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From Magnus Eze, Enugu, Chukwudi Nweje, Lagos and Noah Ebije, Kaduna
As Nigeria marks 63 years of independence tomorrow, some political and cultural groups in the country, have noted that the nation was still wobbling, and called for its restructuring .
The acting Secretary, Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) Chief Abia Onyike, expressed concern at President Bola Tinubu’s political economy, which according to him was too dangerous for national cohesion.
Onyike said: “The Nigerian state needs to be restructured along the lines of regional autonomy. Tinubu’s idea of sustaining the old concept of monolithic domination can no longer work. People want freedom and genuine democracy rooted in self-determination in a balanced federation.”
For President General of COSEYL, Good luck Ibem, Nigeria is behaving like a kindergarten that still needs to be tutored on how to speak, stand and do little things for itself.
He therefore charged Tinubu to work assiduously to strengthen the nation’s currency, naira, which is 1,020 for a dollar, as against N160 per dollar when Buhari took over in 2015, and repair the refineries to start refining crude oil; release adequate funds for the construction of roads and infrastructure across the country.
The National Publicity Secretary, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) Dr. Ken Robinson, acknowledged the hardship and suffering Nigerians are going through, coupled with the challenges of insecurity, youth unemployment, and corruption, amidst the harsh economic strains on the populace, particularly, in recent years.
“Regrettably, Nigeria’s journey to nationhood and its socio-economic development have been constrained by structural defects. At this point, it may be necessary to restate our call for the restructuring of the country, to correct some of the fundamental imbalances.”
The president of Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Dr. Pogu Bitrus lamented that 63 years after independence Nigeria’s manufacturing industry has virtually disappeared.
He said: “The 63 years have been difficult. We have been making one-step forward and two steps backwards. When the military came in 1966, there were still some developments, when Gen Olusegun Obasanjo as military Head of State handed over in 1979, the manufacturing sector was still there. We had the Peugeot assembly plant, Volkswagen of Nigeria, and others.
Our major institutions have crashed. Rather than making progress Nigeria seems to be retrogressing.”
President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Alhaji Yerima Shettima said there is nothing much to cheer after 63 years, but the fact that Nigeria is still one country and enjoys some degree of peace.
President of the Cultural Credibility Development Initiative (CCDI), Chief Goddy Uwazurike, said that virtually all sectors of the country has collapsed and called on President Tinubu to assemble the best hands from every part of Nigeria to fix the country.
He said, “It is annoying that Nigeria is a paediatric 63 years old man. It is even nauseating that Nigeria prefers to wallow in mediocrity”
The Coalition of Indigenous Ethnic Nationalities (CIEN), said the people inhabiting the geographical territory called Nigeria have not forged a nation 109 years after amalgamation and 63 years after independence.
It said this year’s independence celebrations should be that of reflection on the future of Nigeria,
It said the country’s challenges are foundational and require ‘structural re-engineering or restructuring to fix.
Tanko Yunusa, a 2019 presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP), said it is unfortunate that at 63 Nigeria is still struggling over trivial issues.
He said, “Ali Muzuri in his documentary said that while other nations are trying to build houses in the moon, we in Nigeria are trying to locate our villages. It is unfortunate that 63 years after independence, we are still battling with power supply; we are still battling with feeding ourselves; we are battling with insecurity; we are talking about a population we cannot carter for, we are talking about humongous corruption going on in all sectors of the country, we are only trying to survive by the whiskers.”
According to the Secretary General, Northern CAN, Elder Sunday Oibe, so many people are very sad that after 63 years, this baby called the Nigeria state is still struggling to manage her affairs as little conducting an acceptable election devoid of rancour. Nigerians are fast losing hope concerning this crippling giant of Africa. Many have given up on Nigeria.”
The Publicity Secretary, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, said Nigeria has fared “okay,” but it doesn’t mean it has done well.
“Sometimes it is out of this desperation, out of this disappointment that something good will come and put the nation back on track. With all its shortcomings, Rwanda is an example, of how these problems can get out of hands, but you can also in the wake of tragedy that will occur, you can also build a nation that will be example to others,” Muhammad-Baba said.
The Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, said that government at all levels will be more sensitive to people’s yearnings and the people would do more to hold their governments to account.
He said: “As we move into the 64th year of independence under a new civilian administration, it is hoped that by the time we are marking another anniversary on October 1, 2024, we will be able to say ‘Eureka, we are at last on the way to getting Nigeria of our dream.”
Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), Executive Director of CISLAC/Head of Transparency
International in Nigeria noted: “As we are marking our independence the President should ensure that several lingering challenges, especially in the areas of transparency and accountability in governance, national unity and integrity, democratic governance as well as critical sector for development are addressed.”
