How Restructuring Will End Insecurity, Improve Economy – Peter Obi

A former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi has said that restructuring will boost the nation’s economy and end insecurity.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain also denied claims that restructuring is not a move to divide the country amidst the calls for secession.

He made this know on Tuesday at the fourth Adada Public Lecture organised by the Association of Nsukka Professors (ANP) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

He noted that with restructuring, governors would look inward to make their states productive, while state, local and community police would be set up to tackle criminality within their areas.

Obi said: “It is unfortunate that some governors believe in going to Abuja monthly to get federal allocation from proceeds of oil.

“They have forgotten the price of oil in the international market has depreciated and will continue to depreciate.

“No developed country in the world depends on crude oil, but they invest in their children, agriculture and encourage small and medium enterprises by giving out soft loans and other incentives.

“There is an urgent need to restructure the country for the economy to grow to the desired level.”

He added: “Some Nigerians should stop misleading others that restructuring is a deliberate plan to divide the country.

“Rather, it should be seen as a move to build the ailing economy and restore adequate security in the country.”

Obi further said that restructuring would also help to ensure adequate funding of primary and post-primary schools as well as higher institutions.

“We should invest in our children’s education, which is greater than any price of crude oil in the international market.

“Restructuring the country will bring out the comparative advantage of every state and our natural resources that are lying waste will be fully harnessed to boost state economy,” he said.

Obi also said that restructuring would enable states to make a robust investment in agriculture, achieve food security and create more employment opportunities.

“In the 1960s and 1970s, agriculture was the major foreign exchange earner for the country.

“In the North, we had groundnut pyramid, in the West we had cocoa and the East had palm oil and Nigeria was among the best economies in the world.

“Today, Netherland as a country uses its exports from agricultural products and flowers to get billions of dollars in foreign exchange to sustain its economy,” he said.