Bayelsa State Governor, the Henry Seriake Dickson on Monday in Abuja, visited elder Statesman and former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Ango Abdullahi to consult with him on the need to restructure Nigeria.
A press statement by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Francis Ottah Agbo said that the visit to the former Varsity don was in continuation of Dickson’s nation-wide consultation on restructuring Nigeria.
The Governor said only restructuring, fiscal federalism, State police, devolution of powers from the Centre to the federating units will guarantee fairness, peace and stability of Nigeria.
While thanking the elder statesman for his long years of service to the country, Dickson called on Abdullahi to lend his moral voice to the clamor for restructuring.
He said: “I thank you for your service to our country. I have been a silent admirer of your courage and leadership style… As you know, I have been consulting widely on the issue of restructuring. I believe we need to enthrone devolution of power from the Centre to the federating units and return the country to fiscal federalism. Some people have their misgivings on restructuring but we must keep consulting, talking and disagreeing to agree to make Nigeria work.
“Restructuring is not meant to make Nigeria perfect. After all, no country in the world is perfect. All we want to achieve with RESTRUCTURING is to make Nigeria workable. Nigeria as it is today is not working and we have a duty to make it work. ”
Prof. Abdullahi thanked the Governor for leading the charge on restructuring and promised to work with like-minds like Dickson to return Nigeria to “true federalism”.
He averred that the country is in difficult times but expressed optimism that if all hands are on deck, Nigeria will work again and placed on the path of peace and progress!
He said he has identified the Governor as one of the few courageous political leaders with the requisite network, experience, wisdom and sagacity to engender positive change in Nigeria!