By Bode Olagoke Abuja
A forum of the Southern, Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMLF), has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to stop intimidating Nigerians with the military invasion of some parts of the country, just as it asked the President to urgently put machinery in place for restructuring.
After an extensive meeting yesterday in Abuja, the forum, which comprises delegates from the Southwest, South-east, South-south and Middle-Belt states, also condemned in totality the military’s Operation Python Dance in the South-east geopolitical zone.
Among prominent leaders in attendance at the meeting were elder statesmen like Prof Jerry Gana, Banabas Gemade, Ayo Adebanjo, Olu Falae, Dan Suleiman, Chief Edwin Clark, Mrs. Stella Omu, Idris Wada, Tunde Ogbeha, Prof. Ihechukwu Madubuike, Ferdinand Agu, Chief Chigozie Ogbu among others.
On recent developments in the South-east, the forum rejected “the hasty tagging of IPOB as terrorist organisationin the face of contrary evidence.
” “We call on the Federal Government to always exercise restraint in the deployment of troops in quelling civil agitations, which is the responsibility of the police in any democracy.
Consequently, we call on the Federal Government to reconsider similar operations that the Army is embarking on in the South-west and South-south zones, which are peaceful areas.
” “We do not need these exercises, which are seen largely as sheer intimidation and barring of fangs.
Under federalism, you do not deploy troops to the federating units without the invitation of the aff ected local authorities.
Th e federal Government must also employ dialogue above raw force in engaging dissension,” the Forum warned.
A communiqué read by John Dara, shortly after the consultative meeting, appealed to the National Assembly to, as a matter of urgency, revisit its decisions on restructuring and resolve the matter in a way that can have a new fi scal formula to Nigeria away from the current over dependence on oil and gas revenue.
Yesterday’s meeting, Dara said, was a follow-up to the July 15, 2017 one, with delegates from the Southwest, South-east, South-south and from the Middle Belt states comprising, Plateau, Benue, Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, Taraba, Adamawa, Southern Kebbi, Southern Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, Southern Borno and FCT.
While restating their commitment to the country, they expressed conviction that “as a multi-ethnic country Nigeria can only enjoy lasting peace, development progress and happiness under a federal system which allows all the Federating Units to develop at their own pace under full cultural expression.
“However, we fi rmly believe that Nigeria as it is, is not a proper federation, as the structure is over-centralized, unjust and anti-development and therefore unacceptable.
Th ere is no gainsaying the fact that this is at the core of the many agitations across the country with some delving into separatist feelings.
” “Nigeria must, therefore, be grateful to those of us speaking in demand of restructuring of the federation for the restoration of the Federal principles enshrined in the 1960 and 1963 constitutions as a middle course between those who want to sustain the present unjust structure that is driving Nigeria into the edge and consequently attracting agitations for breakup and those who are calling for break-up of Nigeria.
“Forum noted that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari in his Independence Anniversary broadcast, made some good shift by admitting to the legitimacy of the demand for the restructuring of Nigeria.
“We call on him to move a step forward by initiating processes that should lead Nigeria towards confronting its structural challenges through the legal instruments of the National Assembly and the representatives of ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.
” Th e Forum slammed the National Assembly for “voting down devolution of powers and functions to the federating units”, during the last constitution amendment exercise, and therefore called for a revisit as promised by the leadership of the two arms of the legislature.
