Legal luminary and a former commissioner in Lagos State, Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN), has reasoned that considering all the challenges the country is confronting with, the civilian administration might not be able to address them in a manner that is beneficial and sufficient for Nigerians.
He gave the opinion yesterday, at the 11th Annual Symposium of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria B-Zone (MSSN B-Zone) in Ibadan with the theme: “The Nation’s Destiny.”
According to him, those competent Nigerians to rule the country might unfortunately not likely emerge in the present political system.
Banire said that the electorate in Nigeria needed to be enlightened because most don’t know the reason they needed to vote for the right candidates and follow their conscience rather than collecting money.
He said that voting for a rightful candidate would help the country get to its desired destination and address the agitation on ethnoreligious and imperative inclusiveness.
“Considering all the challenges this nation is confronting, I suspect that the civilian administration might not be able to address them in a manner that is beneficial and sufficient. I’m beginning to think that we must have a person that will act as a dictator that can help us resolve this.”
“Those competent Nigerians unfortunately are not likely to emerge in the kind of political system we practice. Restructuring is treated already against those that can do it and to that extent, most of them won’t even come forward. Those that can rule are being relegated with the term called Politically Exposed Person, that’s why that can’t show up. We are more or less at a quagmire and certainly, we have to look for an external way of dealing with the situation otherwise this country will collapse.”
“In fact, some of us lost hope and we believe that beyond hopelessness, it seems that the situation is still redeemable. Some fundamental changes need to happen for us to progress in this nation.”
“We need a lot of education for our people. Most of the people that vote in Nigeria today are uninformed and vulnerable people because the majority of them don’t reason why they are voting and who to vote for.”
“The stakeholders need to wake up and help to enlighten these people to do the right thing by not selling and wasting their votes. Until we achieve this, we will now have a credible leadership emerging and that’s when we will now get to our destination.”
“I don’t believe anybody beyond the age of sixty or above even needs to come out to rule Nigeria, because I know what it entails. It’s not about knowledge, health but energy. You can’t award a contract and be waiting for a response at Aso rock,” he posited.
Also speaking, another legal icon, Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said the restructuring of Nigeria was long overdue and must be done in a manner that would meet the yearning and aspiration of all and sundry for the benefit of all.
He said: “In terms of restructuring, it is a thing that I believe is being neglected. They’ve neglected it for a very long time. The further we are away from it, the closer we are in very serious collapse.”
“We do not solve the problem by running away from it; the problem we have in this country is the effect of the fundamental cause and you cannot treat the effects by neglecting the cause that’s why I’m supporting the agitation of restructuring.”
“When we talk of restructuring, we mean one that will answer and attend to the yearning and aspiration of the people and also the one that will ensure the oneness and unity of Nigerians. Restructuring that’ll metamorphose a nation to a country.”
“Restructuring must walk through the federal, state and local governments. The federal government carries many responsibilities that’s why they achieve little in their administration. The federal government needs to leave education, security and environmental sectors to the state and local governments.” Fagbemi opined.
Earlier in his lecture at the event, the guest speaker, a lecturer in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Afis Oladosu, described those agitating for Nigeria’s disintegration as imposters and power-thirsty people.
The don said that majority of those agitating for Nigeria’s disintegration are not sincere and don’t have the interest of the country at heart and don’t want the progress and prosperity of the country.
Oladosu admitted that there are some challenges confronting Nigeria as a country, but clamouring for the break up of the country should not be the solution to address the challenges.
He called on Nigerians especially Muslims not to allow themselves to be used to destabilise the peace of the country and vote rightly to elect credible leaders during the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
“It appears as if each time our country is positioned to achieve greatness, certain forces would emerge not only to imperil it but also threaten to render its future asunder.”
“The 2023 general elections is at the corner, we desire a credible election that would be trustworthy, dependable and satisfactory,” Oladosu said
