IBB
hehehehehe........Former
Military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida has called for a
restructuring of Nigeria in his Eid-el-fitri message to Nigerians.
Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, has said on
Monday that the time to restructure Nigeria has come, while launching an
appeal to Nigerians to draw back from further campaign of hate the like
of which he said led to the 30 month civil war.
According to Vanguard, while noting his own historic linkages
across the various divides in the country, the former military president
said that there was little discord among Nigerians of different social
classes as he urged Nigerians to synergise their different potentials
towards building a great nation.
Towards restructuring the country, Babangida called for the
devolution of more powers from the federal level to the states even as
he urged Nigerians to embrace the creation of state police. He said the
fear of state governors using state police to run amok was not as strong
as the greater benefit that creating state police would do for the
nation.
While passionately appealing to leaders of the different divides in
the country to show more maturity by reining in the younger elements,
the former military president observed that war is not a joke anyone
should toy with.
General Babangida said: "Nigeria, my dear country, is not a
stranger to crisis, nor is she immune to it. In a profound sense, she
can be said to have been created out of crisis, a nation state that will
continue to strive to subdue and transcend crises. In over a century of
its formalized colonial architecture, Nigeria has grown and made
remarkable progress in the midst of crises.
"The most tragic and horrendous episode in Nigeria’s history
has been the 30 month Civil War of July 1967 to January 1970, in which
many of our compatriots lost their lives. Indeed, many others also
suffered terrible injuries of human and material dimensions.
"So, who really wants to go through the depth and dimensions of
another Civil War in Nigeria again? Who does not know that that Civil
War was preceded and started by intolerance and a series of hate
pronouncements, hate speeches, hate conducts and actions that were
inflicted upon one another by the citizens? Today, with a deep sense of
nostalgia, I still carry within my body the pains of injury from the
Civil War: there is nothing romantic about war; in any form, war is bad,
condemnable and must be avoided.
I need hardly say I am very worried by the current on-going
altercations and vituperations of hate across the country by
individuals, well-known leaders, religious leaders, group of persons and
organizations. We need to remind ourselves that conflicts are not
evidently the stuff of politics and governance, particularly so of
democracy, hence we must apply caution in our utterances, body language
and news reportage.
"The management of conflicts is the acid test of maturity, of
mutual livelihood and of democratic governance. We cannot and we must
not allow the current hate atmosphere to continue to freely pollute our
political landscape unchecked. Personally, I reject the proceedings of
hate and their dissemination and urge my fellow citizens to strongly
condemn the scourge and orgy of the current crisis which, in my view, is
an outcome of vengeful appetites within the multiple contexts of our
democratic governance and the profound inequalities that have distorted
our social relations.
"Nonetheless, it is not the place of leaderships to fuel and
hype conflicts nor should we allow losers and gainers of our governance
regimes to make pronouncements and threats that exploit our ethnic,
religious and geopolitical construct. Democracy, anywhere in the world,
is a work in progress; and one that is subject to constant evolution and
debate. The drums of war are easy to beat, but their rhythms are
difficult to dance.
"Starting wars or political upheavals comes with the slightest
provocation, but ending them becomes inelastic, almost unending with
painful footages of the wrecks of war. I have been involved and its
ripples are tellingly unpalatable, with gory details of destruction and
carnage. I am a Nigerian, a citizen, patriot and concerned stakeholder.
"It is my strong belief that Nigeria can attain greater
greatness if we all nurture our minds in the direction of building a
nation, and accepting responsibility for its successes and failures.
"We cannot deny or repudiate our progress at nation-building in
spite of the limitations and challenges that we have continued to
experience. As a people, we need a proper study and understanding of our
history in order to correct the warped perceptions of our past so as to
minimize the dangers of badly skewed stories of our democratic
experience in governance; and to regenerate mutual confidence and uphold
the tenets of living together as one country.
"No one government or administration can provide all the
answers to the myriad of problems and challenges confronting us as a
country; no matter how determined, resolute, committed and motivated
such a government is.
"The citizens have their roles to play, and their obligations
to fulfill in order to motivate government in achieving its stated goals
and objectives. Governance is a function of the leadership and the
followership. It is a two-way traffic that demands certain
responsibilities from those involved.
"Of late, Nigeria has become so sharply divided with emotions
running high on the least provocations. Once tempers are that high, the
fault-lines become easily visible and with the slightest prompting, the
unexpected can happen. But I want to believe that Nigerians are still
their reasonable selves’, highly endowed in various skills and
intellectually empowered to compete anywhere in the global arena.
"As a Nigerian, I have had the rare privilege to benefit from
robust relationships from different people across the socio-political
divide; East, West, North and South. I have also immensely interacted
with persons from all the numerous tribes, cultures and ethnic
configurations dotted across the entire gamut of Nigeria’s expansive
lands.
"I have made friends, built alliances, nurtured relationships
and sustained linkages amongst Nigerians of all shades and opinions. In
fairness, Nigerians are great people. In those hours, moments and
duration of friendship and camaraderie, no one talks about origin,
geopolitical zones or even states.
"The issue of religion does not dictate the flow of discourse.
