A celebrated Yoruba historian, Prof. Banji Akintoye, says restructuring of Nigeria is an idea whose time has passed.
He stated this while reacting to suggestions that the N50 billion suit instituted against the Buhari presidency by the Southern and Middle Belt elders was to force the current administration to restructure the country.
Akintoye said that restructuring was inadequate to respond to the nation’s current situation, saying its advocates were living in the past.
“Many Nigerians have gone beyond the point of demanding for restructuring. But we respect; we even honour those people who are asking for restructuring. We have nothing against them; it is just that we think that Nigeria has passed the point of restructuring. Restructuring is no longer the in-thing. It is too late,” Akintoye told Sunday Sun.
Explaining why thus was so, the erudite scholar stated, “We have passed beyond the point of politics.
“A section of the country is actually trying to conquer the other part of the country. That is no longer politics; that’s war.
“Restructuring is the argument of politics. It is not a response to war. The point is that restructuring cannot stop war. Restructuring cannot stop people who have invaded our lands, destroying villages, killing people and driving them away from their means of livelihood as farmers.
“Local criminals hide under the invasion to increase the tempo of their activities. I don’t think restructuring is the answer to all of these.
“Many Nigerians do not think restructuring is the answer to this invasion and the consequences of it.”