Restructure Nigeria now, Rep tells FG

Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

Member representing Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State, in the House of Representatives, Hon. Linus Okorie has called for the urgent need to restructure Nigeria into the six geopolitical zones in the country to end the issues of marginalization being agitated by the people.

He stressed that no matter how it’s been delayed by the Federal government, it can’t run away from the demands by the Nigerian citizens for the country to be restructured.

Okorie, who is also the House Committee chairman on Agricultural Colleges and Institution, noted that the issue of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), the militancy in the South would be addressed if the federal government submits the conference reports to the National
Assembly for further deliberations and adoptions.

He added that he had approached the secretariat of the defunct National Conference Committee to get a comprehensive report which he wanted to sponsor as a private member bill because of his belief that
irrespective of every political undertone, the conference remained the best to help build a contemporary Nigeria.

The lawmaker further noted that the problems of ethnicity, insecurity and other agitations in the country would only be solved if the gederal government implements the reports of the 2014 national conference, which have addressed the alleged feelings of marginalization by the segments of the people in the geopolitical zones.

Okorie therefore stressed the need to address the fundamental issue of restructuring in a way that Nigerians can feel comfortable to address their fears and accept that other parts of the country mean well for them and that if there are misconceptions they will be addressed in a
manner that would attract them.

He said “I feel very strongly that irrespective of every political undertone, that conference remains the best to help build a contemporary Nigeria. I address the issue that affects us today. Such problems of ethnicity, our problems of insecurity and much more importantly, restructuring and the need to restructure Nigeria.

“There is need to restructure Nigeria and you can’t run away from it. The story of Boko Haram, whether we accept it or not, the religious undertone, the issue of IPOB, MASSOB and the issue of secession by all the agitated people, it goes to the issue of the need to address alleged feelings of marginalization and being left out of a people in the South East.

“The Issue of Militancy in the South-south goes to the issue of the feeling that the resources they believe belong to them because it is under their land are being taken away and expended in far away areas while they are not seeing development around them. The Issue of South West and Odudua for a Kingdom, it goes to the issue that they have not gotten enough as they believe they should get”.