Restructuring: ACF rules out return to regional government

By IDOWU ISAMOTU

Despite growing calls for restructuring, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), on Thursday said it was very unlikely for the country to return to the regional system of government where each region had control of resources at its domain.

ACF President, Audu Ogbeh, who stated this in Abuja during the 18th Daily Trust Dialogue with the theme: “Restructuring: Why? How?”, maintained that the shape by which restructuring would take was still unclear even if it was a necessary thing to be done.

“In dealing with the problems confronting us, restructuring is absolutely necessary. In what shape is the question to ask. Will States surrender their autonomy like Professor Jega said? Very unlikely. Are we returning to the regions of 1960? Very unlikely. That is where the problem lies,” Ogbeh said.

The former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, who had earlier protested exclusion of the ACF among other speakers at the programme, also lamented the extinction of standard factories in droves across all regions of the country, saying only Kano lost 126 factories in few years.

According to him, “The economy of this country is dying so fast, and that is where the tragedy is coming from. And that is why our children and grandchildren, the young ones coming behind should realise they have no future.

“What we say influences the opinions of those who have no opinions of their own. We are too hot and too angry. The big issue is the economy of this country. How many of us can count the numbers of factories that have died in this country? From the South West, to the North, and to the East.

“Kano alone, 126 factories had gone down. We are talking of creating jobs. You cannot take a loan from the bank. That is a 5% interest rate. Even if you are trading in Cocaine, you can’t make it.” (Daily Trust)