By Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
South South Reawakening Group (SSRG), the intellectual and professional body of elites in the Niger Delta region yesterday aligned with the position of former President Olusegun Obasanjo that what the nation required now was the restructuring of the minds of Nigerians and not political restructuring.
The group maintained that Nigeria’s problem had nothing to do with restructuring but bad governance by the political leaders.
Convener of SSRG, Mr. Joseph Ambakederemo, at a breakfast media briefing titled “State of the nation: What are we restructuring?” organised by member of the group to mark his 56 years birthday in Warri, noted that those advocating for restructuring were doing so either for political gains or merely playing to the gallery since none had come out to say what shape or style it would take.
“Do we discard the presidential system of government for a ministerial system? Will it be total Balkanisation of the country with every state going its way? Or is it going to be regionalism? Does it just apply to the revenue sharing formula with fiscal federalism the main objective?” he asked.
Though contrary to the position of most civil society organisations and pressure groups in the Niger Delta including Chief Edwin Clark’s PANDEF clamouring for restructuring, SSRG maintained that there was no need for such except the need for restructuring of the minds of Nigerians and the leaders.
Mr. Ambakedwrwmo, who was flanked by other members of the group including Dr. Adebola Kiesha, Strategic Consultant and Messrs Tolbert Abidde, Lawrence Akpeti, said they did not see anything wrong with the structure of Nigeria now or in future.
“For us in SSRG, it is nothing but a wishful thinking and I want to assure Nigerians that in no distant time we shall hear of another lexicon that shall envelop us just as we have been drowned with the lexicon of restructuring.
“Again, in the SSRG, we ask, will this restructuring stop the cancerous corruption that has pervaded the entire Nigerian landscape? Is it the restructuring that will bring internal democratic norms into our political parties? Is it restructuring that will stop people burying money in septic tanks, farm lands, in overhead tanks, and in cemeteries?
“Is it restructuring that will stop budget padding? Is it restructuring that will stop our teachers from becoming traders and turning classrooms into a marketplace? Is it restructuring that will stop the legislative arm from appropriating to themselves jumbo emoluments they do not deserve?” he asked.
The SSRG leader said the group’s position is at variance with the clamour for the call to restructure the country adding “We see nothing wrong with the structure of Nigeria as it is today and in future, the problem with Nigeria is good governance and nothing more.
“Therefore our position is we have to restructure ourselves, our minds first before we talk of restructuring of the country. We have to do an introspection on how we live our lives, how we conduct ourselves, how we manage our affairs, how do we see Nigeria and where we want Nigeria to be. Anything short of that will certainly lead us nowhere no matter how we try,” he added.
“Our position in the SSRG: if we do not restructure our minds and our character whatever voyage of restructuring we embark upon nothing will change, therefore good governance is the thing that we need to make Nigeria great,” he ad
