NIGERIA SITTING ON A TICKING TIME BOMB IF WE DON’T RESTRUCTURE NOW …..THERE MIGHT BE NO NIGERIA TO RESTRUCTURE IN 20 YEARS TIME….Gov Seriake Dickson

NIGERIA SITTING ON A TICKING TIME BOMB IF WE DON’T RESTRUCTURE NOW

…..THERE MIGHT BE NO NIGERIA TO RESTRUCTURE IN 20 YEARS TIME….Gov Seriake Dickson

By Michael Egiethua in Abuja.

Gov. Dickson and the Panelist presenting the book to the public

The Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson has said that Nigeria with its increasing youth population, high crime rate, drug abuse, cultism and other social vices may in 20 years’ time when our population would have reached an estimated three Hundred and Fifty to Four Hundred Million People (350,000,000 to 400,000,000) be a Ticking Time Bomb if we do not Restructure now.

Governor Dickson further emphasized that we cannot afford a Nigeria of approximately Four Hundred Million Human Beings who are constantly quarrelling, squabbling and questioning their commitment and Patriotism. At a time when we would have become one of the most populous nations on the face of the Earth, when today assault rifles can be bought for as low as Five Thousand Naira (N5,000) and you do not have a Restructured, balanced and equitable Nigeria, we would indeed be sitting on a ticking time bomb.

The Governor made these remarks while responding to panelists and contributors at a debate after the public presentation of the Book, We are All Biafrans on Friday 21^st of December at the Yar’ Adua Conference Center Abuja. The Governor had earlier spoken on the topic: “Federalism, Restructuring and Nation-Building” at the public presentation of the book authored by veteran journalist and rights activist, Mr. Chido Onumah.

Explaining further, Governor Dickson said that unless Nigeria is Restructured or for those who are not comfortable with the word Restructure, if we “Reorganize” ourselves and create a system that works for all and then infuse national pride, identity and patriotism in our citizenry wherby we would create a country where all of us can claim ownership of. He said that if we don’t do this today in a country where we are already dealing with Militancy, IPOB, Boko Haram and the likes, when you have a population of Three Hundred and Fifty Million to Four Hundred Million people (350,000,000 to 400,000,000) in the future , you may not have a Nigeria to Restructure!

Governor Dickson said that the beauty of democracy is that whether we agree or disagree, we should do so in the national interest. He said that our current Constitution begins with the “Nigerian People” but that we the Nigerian People have never met to discuss, to agree and adopt the Constitution that currently bears our name. He said the reason why these issues keep coming up is because we have not had a robust debate which is why we are calling for restructuring which is simply a call for comprehensive Constitutional Amendment. He said when we have that, we can have different ideas about what we propose, for example, Policing, form of Governance, etc. We can have all that debate but we can’t do so if we don’t have a Constitutional Reform, you can’t have systems and institutions that work for our people, you can’t have your notion of citizenship respected and enshrined in the Constitution. So for Nigeria to work, we must have a debate and a major reform.

Governor Seriake Dickson answering questions from journalist after the book presentation

Governor Dickson said that when he and people like Atiku Abubakar talk about Restructuring, what they mean is a commitment to sincerely begin a process of a constitutional reform where we can

argue about the details and then we build consensus about what is generally acceptable and what can work best in view of our peculiar circumstances. He reemphasized that Restructuring does not mean different things as stated by one of the panelist but one thing and that is a fundamental, major and comprehensive Constitutional Reform! He said clearly Nigerians have formed a consensus that our country is not working and that if it is not working, we have a duty to get it to work again. This he said calls for re examination and determination for a positive change.

Expressing his views on the book title, “We are all Biafrans”, Governor Seriake Dickson said in his own words, “This country belongs to all of us. I don’t believe in the geographical expression of Biafra. I will rather we join forces to fight for a new Nigeria, a Nigeria for equal citizens, a Nigeria for the big and the small, for the weak and the strong. That is the critical challenge facing us rather than the idea of balkanization. Nobody owns this country more than you and I. I will never leave this country for any other person and we are going to slug it out here together. This is to underscore the point that I do not believe in the geographical concept of Biafra”.

However, the Governor said that, “if the concept of Biafra is used as a constant reminder of the challenges and contradictions of our nation, then it is right to say we are all Biafrans because we are all concerned about those contradictions and challenges. But I disagree with the concept of Biafra connoting a particular geographical location of our country that wants to be separate from the rest of Nigeria. I don’t agree with that Biafra and I am not a part of that Biafra”.

Members of the panel of discussants were, Dr. Hussaini Abdu, Country Director, Plan International Nigeria; Ms. Idayat Hassan, Executive Director, Center For Democracy and Development; Dr. Sam Amadi, Faculty of Law, Baze University, Abuja; Patrick O. Okigbo III, Founder and Principal Partner, Nextier was the Moderator. The Author Chido Onumah was also part of the panelist.