Restructuring: Presidency fumes, says it won’t carve in

Recent calls for restructuring by some eminent individuals and groups has been described as unpatriotic by the Presidency, saying it would not carve in by their pressures.

Individuals and groups have mounted pressure and suggestions during the golden jubilee celebration on need for restructuring of the nation in order to reposition it greater heights.

Reacting to the pressure, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said, the FG would not succumb.

Among individuals that canvassed for restructuring was the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, who spoke on Saturday.

Adeboye spoke at a symposium alongside the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; former Governor of Cross River State and former presidential aspirant, Donald Duke and a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, warning that, “it was either the country restructured as soon as possible or it broke up. You don’t have to be a prophet to know that one,” he added.

President Buhari’s Media aide described such calls as recurring threats to the corporate existence of Nigeria.

The statement read, “The Presidency responds to the recurring threats to the corporate existence of the country with factions giving specific timelines for the President to do one thing or another or else, in their language, ‘the nation will break up.’

“This is to warn that such unpatriotic outbursts are both unhelpful and unwarranted as this government will not succumb to threats and take any decision out of pressure at a time when the nation’s full attention is needed to deal with the security challenges facing it at a time of the COVID-19 health crisis.

“Repeat: this administration will not take any decision against the interests of 200 million Nigerians, who are the President’s first responsibility under the constitution, out of fear or threats especially in this hour of a health crisis.

“The President as an elected leader under this constitution will continue to work with patriotic Nigerians, through and in line with the parliamentary processes to finding solutions to structural and other impediments to the growth and wellbeing of the nation and its people.”