Nigeria Risks Becoming A Failed State –Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned that Nigeria risks becoming a failed state if the citizens 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 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 fulfill 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.

 

“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 like Nigeria.”

 

The former Vice President said that Nigerians ought to understand that its collapse 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.

 

“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.”