The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has warned that Nigeria may seize to be as country if the current call for restructuring is noit given aany attention by the federal government
SMBLF therefore called on President Muhammadu Buhari to act like the politician that he is and address Nigerians on the various challenges including insecurity facing the country.
National leader of the forum, Chief Edwin Clark, said this at the expanded meeting of SMBLF, which was attended by leadership of the Ohaneze Ndigbo, Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum, as well as the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) in Abuja.
The group observed a minute silence for the former secretary of Afenifere and SMBLF and Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru, the late Chief of Army Staff and 10 others who died in a plane crash recently.
Declaring the meeting open, Clark said: “The purpose of this meeting is very clear. Where are we going in Nigeria? Some are asking for secession, others for a breakup, others are running a unitary system of government etc.
“Time is moving fast and there is the need to state our position very clear to Nigerians.
“Mr. President is not an emperor, he is not a king, he is not a monarch, he is a politician. He should come out and meet some of us who where here before even he was an ordinary soldier. This country belongs to all of us, the north alone or the south alone cannot rule this country.”
Clark who noted that Nigeria is presently running a unitary system of government, insisted that it is time to restructure.”
He noted that the National Assembly spends N2 billion each time for the review of the 199 constitution, which he declared as obsolete
“We want a brand new constitution. Any amendment of the constitution, I have no confidence in it. We are here for two things: Nigeria should be restructured. President Buhari once said if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria. I say if we don’t restructure Nigeria will die. Secession is not the answer.
“Secondly, we want the zoning to continue. It is constitutional…we want the 2023 presidency zoned to the south,” he declared
Some notable leaders in attendance are leaders of Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo; President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Prof. George Obiozo; Air Commodore Dan Sulieman, Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, Bitrus Pogu, Godknows Igali, among others.
