Insecurity: Restructure now or risk Nigeria’s collapse, Obasanjo says

• tells Nigerians to launch “No security, no Nigeria” crusade

Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, says without restructuring of Nigeria’s federating units, the country “will remain insecure, unstable, non-progressive and stagnated at best or disintegrated at the worst.”

He spoke yesterday in Abeokuta, Ogun State at the 2020 Annual Sobo Sowemimo Lecture (Virtual).

• Heed Gowon, Obasanjo calls for restructuring — Southern leaders
• Restructuring Nigeria unavoidable – Fayemi

Obasanjo noted that the federal government is overwhelmed with the spate of insecurity, making restructuring imperative.

The lecture titled “COVID – 19 Pandemic and Nigeria Security Issues: the way forward”, was organized by the Abeokuta Club.

The former president accused governments at all levels of ineffectiveness, calling on Nigerians to launch and promote such a crusade on the slogan “Security Matters To All; No security, No Nigeria.”

Obasanjo said: “There is no time to stand and stare or just to continue to call on governments that are ineffective.

“Let us take initiative and spearhead actions that will involve governments and the governed and will devolve security architecture, apparatus, arrangement and responsibility in solidarity.

“Papering over the obvious cracks in Nigeria’s polity is not the answer, tearing up or seeking disintegration is also not the solution, remaining silent makes us accomplices and irresponsibly so.

“The solution lies in men and women imbued with courage, nationalism, patriotism, commitment, foresight and love in critical mass, to spearhead the crusade for new Nigeria.

“Let us launch and promote such a crusade on the slogan “Security Matters To All; No security, No Nigeria”. And the time is now.

“Delay is postponing the evil day.

“Failure to act now will lead to more frustration, greater despair and larger mentality and feeling that may lead to action of ‘break it all up’.

“May God forbid that!  And may God, who I have always described as a Nigerian, save Nigeria.  But we should be mindful that God’s patience has limit of elasticity.  Hence, we must not continue to tempt Him.

Speaking on post COVID – 19 era, he called for proper attention to food availability and security, employment and economic diversification.

“The second is employment and job security.  The third is change in the pattern and style of living including travelling. The fourth is innovation, science, technology, digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. The fifth is local content, raw materials and substitutes.

“The sixth is diversification of the economy and enhancement of export commodities. It is up to us to take these six areas very seriously.

“With good leadership and right policy and with the public and private sectors working together, and the civil society joining hand, all the six areas can be taken care of and we can safely put the pandemic behind and move the country forward.

“I hope that Africa, as a continent, will emerge economically stronger from COVID-19.”

“For us in Nigeria, we have no alternative but to get it right. Otherwise, the future will be worse than the present that is uncertain and bleak with economic downturn and pervasive insecurity,” he said.