Chief Mike Ozekhome, Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has argued that Nigeria could scatter into pieces if its inherent problems were not addressed.
The lawyer made this submission on Thursday, 17 June, 2021 in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during the Ladi Adebutu Good Governance Symposium. It took place at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.
According to the lawyer, it is contradictory to think Nigeria is a true federation, even when the Yoruba cannot have their own security outfit as Amotekun.
He argued further that it is a big error to mistake freedom of movement in Section 41 of the constitution for freedom of movement for cows.
He took a dig at a particular public figure who likened open grazing which has led to clashes between herders and farmers to spare parts selling!
“You want to compare nomadic AK47-wielding cattle rearers killing our fathers, our sons, brothers to Igbo spare parts sellers, who rent shops and pay taxes. When did we descend to this level?” he said.
”It is a lie to say Nigeria is indivisible.”
He added: “In Nigeria, the North has 19 states with 419 local government councils. The South has 17 states with 347 local government councils. This means the North has 62 LGs more than the South.”
“Ghana refused to be called Gold Coast. But we want to remain Nigeria. We want to kill ourselves under a suffocating system that does not work because we must be seen to live together.
“I have nothing against Nigeria’s over 200 million population, but we say no to second enslavement. The slave trade ended over 500 years ago, and you want me to be subjected to a second neo-colonial slavery in my own country. I say no!” the lawyer stated emphatically.
However, he added that if Nigeria should remain great as one, the needful must be done.
“There should be proper restructuring, true federalism, devolution of powers”, he said