By Deji Elumoye and Juliet Akoje
The recent position canvassed by the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, against the Southern Governors’ call for restructuring, is his personal opinion, Senator Abdulfattah Buhari, has said.
Lawan had last Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja told reporters that the Governors calling for restructuring should start the process from their various states instead of directing such agitations at the federal government.
Buhari at media briefing Tuesday at the National Assembly, however, said the views expressed by Lawan on calls for restructuring by the Southern Governors, were his personal opinion and not that of the Senate.
He said :”The Senate President is entitled to his opinion anytime. I am entitled to my opinion discussing with my brother, what is my business with his comment and what is his own business with my comment. How can I be angry with another persons comment? Even if he is the President of the Senate he is entitled to his opinion. He did not say he was talking on behalf of the senate. He was accosted by journalists to make comments on some vital issues , and he did as an Individual not on behalf of the Senate .
“What he said to me is based on his own personal views and that was it . He said if you are talking of restructuring, let us start from you, go and meet your Local Government chairmen, listen to the judiciary, House of Assembly etc.”
The ranking Senator who made the clarification while shedding more light on the motion raised against wanton killings by operatives of Nigeria Customs Service Service in Iseyin, Oyo state last week, said he supports restructuring but not for secession as being canvassed in some quarters.
His words: “I must be honest with you, personally I don’t believe in secession, I believe in restructuring and I believe we should be able to talk. If we are talking of population we are not as populous as China or America even the Soviet Union that attempted a secession , up till now, they are still in crises.
“So let us talk, let’s see what happened with the constitutional amendment committee, I am also a member. We are going to Lagos, 25th, 26th and 27th for we will listen even to people calling for secession. Submit your memoranda let us meet there.
“The moment you agree to go separate ways, there will still be fight within the small segments but we can sit down and talk and agree to put things aright”.
