Restructuring: IYC Says Gowon’s View Lacked Objective Reasoning

Foremost Ijaw Youths Council, IYC has expressed dismay over the views of  former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon over the raging argument on restructuring, saying that the reason advanced by the Ex-Military leader that Nigeria’s restructuring is not possible due to the ethnic plurality in the Country lacked all moral and historical objectivity.

The group in a statement by its factional President, Barr. Roland Oweilaemi Pereotubo, said “has Gen. Gowon forgotten so easily that Nigeria was well restructured in the 60s before the military toppled the Government of Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and recolonised the Country with its inimical unitary decree?

“In the 1960 and 63 Independent and Republican Constitutions, even a pupil in primary school today knows that there was a restructured Nigeria within the three regions. On the unending argument about derivation, off course Nigerians cannot forget that it was Gen. Gowon that altered the 50% derivation principles for the regions on the basis of production.

“There may not have been crisis over restructuring and derivation of natural resources had Gowon did not abrogated the provisions of derivation in the 1963 Constitution to satisfy his war urge. Was there no ethnic groups in the Country when the 1960 & 63 Constitutions restructured the Country and provided for an acceptable derivation principles? We believed that Gen. Gowon is only trying to be economical with the truth. It is even better for the Country to be restructured in order to allow the different ethnic groups to have a sense of belonging in our Country.

“May we remind the General, in case he may have forgotten due to an old age that since the military unceremoniously toppled the civilian Government in 1966, Nigerians have not had a constitution made by the people? All we have for over the time are military decrees wearing a constitutional cloth. Until Nigerians sit together and enact a law that is acceptable to all and sundry, there can be no peace in the Country.

“Just like the oil crisis in the Niger Delta region is caused by the refusal of the feudal lords to accept the demands for restructuring, the farmers/herdsmen crisis in the middle belt are also caused by the unitary nature of the country which gives some people an edge over the others. Gen. Gowon no longer love the Country he fought for if all he can contribute to the demands for restructuring is that parochial excuse. IYC sees the General’s reasoning as an expression made in obiter. It is dead on arrival and therefore cannot stand in moral and historical grounds.”