Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome has said Nigeria as a nation can be divided if nothing is done to address the problems confronting it.
Ozekhome said this Thursday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during the Ladi Adebutu Good Governance Symposium held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.
According to the legal practitioner, who was the Guest Speaker at the occasion, it was false to assume that Nigeria cannot be divided, adding that Nigeria cannot be said to be one, if the Yoruba, cannot have their own security outfit as Amotekun.
The human rights activist explained that the freedom of movement in Section 41 of the constitution should not be misinterpreted as freedom of movement for cows.
He expressed dissatisfaction that a top government official could liken 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.”
Ozekhome recalled that many nations in the world have had reasons to go their separate ways, wondering why such is seen as a crime in Nigeria.
He added that the political structure of Nigeria remains unbalanced in favour of the North.
“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. – The News.
