25112020 - Selfish Northerners opposing restructuring, says el-Rufai

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CBN POST MONETARY POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING MEDIA BRIEFING —From left: Deputy
Governor, Operations, Mr Adebisi Sonubi; Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Mrs Aishah
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post Monetary Policy Committee meeting media briefing in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikam
Selfish Northerners opposing
restructuring, says Gov el-Rufai
•Discloses why APC stepped down restructuring bill in 2018 •Says APC still committed to
restructuring •Notes opposition elements don’t represent North •Advocates for state police,
state judicial autonomy •It’s game to hoodwink the unwary—AFENIFERE •It’s all part of
APC’s lies to Nigerians— OHANAEZE •APC govt not honest with Nigerians — PANDEF
By Anayo Okoli, Regional Editor, Southindividual
was getting restructuring in a
for himself did not apply derogatory way in a
East, Dapo Akinrefon, Emmanuel Elebeke
directly to the entire manner that portrayed
& Chioma Onuegbu
north.
all the northerners as
The and its counterpart in
backward people.
He said: “The way
some people present
restructuring is so
LAGOS —
Kaduna State
Governor and
Chairman, All
Progressives Congress,
APC, Restructuring
Committee, Mallam
Nasir El-Rufai,
yesterday took a swipe at
Northerners opposed to
restructuring of the
country, saying they
were doing so for selfish
reasons.
He also said the draft
bill produced on
restructuring by his
committee in January
2018 was stepped down
for fear of politicization,
ahead of 2019 general
elections.
However, El-Rufai’s
comments drew the ire of
Yoruba socio-political
organisation, Afenifere,
the South-East,
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, who
described it as a ploy to
hoodwink Nigerians.
But the governor, who
spoke while fielding
questions at a panel
discussion at the ongoing
26th Nigerian
Economic Summit,
NESG, holding at
Transcorp Hilton, Abuja,
pointed out that there
was a difference between
the position of Northern
Elders Forum, NEF,
against restructuring
and northerners as a
people.
He argued that there
were over one hundred
million Northerners
whose interests were at
stake, maintaining that
whatever advantages an
‘No advantages
to the North’
“We have the highest
number of out-of-school
children. We have the
highest poverty rate. We
have the lowest JAMB
cut-off rate. So, what are
the advantages to the
North in the current
situation?
“As governor of Kaduna
State, I have had to look
at these issues and try to
see how I can get the
people of my state up on
the ladder. I think you
need to differentiate the
knowledge from a few
and the voice of the
silent majority,” he said.
El-Rufai, however,
regretted that certain
people present
insulting and
derogatory. We should
have an honest
conversation on what is
working and what is not.
We don’t have anything
to benefit making
derogatory remarks
against a particular
group of people because
of restructuring.
“If there are northern
leaders today by virtue of
the fact that I am a
governor, I must be
there. So, who are these
northerners against
restructuring? Who are
they? Who are they
speaking for? So, let us
have a very honest,
u n e m o t i o n a l
conversation without
looking down on people
or insulting them or
framing them.”
‘APC still
committed to
restructuring’
El-Rufai, who noted
that some interested
members of his party are
making frantic efforts to
get the draft bill
presented to the
National Assembly for
consideration before the
end of tenure of the
present administration,
said the ruling party is
still committed to
restructuring.
The governor spoke
while fielding questions
at a panel discussion at
the on-going 26th
Nigerian Economic
Summit, NESG, holding
at Transcorp Hilton,
Abuja.
He explained that the
committee made bold
recommendations at the
time and prepared a
draft bill for onward
transmission to the
National Assembly
which every law maker
could take up and
sponsor as a private bill.
According to him, “we
do not need executive
bill to start action on the
draft bill submitted by
the committee.”
The governor insisted
that it was the position of
the party and the
President to see the draft
bill passed into law,
assuring that
consideration of the bill
would soon commence.
“The consideration
could be done piecemeal
as we do not require an
omnibus amendment of
the constitution to
restructure the country,”
he said.
‘Violence worse
in Northern
Kaduna than
South’
On insecurity in
Southern Kaduna, the
governor posited that the
violence in Northern
Kaduna was more
devastating than the
insecurity in Southern
Kaduna as perceived by
the public.
He, however, declined
to speak in details about
the real cause of the
violence, promising that
he would make himself
available only if a
separate session would
be arranged to discuss
the issue.
“Though, the violence
in Southern Kaduna has
been over-reported, the
insecurity in Northern
Kaduna — Birnin Gwari,
is more than that in
Continues on Page 35
By Yinka Latona
On Nigeria's second recession in 5 years (2)
WITHOUT doubt,
t h i s
is a trying period
for the nation and people
at the grassroots have
been experiencing
recession before now. The
FG should support the
agric sector, especially
agribusiness as well as
SMEs
and
manufacturing. This
would in turn lead to
employment generation,
food supply and output
growth.
—Shokoya John,
Health Info personnel
WITH the way things
are playing out in
Nigeria, with all the ups and
downs the economy is going
through, it is no surprise that
we are in recession.
Leadership is everything,
without good leadership there
won’t be any good planning
for the bad days and this year
really exposed how urgent
this country needs good
leadership.
—Ayo Afolabi,
Analyst
IN my opinion, this
is the time to cut
down on the cost of
governance and the
bureaucracy across
board from the
executive, to the
legislature and
judiciary. There is need
to cut all inappropriate
spendings and wasteful
expenditures.
—Mrs Akanni Olufemi,
Busineswoman
MOST states in the
North-West and
North-East which produce the
bulk of agric produce in
Nigeria, have been taken over
by terrorists and bandits. That’s
why we are currently
experiencing food crisis. The
Presidency should change the
current economic managers or
bring in new hands to work with
them to rejig and support
ongoing efforts. It is clear their
best is not good enough.
—Yetunde Olanipekun,
Secretary
I
hope we don’t hit
third recession with
the way things are going.
It’s so sad and
disappointing that the
current administration has
not lived up to expectations.
However, I sincerely hope
and pray that we don’t
experience any second
wave of COVID-19 to avoid
further economic
complications.
—Adeshina Badmus,
Software Engineer
Ifeel so pained. Imagine
one of Africa’s leading
economies suffering its worst
economic crisis twice in just five
years and there seems to be no
way out anytime soon because
of some cabals benefiting from
the setback! I kept asking myself,
where have we gone wrong?
But as Nigerians, the Giant that
we are, all hope is not lost; we’ll
surely survive and rise again.
—Sinabio Abraham,
Entrepreneur