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Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The seemingly rested issue of restructuring Nigeria came up Saturday when Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU) said it would pinch tent with other sociocultural groups that believe in the restructuring of the country.
Specifically, SOKAPU said it will reach out to the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum as well as Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) to press for the restructuring of the country.
Speaking, shortly after taking over the leadership of SOKAPU as its newly-elected National President, Jonathan Asake said other Nigerian projects that the people will team up with the South East, South West and the Middle Belt regions include resource control, power-sharing and rotation and states creation.
Other national projects that needed regional collaboration, according to Asake, also include land tenure and land ownership, devolution of powers, self determination, institutionalised discrimination, chieftaincy and traditional institution matters.
Asake who is a former House of Representatives member also said that his leadership will encourage unity and cohesion among the diverse groups of southern Kaduna and the nation at large.
He promised to secure communities in southern Kaduna that are under insecurity resulting from kidnapping, banditry and incessant invasion and destruction of farmlands.
The SOKAPU president said this would be achieved by partnering with relevant security agencies and government to ensure that “our communities are safe and secure.”
“Our leadership will reach out to other socio-cultural groups such as the Middle Belt Forum, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Afenifere, and Ohaeneze Ndigbo with whom we share common ideals and aspirations on the Nigerian project such as the restructuring of Nigeria including resource control, power sharing and power rotation, States creation, land tenure and land ownership, devolution of power, self determination, institutionalised discrimination, uncontrolled immigration, chieftaincy and traditional institutions matters, to mention but a few.”
Earlier, in his handing over speech, the outgoing SOKAPU national president, Solomon Musa, said the union had never been confrontational with government, but had been engaged in lobbying and dialoguing over crisis.
Musa urged the new president to ensure that SOKAPU remains apolitical in the discharge of its activities, “but continue to tell truth to power.”
