Obasanjo Rejects Political Restructuring, Prefers Mentality Changing

Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has stated that he cannot be among those calling for the restructuring of the country because what needs changing is the mentality of Nigerians.

He told Channels Television, in an interview, that he would rather have a situation where people are championing inclusiveness as opposed to restructuring.

Obasanjo insisted that Nigerians should be more concerned with how the country’s resources could be effectively managed, and restructure their understanding of the country.

According to him, “I have asked six different people who talk about restructuring and the six of them gave me different points of view and the other day some people came to me and what they were talking about doesn’t make sense.

“So now what are we talking about? We have a country that God has endowed, now the management of that endowment is what now what we have put our hands on, all hands on deck and put out, how do we deal with it?

“Some of them are nostalgic about immediate the independence, that’s their restructuring and some of them are nostalgic about immediate post-independence, that is their restructuring, some of them are nostalgic about their tribe, that’s their restructuring, I cannot be part of it.

“My own restructuring is what I have said, we have to restructure our mentality, we have to restructure our mind, we have to restructure our understanding of Nigeria. What country do we want? And if we decide on what kind of country we want, how do we get that country? All hands on deck, how do we get inclusive, how do we get every Nigerian feeling a sense of… having a stake in the country.”

Atiku Abubakar who served with Obasanjo as vice-president is on the frontline of those calling for the restructuring of the country, a cause which was some months back endorsed by former military president, Ibrahim Babangida.