The Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja Professor Kamal Bello, on Wednesday disclosed that Nigerians should look beyond restructuring and channel their efforts towards behavioural and attitudinal change.
The varsity don made the declaration following the reoccurring agitations by some Nigerians for restructuring of the nation, which has happened in approximately all regimes of government.
Bello who spoke as a Lead Discussant, at the first dialogue Series of the Faculty of Social Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) with the topic,” Nigeria: To be Restructured Or Not To Be Restructured,” added that for Nigeria to be great, everyone must contribute to it success.
He explained that “Restructuring is a cumbersome process that needs to be conceptualised in the Nigerian context as to what needs to be restructured because, as the word restructuring is not new, as Nigeria must understand the concentration of he country’s resources before true restructuring can take place.”
According to him, “People look at the contemporary things in restructuring, people would be seeking true federalism. Nigeria must know the concentration of her resources before it can be restructured. Most of Nigeria’s problems are how to share the cake, but not how to bake it.
“What should be on every Nigerians mind should be the question of how to bridge the gap between rich and poor people, and not the question of creation of more states or local government.
“It is our mindset that needs to be restructured, not the structure itself. The question should be how we can bridge the gap between rich and poor people. Nigeria’s problem starts on an individual level. We should shun discrimination.
“At this critical time, the question shouldn’t be about whether to restructured or not to restructure but shun nepotism, corruption, and ethnicity. We need to look at Nigeria as a nation that everyone must contribute to the success of it. Teachers or lecturers should be role models.”
Also speaking, Prof. Hussaini Tukur of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi said, “When asking the question on why restructuring, or for whom restructuring should be done, it is important to take cognisant of the legal framework before restructuring.
“The legalised issues surrounding restructuring should be considered the when you understand the purpose and legal entity of restructuring the you will realise that the issues involved as there are several guidelines to restructuring.”
In his remarks, the NOUN Vice-Chancellor, Prof Olufemi Peters, noted that the dialogue is novel and innovative, and the topic is apt because due to it recurring nature of the debate.
Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Administration, Prof. Isaac Butswat, the VC emphasized that the Faculty organised the dialogue to make an input and to decide on which way Nigeria as a country should go on the issue of restructuring.
The VC, however, expressed optimism in the crop of discussants who were drawn from various higher institutions of learning across the six geopolitical zones of the nation. He urged participants to pay attention to the disccussants for a better and more useful understanding of the dialogue.
The Dean, whose address was read by Dr Ebele Udeoji, an associate professor of international relations of the university, thanked the University Management under the leadership of the Vice- Chancellor, Professor Olufemi Peters for making the dialogue possible.
He also thanked the FSS standing committee on Seminar, Conference, and Public Lecture under the chairmanship of Dr, Adeola Adams for ensuring that the dialogue is a success.
