From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently unite Nigeria because, according to him, the country is currently too divided and left to drift for too long.

The governor also reiterated call for the restructuring of the country and urged the Federal Government to constitute a bi-partisan body that would come up with a framework to restructure the country.

Governor Dickson said restructuring will address the concerns of resource control, the kind of Police and Judiciary we should have as well as their funding, the number of federating units and their funding and the system of government Nigeria should operate as a country.

Membership of the body, said Dickson, should include, federal government officials, political parties, state governors, representatives of state and national assemblies, organised labour, socio-cultural organisations  and other critical stakeholders. 

 In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Francis Ottah Agbo, the governor gave the advice during a live radio and television interview programme in Yenagoa, yesterday.

According to the governor, proponents of restructuring are true patriots of the country and stressed that leaving the National Assembly alone to amend the Constitution will not sufficiently address the concerns and fears of Nigerians.

“The present attitude of the federal government and the president on the issue of restructuring is something I disagree with.

“I believe that this country has to have a meeting and discuss how we can make Nigeria more stable, prosperous and a Nigeria that can last and stand the test of time.

“Those of us talking about restructuring are the true lovers of this country. There are those who feel they have advantages they want to protect and preserve, so they want the status quo maintained. In that case, you are either talking about individual, regional or ethnic interests, so such people are not talking of the Nigerian interest.

“Those of us calling for restructuring are protecting and preserving Nigeria’s cooperate interest. The buck stops at the table of Mr. President. He has got to rise up to the occasion and unify this country more.”

 “The country is too divided and left to drift for too long with this division. The division is getting deeper and deeper by the day and that is not good for the country we love.

“Nobody should tell anybody in Bayelsa or any Ijaw or Niger Delta man that they love Nigeria more than us.

“They don’t even understand the sacrifices we are making to keep Nigeria going. So, when we talk about restructuring, we are talking as Nigerian patriots.”