Why Nigeria MUST be restructured !

1.1 National Unity

National unity is achievable through trust and mutual respect. A true federation creates such an environment. The current structure breeds distrust, ethnicity or ethnocentrism, tribalism, discrimination and hatred, and does not assure a common purpose and goal for all.
1.2 Popular and Legitimate Governance
The current structure was imposed by the Armed Forces. It was not negotiated by the various Nigeria nationalities. The force of arms, without the consent of the people, subverted the original federation negotiated and agreed upon at independence. All other common law federations in the world have been negotiated by their peoples and the federating units were either "colonial entities" or "ethnic nationalities". The constituent units in Nigeria such as "colonial entities" or "ethnic nationalities" MUST negotiate a true federation.
1.3 Equitable Representation
Equitable representation of all ethnic nationalities in the Federal House of Assembly, Senate, and Government will be achieved. The current structure fails to allow equitable representation for many ethnic nationalities, while allowing over-representation for a few others.
1.4 Equitable Resource Distribution
Equitable distribution and management of resources will be achieved. The current structure creates disproportionate allocation of resources and dependence on the central government for such allocations; thus creating a welfare system.
1.5 Political Stability
Restructuring will eliminate political instability and a culture of military coup d' etat.
1.6 Corruption Minimization
Restructuring will considerably reduce corruption as the control of resources substantially shifts to the Federating Units who create the resources. A major reason for the scramble for power at the center is removed in the proposed structure, thus making it less attractive for those with selfish and less than noble intents. Complete control of resources and revenue at the Federal level also encourages corruption and lack of accountability. It also contributes to ethnic politics and regional sub-optimization at the expense of the entire country.
1.7 People's Wishes
Nigerians from Port Harcourt to Kaura Namoda and from Lagos to Kirenowa or Nguru want self-determination. They have expressed their wishes openly and publicly and the introduction of Sharia criminal law by some states has demonstrated the fact that different religious and ethnic groups may have different world views and perspectives that may be regionally acceptable but centrally unacceptable.
1.8 Cultural Enrichment
Restructuring will enrich the cultural heritage of the country by enhancing and developing the culture and identity of each ethnic nationality, rather than assimilate and destroy them as the current structure does.
1.9 Economic Prosperity for All
Restructuring will ensure equal participation in economic life of our people. It will encourage healthy economic competition among Federating Units or Regions and thus usher in an era of economic prosperity for all.
1.10 Patriotism
Restructuring will give Nigerians a reason to see themselves as stakeholders in the Nigeria project. This will arouse a feeling of ownership and a sense of patriotism which is a necessity for national development and growth. Citizens will be willing to safeguard the government and democracy with passion.
1.11 Justice and Fairness
Restructuring will bring relief to agitators, the oppressed, the alienated, and the marginalized. It will give a sense of justice to all.
1.12 Erosion of Values
Erosion in core values, misplacement of priorities, and economic and developmental stagnation and other maladies afflicting Nigeria are traceable to faulty structure. Restructuring is therefore necessary to address these issues.
1.13 Decentralization of Resource Control
The current arrangement where power and resource control are almost exclusively concentrated at the center is defective and does not engender stability or economic progress. This structure has been tried for more than 30 years and has not worked. So, why not effect a change and seek out more progressive structures that are indigenous to our culture and value systems?
1.14 Incentive for Creativity
Currently, there is no incentive for different states and ethnic nationalities to find creative resource generation modalities since they mainly depend on the Federal Government for subventions. When a region knows it must survive on its own, it will find creative and innovative ways to establish and maintain economic and political viability.
1.15 Discourage Intellectual Laziness
The current structure fosters a trend of intellectual laziness because it fails to explore new possibilities in other sectors of economic activity, while encouraging complete dependency on a largely single foreign exchange revenue source.
1.16 Bloated Structure
The Federal structure as currently composed is bloated and can not be run efficiently and effectively. There is need to devolve some power and control to the Regions or Federating units.