Nigeria Risks Becoming A Failed State – Atiku
BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has said that while Nigeria is not a failed state, it however at the risk of becoming a failed state, if Nigerians do not resolve their foundational challenges that make it rather difficult for the central government to discharge her responsibilities effectively.
Atiku in a statement titled; “Nigeria Needs The Peace Serum of Restructuring” which was issued on Monday and made available to Forefront News, said that Nigeria needs to restructure to avoid the various failed state prophecies, first advanced by an American think-tank against Nigeria in 2006 and most recently regurgitated by the Financial Times of London, about a month ago, saying that to be forewarned is to be forearmed.
He asked; “What is a failed state?” and went ahead to define it thus; “A failed state is a political sovereign geographic territory whose government has deteriorated to a level where it cannot fulfil a sovereign government’s basic responsibilities, such as the security of life and property, and upholding law and order”.
Atiku therefore declared that Nigerians must address the root causes of the various symptoms of insecurity Nigeria now faces.
In his words; “Nigeria needs peace, unity and prosperity. But all three of these virtues are dependent on Nigeria having social justice.
“Without justice, there cannot be cohesiveness in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation as Nigeria”.
The former Vice President said that Nigerians ought to understand that the collapse of Nigeria into a unitary system was an ad hoc temporary solution to a challenge that emerged after the January 15, 1966 coup decapitated the central and most regional governments, stressing that it was not meant to be a long term solution.
He further said; “We must stop fighting each other as Nigerians, and we must start fighting for Nigeria. Arise o compatriots, Nigeria’s call obey. Nigeria is calling for restructuring. And I urge all Nigerians to obey our mother’s voice”.
