By Daniel Kanu
Assistant Politics Editor, Lagos
Former President-General of Aka-Ikenga, Igbo intellectual think-tank, Goddy Uwazurike, has said that those holding the political power are frustrating efforts by majority of Nigerians to restructure the country.
“Anything that threatens their position in power they will oppose it including restructuring,” he said.
Uwazurike, who spoke with TheNiche, identified fiscal federalism, resource control, devolution of power, regional autonomy among others as part of the anticipated restructuring, stressing that those in power are afraid of losing their position.
His words: “It is the fear of losing out that is making them to ensure they frustrate any move at restructuring.” The renowned lawyer who was a delegate at the 2014 National Conference pointed out: “Those who control power are afraid of restructuring. They want the status quo so as not to lose their position in the power game. Those in power today fought to get power; they were not prepared for governance.
“It is governance that will make this country to be restructured; they have the power, they have the yam and they have the knife but they want the status quo because of the benefits they enjoy.
“You know that the day this country is restructured there will be a healthy competition as it was in the 60s with all the regions engaging in positive and healthy competition that was a catalyst for development and each at their own pace.
“They were not depending on oil, everyone was depending on its own, maximizing what nature bestowed to them and working out areas of priority in their needs.
“For instance, there was a competition in education going round. Ahmaddu Bello seeing that they were late starters took the challenge up. The Eastern region was also a late starter but it frog-jumped and moved quickly.
“The Western region was there in the fore-front and they were looking behind its back seeing the Eastern region catching up and even taken over and then the Northern region coming from a distance. So those in power are actually holding us in a stranglehold and anything that threatens their position in power they will oppose it including restructuring.
