Human rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, says the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is distant from the people and ignorant of the people’s yearnings on restructuring.
“He is distant to and disconnected from his people. He does not care; does not listen to their cries, woes, pains, pangs, tears, sorrow and blood. He cares not about their genuine yearnings and desires,” Ozekhome said in a statement obtained by POLITICS NIGERIA on Sunday.
He was reacting to a comment credited to the President, who said those agitating for restructuring and secession were not only naive, but “mischievously dangerous”.
The comment was made through the Executive Secretary, Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission, Mohammed Shehu, in Zaria, at the Kudirat Abiola Sabon Gari Peace Foundation on Saturday.
“The other issue is that those who are calling for restructuring and conference on what they call ethnic nationality, if you go to Southern Kaduna, Taraba, who is to represent them? We have different combinations of ethnicities in many states. Even Kano and Kaduna Igbo have properties. The same goes with Yorubas.”
“There are Fulani in Port Harcourt. So those calling for separation or restructuring, some of them I will say are very naive or even mischievously dangerous. Those agitating for restructuring are ignorant of war and its consequences because Nigeria is a dominant force in west Africa.”
“There is no government in the world that will cede their authority to the people that are not elected,” the President said through Shehu.
But Ozekhome said he was not surprised by the President’s comments, which he described as erroneous.
“I was not (shocked) because as a close monitor and commentator on national and international affairs , I didn’t expect anything more from him. My thesis is simple, not rocket science: a leopard can not change its spots. Buhari said he did not understand what the restructure proponents want, or what is to be restructured.”
“Buhari erroneously believes that the problem of Nigeria is how to make Local Governments functional and the Judiciary independent. As important as these are, President Buhari has merely seen the smaller picture, rather than the larger picture ,as President of a hemorrhaging country yearning for urgent rescue. So, for those Nigerians who had heaved a little sight of relief last week on the little tokenism conceded by Buhari ,I sympathise with you.”
The senior lawyer said how the President, who appeared to understand Nigerians’ pains, agony and genuine yearning for restructuring in his democracy day speech would make such provocative statements in Zaria.
“President Buhari ‘s summersault in just one week has therefore shocked most Nigerians.”
“Suddenly, in Zaria, he beat the drums of War, in a speech that is as provocative as it is unpresidential and unstatemanly. He berated those who are ‘calling for restructuring and conference or what they call ethnic nationality”.
Ozekhome emphasised the essence of a democratic setting, noting that a leader does not dictate to his people as to what they want.
“Buhari erroneously believes he knows what the 211 million Nigerian populace wants. He is making a grave mistake. No ruler in history has ever perpetually diictated to, or held down his people with sheer jackboot. Musolini woefully failed, just like Hitler, Saddam Hussein ,Idi Amin, Stalin and Lenin. Ask the bones of Adolf Hitler, Mao Zedong , pinochet, Gheghis Khan, Pol Pot and Kim Jong.”
“They will tell Buhari how and why they failed miserably to dictate to their citizens forever.”
