By Christian Ogoh
AGBOR/Nigeria: The former Executive Chairman of Edo state Board of Internal Revenue, Dr. Ese Owie has said that Nigeria cannot make any meaningful progress unless it is restructured.
Dr. Ese Owie made this known in a keynote address he delivered during the opening session of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Agbor branch 2022 Law week, with the theme: Restructuring and Devolution of Powers: Problems and prospects.
“Consequently, the main objective of this keynote is to examine the centrality and aptness of the agitation for restructuring and it’s importance for national development”
“In interrogating the problems, a d prospects of the concept, this paper, inter Alia, posits that restructuring of Nigeria at this time in the nation’s history is critical to it’s socio-economic and political development and necessity economic growth” he stated.
According to him, while stakeholders have been agitating for restructuring over the years, there have not been concerted effort to bring it to actualization inspire of its inherent benefits.
Dr. Owie observed that the issue of definition of concept and the inability to proffer an acceptable meaning to the diverse ethic nationalities in the country and that of the elite interest in the present structure are some of the problems bedevilling the restructuring campaign.
“Another hitch is the political docility of citizenry who have resigned their fate to the dictates of elites and readily accept whatever the political class throw at them without resistance”
“The issue of ethno-regional rivalry, which is by far the greatest challenge to restructuring of the country. Nigeria is sharply divided into North and south, and there have been subtle supremacy contest between the ethnic groups in the two divides over the years” he argued.
While saying that Nigeria as a nation is facing one of the most trying times, he said” both the judiciary and the Bar have a duty to help overcome these fears and replace them with the mutual confidence to build a new”.
