The issue of restructuring in Nigeria has remained a complex issue which continually ruffles the state and governance. Though it appears that a huge percentage of stakeholders are in support of restructuring, the way to go about it has yet remained a source of contention among all and sundry.
Peter Obi, Labor Party’s presidential candidate for the forthcoming 2023 general elections is also of the view that restructuring the country might be necessary just as he says that the issue of fuel subsidy needs to be handles with care and honesty.
From part of his interview with ARISE TV monitored by the news chronicle, Obi was responding to a question posed by Useni Rufai on his position on restructuring.
Obi buttressed his point by saying that the governor of a state should be in charge of the security of that state, which is presently not what is obtainable. “Our police personnel level is not acceptable. Out of about 320,000 police personnel, 70,000 are with VIPs, while Egypt with a population of 100,000,000 people has 1,000,000 policemen”.
“If you audit what we are importing and consuming it is clear that there are huge discrepancies in the subsidy implementation, a lot of scam going on, even in the cost governance there is scam going on.
I will remove subsidy if I am able to offer something worthwhile in replacement for it. Even our security budget is not up to subsidy, are we saying subsidy is better than security of lives and properties”.
For Obi, the main problem in Nigeria is the economy, therefore whatever has to be done to save the economy without causing adverse effects to the masses in necessary.