We deal with ourselves based on our character and content, and not the
sentiments of what part of the country we hail from.
"The inalienable fact that Nigerians can live in any part of
the country to pursue their legitimate aspirations is a strong
indication that we have accepted to invest in the Nigerian project, and
are no longer driven by mutual suspicion but mutual respect.
"That we have not fully realized our potentials as a great
nation is not enough reason for us to want to demolish the foundation of
our nationhood or rubbish the labours of our heroes past; both of which
are borne out of our collective efforts to build a truly great nation,
and great people. If we have repeatedly done certain things and not
getting the desired results, we need to change tactics and approach, and
renew our commitment.
"It is our collective responsibilities to engender a reform that would be realistic and in sync with modern best practices.
"For example, restructuring has become a national appeal as we
speak, whose time has come. I will strongly advocate for devolution of
powers to the extent that more responsibilities be given to the states
while the Federal Government is vested with the responsibility to
oversee our foreign policy, defense, and economy. Even the idea of
having Federal Roads in towns and cities has become outdated and
urgently needs revisiting.
"That means we need to tinker with our constitution to
accommodate new thoughts that will strengthen our nationality.
Restructuring and devolution of powers will certainly not provide all
the answers to our developmental challenges; it will help to reposition
our mindset as we generate new ideas and initiatives that would make our
union worthwhile.
"The talk to have the country restructured means that Nigerians
are agreed on our unity in diversity; but that we should strengthen our
structures to make the union more functional based on our comparative
advantages.
"Added to this desire is the need to commence the process of
having State Police across the states of the Federation. This idea was
contained in my manifesto in 2010 when I attempted to contest the
presidential elections.
"The initial fears that State Governors will misuse the
officers and men of the State Police have become increasingly eliminated
with renewed vigour in citizens’ participation in, and confidence to
interrogate power. We cannot be detained by those fears and allow
civilization to leave us behind.
"We must as a people with one destiny and common agenda take
decisions for the sake of posterity in our shared commitment to launch
our country on the path of development and growth. Policing has become
so sophisticated that we cannot continue to operate our old methods and
expect different results.
"I also want to appeal to the Nigeria media to be more
circumspect in their news reportage. They should always weigh the
security implications of the contents of their news and the screaming
headlines that stare us in the face every day, especially at this
fragile period of our political emanations. The media play an important
and remarkable role in shaping the flow of discourse.
"Their level of influence is also not in doubt, but as the
fourth estate of the realm, it has a greater responsibility to moderate
public discourse in a manner that will cement inter- and intra-cultural
relationships. If Nigeria works, it benefits all her citizens; if it
fails, it hurts all her citizens too. The media should be patriotic in
its present engagements to berth a new Nigeria of our dreams.
"On a final note, I really wish we see strength, determination,
commitment and confidence in our diversities rather than adversities.
As a heterogeneous country with flourishing skills and numerous
endowments, we should dictate the pace in Africa and lead by example of
what is possible amongst a people that are focused and determined to
pursue common national goal.
"As a former Military President who had the rare privilege to
travel around Africa to sustain the African cooperation through
peace-keeping operations, I have come to the conclusion that nations are
driven by a common ideal and not by the homogeneity of their race. I
saw Somalia, such a homogeneous conclave yet one of the most troubled
countries in Africa today.
"I saw South Sudan, which broke away from the old Sudan, but
peace and stability have eluded them. Rwanda genocidal experience is not
romantic either. But a President from the minority ethnic group has
repositioned the country to assume its pride of place in the comity of
nations.
"That a people share common identity, language, history,
doctrine, culture, mores and values is not synonymous with development,
growth, stability and peace. When we went into peace-keeping operations
in Sierra Leone, Somalia, Liberia and Congo, we had in mind to sustain
oneness in Africa even though we are a continent of different countries
all bearing different logos and identities. Our motivation was simply
that we are Africans.
"I am therefore appealing to the sensibilities of all of us,
young and old, leaders and followers, groups and organizations, that in
the interest of peace and stability of our country, we need to sheathe
the sword. At 76, I have seen it all. I have seen war. I have fought
war. And I have survived war, even though I still suffer the pains and
injuries of war, it is part of the selfless sacrifice to keep the union
afloat.
"We must build a country that is forward looking for our
children and future generations of Nigerians. We cannot afford to toil
with the destinies of the 170million Nigerians by the shape of our
discourse and the content of our interaction.
"We must carry out conscious attitudinal orientation that will
change the mindset of our youths and the held beliefs of the elderly. We
must explore the therapies of dialogue and constructive engagements in
our desire to make life more meaningful for our people. My friends cut
across all regions, zones and states. I am proud to be a Nigerian
because I see hope in the youthful population of Nigerians.
"I see remarkable skills and raw talents that can stimulate enterprise and innovations.
"This is the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan, a month in which
Muslim faithful have dedicated their lives to seek closeness to God,
and forgiveness of their inequities. It is a month of penance; a month
of prayer for physical, moral and spiritual rejuvenation, regeneration
and rebirth. I urge my countrymen and women to use the occasion to look
ahead with hope and renewed dedication to the service of our country."
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