Amid agitations and ethnic tensions across the country, the Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Bala Ibn Na`Allah has described as unpatriotic those clamouring for restructuring of Nigeria.
Na`Allah, who stated this in an interview, noted that the concept of restructuring does not exist in the dictionary of the framers of Nigerian constitution.
According to the Senate Deputy Leader, the architect for the demands or agitation for what is called restructuring, physical federalism probably do not understand the context from which the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria is fashioned.
“Let me tell you today; the architect for the demands or agitation for what is called restructuring, physical federalism probably do not understand the context from which the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria is fashioned, if they do and they understand what we refer to as jurisprudence of constitutionalism, then they would understand that the concept of re-structuring does not exist in the dictionary of the framers of our constitution.
“If you look at the preamble of the constitution, we the people of the federal republic of Nigeria having decided to live together as a united nation under God; so all these concept of physical federation, restructuring etc. is to mislead the public for certain political interest, so it was never in anticipation of the farmers of our constitution that there was going to be such concepts.
“But what the framers of our constitution wanted is a united and prosperous Nigeria under one God; their understanding is that the constitution would be operated in such a manner as to foster the thinking and desires of the people to remain united prosperous under one God.
“So when you hear people talking about restructuring, Biafra, about physical federalism; these are people who are not patriotic and they would end up worse for it, if it were possible, they were allowed to have their way. They can take the example of southern Sudan for it.
“The thinking, the energy of any patriotic Nigerian should be on the administration of our constitution in such a way and manner as to reflect the desires of citizens and to ensure that institutions are built in such a way that quality is pursued in the country, good governance is in place, eliminate corruption to give equal opportunity to the citizens of Nigeria as reflected in our constitution, then we can be one of the greatest country in the world†stated Na`Allah.”
