The Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, has said there is a need for the country to be restructured in a way that will allow the different regions to thrive independently.

He said restructuring, rather than Igbo Presidency in 2023, was his concern.

The monarch argued that it was time that Nigerians shunned the idea of Igbo, Yoruba, or Hausa Presidency, and root for a President that would treat all the regions equally.

The monarch spoke with journalists on Friday in Jos after paying a courtesy visit to Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State.

Achebe said he was in Jos for the Anambra Cultural Day held on Saturday which was attended by all the indigenes of the South-East.

When asked if he believed in Igbo Presidency in 2023, he said regional Presidency was defective and laced with crises.

Achebe said, “I think you are going into politics now; it is a shame that people are talking about Igbo Presidency, Yoruba Presidency and Hausa Presidency. Nigeria should have a President who will attend to the needs of all Nigerians. That is the important thing. What is important for my people today are basic necessities of life, including employment for our children and health services.


“I don’t believe in regional Presidency, I don’t believe in Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa Presidency. It sounds divisive; we want a President of Nigeria that is elected by all Nigerians to take care of the interest of all Nigerians without showing any bias. That is what we are looking for.

“It is the basic necessities of life that matters; it doesn’t matter whether it is provided by Igbo President or Hausa President. There should be a President that should be a President for all Nigerians and not the President for one section or the other. Igbo Presidency? It has to be President for the whole of Nigeria.”

According to him, Nigeria should be restructured in line with the regional system of government used by the British colonial administration before the country’s attainment of independence in 1960.

He said, “Yes, I think that most Nigerians also believe in restructuring because if the constitution is restructured, we will be going back to our independence constitution when we had the regions which were autonomous and yet, we also had a Federal Government in place.


“But the regions can now develop at their own pace; they will be happier and more united. But there is no one solution to the problems in Nigeria. It is an institutional solution; there are other problems in Nigeria. If the regions can have their own priority, then they will do the things to solve the problems. It is not one-size-fits-all solution.”

gurnam:
May Agunyi Ironsi, his advisers and backers rot in the deepest part of hell

May the coup plotters of Jan 1966 and July 1966 keep receiving God’s wrath.

homotayo11:
What is RESTRUCTURING?
Different people with different ideas and opinions.

DonCorleons:
ur ignorant if u don't know that restructuring basically means dovultion of some powers to state and local government

including and not limited to police, education, water control,,oil etc

DonCorleons:
ur ignorant if u don't know that restructuring basically means dovultion of some powers to state and local government

including and not limited to police, education, water control,,oil etc

daywatcher:


I think everybody within the political arena knows exactly what restructuring means but there are many that wish to appear ignorant long enough for the issue conversation to be swept under the carpet. But unfortunately for these people Nigeria is retrogressing at an alarming rate so the conversation can only get louder

homotayo11:


Another point of view..
Some will say going back to regional government

I don't like the word ignorant..

daywatcher:


I think everybody within the political arena knows exactly what restructuring means but there are many that wish to appear ignorant long enough for the issue conversation to be swept under the carpet. But unfortunately for these people Nigeria is retrogressing at an alarming rate so the conversation can only get louder

DonCorleons:
now i can confirm that ur more than ignorant


regional government that was operated in 1963 is the same as restructuring that we are asking for,, but with slight modifications.

Back then, the regions were very powerful...............they control most items that the fed. Government does today like police,revenues,, land etc


the modifications now is that states will replace the regions

Ofodirinwa:
foolish man