by those in the saddle to wheedle us into thinking that some better days are ahead. Pathetically, for the APC to have made Mallam Nasir El-rufai who called those calling for restructuring opportunists two weeks ago the chairman of restructuring committee in their party this week, your eyes should have at least opened to the reality on ground. The fact is, if there are any better days ahead, it should be a REFERENDUM and it should be conducted so that all of us will decide our fate in this mess. Whether you believe in restructuring or secession, push massively for a referendum therein lies the many solutions we seek. Remember, power belongs to the people not the looters.
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#Emma's##Wits##HaveNiceday#