Let’s renegotiate certain terms of our living together, says Gombe governor

Ibrahim Dankwambo, Governor of Gombe State, has thrown his weight behind the agitation for restructuring, saying it will create a better federation.

Dankwambo, a former Accountant General of the Federation, said restructuring does not mean disintegration of the country but rather expression of unhappiness with the governance structure.

He urged the Federal Government to look into the grievances of the agitators for solution.

“When there are agitations, it means people are not happy, people are not satisfied,” Dankwambo said in an interview with the Guardian.

“So, this is a good time for leaders to look at the mirror, see themselves, look at the country and see why there are agitations. And from there, whatever they feel is the cause of agitation should be corrected.

“If restructuring is the solution, restructuring doesn’t mean A go, B go and C go; no. Maybe to restructure is some other ways of being a better federating country.

“I mean units in the country, meaning a better way of balancing things, meaning renegotiating certain terms of living together, meaning creating more confidence and being more comfortable with the units that are together.”

Meanwhile, the governor said the state had faced financial challenges since 2014 because of the dwindling oil revenue, lamenting that all the revenues in the country are connected to oil.

“I must tell you, nobody should deceive himself. If earnings fall from oil, any other revenue in Nigeria, from whichever state, would go down.

“All the revenues are linked to oil revenue: VAT, royalty, taxes, custom duties; all revolve around oil revenue.”