The Executive Secretary, Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Shehu, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at an occasion on Saturday has warned secessionists and agitators to cease their agitation, saying Nigeria is a dominant force in West Africa.

Buhari’s representative warned that those agitating for separation are naive and ignorant of war.

Speaking through Shehu, the President gave an address as a Special Guest of Honour during the launch of the Kudirat Abiola Sabon Gari, Zaria Peace Foundation, which took place at Ahmadu Bello University Hotels, Zaria, Kaduna State.

According to Daily Post, Buhari said that the nation is not restructuring, adding that most people carrying the subject do not even understand what they are talking about.

And again, those who are discussing restructuring, my question is what are you going to restructure?

Buhari asked.

If you ask many Nigerians what are they going to restructure, you will find out that they have nothing to talk about. Some of them have not even studied the 1999 constitution. The 1999 constitution is almost 70 to 80 percent 1979 constitution.

The other issue is that those who are calling for restructuring and conference on what they call ethnic nationality, if you go to Southern Kaduna, Taraba, who is to represent them? We have different combinations of ethnicities in many states. Even Kano and Kaduna Igbo have properties. The same goes with Yorubas.

There are Fulani in Port Harcourt. So those calling for separation or restructuring, some of them I will say are very naive or even mischievously dangerous. Those agitating for restructuring are ignorant of war and its consequences because Nigeria is a dominant force in west Africa.

There is no government in the world that will cede their authority to the people that are not elected.

You are telling us to resolve a system and call for an obscure conference to come and discuss how we can move forward as a nation, that can never be done and no country will agree to that.

So those who are doing that should go back and meet their representatives in the House of Assembly and ask for whatever amendment of the constitution. Due process should be followed.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.