…Says APC still committed to restructuring
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The Kaduna State Governor and Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC, Restructuring Committee, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, yesterday took a swipe at Northerners opposed to restructuring of the country, saying they were doing so for selfish reasons.
He also said the draft bill produced on restructuring by his committee in January 2018 was stepped down for fear of politicization, ahead of 2019 general elections.
However, El-Rufai’s comments drew the ire of Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, and its counterpart in the South-East, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, who described it as a ploy to hoodwink Nigerians.
But the governor, who spoke while fielding questions at a panel discussion at the on-going 26th Nigerian Economic Summit, NESG, holding at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, pointed out that there was a difference between the position of Northern Elders Forum, NEF, against restructuring and northerners as a people.
He argued that there were over one hundred million Northerners whose interests were at stake, maintaining that whatever advantages an individual was getting for himself did not apply directly to the entire north.
‘No advantages to the North’
“We have the highest number of out-of-school children. We have the highest poverty rate. We have the lowest JAMB cut-off rate. So, what are the advantages to the North in the current situation?
“As governor of Kaduna State, I have had to look at these issues and try to see how I can get the people of my state up on the ladder. I think you need to differentiate the knowledge from a few and the voice of the silent majority,” he said.
El-Rufai, however, regretted that certain people present restructuring in a derogatory way in a manner that portrayed all the northerners as backward people.
He said: “The way some people present restructuring is so insulting and derogatory. We should have an honest conversation on what is working and what is not. We don’t have anything to benefit making derogatory remarks against a particular group of people because of restructuring.
“If there are northern leaders today by virtue of the fact that I am a governor, I must be there. So, who are these northerners against restructuring? Who are they? Who are they speaking for? So, let us have a very honest, unemotional conversation without looking down on people or insulting them or framing them.”
‘APC still committed to restructuring’
El-Rufai, who noted that some interested members of his party are making frantic efforts to get the draft bill presented to the National Assembly for consideration before the end of tenure of the present administration, said the ruling party is still committed to restructuring.
The governor spoke while fielding questions at a panel discussion at the on-going 26th Nigerian Economic Summit, NESG, holding at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
He explained that the committee made bold recommendations at the time and prepared a draft bill for onward transmission to the National Assembly which every law maker could take up and sponsor as a private bill.
According to him, “we do not need executive bill to start action on the draft bill submitted by the committee.”
The governor insisted that it was the position of the party and the President to see the draft bill passed into law, assuring that consideration of the bill would soon commence.
“The consideration could be done piecemeal as we do not require an omnibus amendment of the constitution to restructure the country,” he said.
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