NIGERIA DUE FOR RESTRUCTURING ---- MOST REV.DR. PAULINUS
EZEOKAFOR.
FROM BENEDICT ODINAKA EZEOKA.
The
Bishop of Awka Dioceses Most Rev.Dr.Paulinus Ezeokafor yesterday at Bishop
house Awka, spoke extensively on pressing issues affecting the nation, and as
such threatening the unity of the nation.
Most, Rev.Dr. Paulinus Ezeokafor in a chat
with the press spoke about issues perturbing our country Nigeria, which
he said that if not nipped in the bud, is capable of breaking the unity of the
country. In his statement, he said that some people have resolve in
dissolving the unity of the nation, he
said, Although, some group of people have decided to secede, but secession will
not solve the problem of Nigeria
he argued. ”We need the unity of Nigeria, which he described as the greatest democracy in Africa, having
stayed long in the union effort should be made to sustain it. We want one Nigeria
but there is need for a dialogue” he
stressed.
Speaking on the current issue in the country
he said that there is hunger in the land, problem of insecurity, inadequate
distribution of national dividends, infrastructural decay and poor educational
quality. He told the press that Nigeria is due for restructuring instead of
centralizing all the powers at the federal level the state should be given more
powers to manage their resources. “ It is not a crime if a state is richer than
the federal government after all it happens in America” he argued.
Reacting to the
current revelation by Itah Oneh that 8o% of Nigeria oil well are owned by the
northerners, his lordship said that” it is very unfortunate, I mean how can.
The people that produce this oil has nothing, "monkey dey work Baboon dey chop”. The federal government should
collect from the state not the other way round. He said. The Bishop said that
if after all your effort to produce and it is taken away from you, you will not
like to produce again. Saying that a country that cannot feed herself will not
make it .He maintained that Nigeria
is better off restructured.
While lamenting on the agitations in the land,
he advised federal government to dialogue to find the best solution to put an
end to it adding that using violence will not solve it. He bared his mind to
press saying that indigenous people of Bifra (IPOB) is not a terrorist group.
They were agitating because of marginalization and that the group does not
carry arms so while should they be called a terrorist group. he asked. He
arguably said that if you can call IPOB terrorist group what will you call the Fulani herdsmen who
have killed so many Nigerians in recent time and are being spotted carrying
AK-47. He went further to ask what about Arewa youths who issued a quick notice
to Igbos residing in the North. He asked what could be more threatening than
that ?. Reacting to the statement by
Kaduna state government that it has issued a bench warrant to arrest the Arewa
youths the Bishop asked why now, that the Igbos are facing a dangerous
situation in the North. Instead of the Nigerian Army to take their egwu eke to
sambisa forest they brought it to the most peaceful part of the nation
When
the president came back he said that the unity of the country is non-
negotiable. The Bishop debunked it saying that the statement does not speak
good about the president as a leader. According to him, Nigeria is a union and that people
have the right to seek negotiations as long as there is injustice in the
system.
The Bishop decry that Nigerian constitution
was imposed on the civilians by the military who thinks that the world rotates
around them. He maintained that the constitution should be revisited and proper
amendment should be done.
He said that the Bishops all over Nigeria are
committed on the unity of Nigeria he disclose to the press that recently the
Bishops of Onitsha, and Owerri had meeting in Abakiliki which they
christened “We need peace and harmony based on justice. Speaking on the 18
thousand minimum wage, he said it is too poor for the civil servants .He
rhetorical ask what is the work of the senators that they are consuming a huge
amount of money yearly?. Saying that those things should be checkmated by
federal government. On the issue of grazing grounds/ranches, he said that the
federal government should allow individuals to provide ranches for their cattle
because it is a private business.
NIGERIA IS DUE FOR RESTRUCTURING SAYS BISHOP OF AWKA DIOCESES.
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Thursday, October 19, 2017
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