A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), has insisted that regional federalism remains the lasting solution to the myriad of challenges confronting Nigeria.
Olanipekun, who said the country needed humanists who genuinely loved the nation and its citizens to overcome the prevailing strife, crises, wickedness and selfishness, lamented that some Nigerians were actively sabotaging the country and “waging war against it.”
He spoke with journalists in Ikere Ekiti on Saturday evening shortly after the 29th edition of the Wole Olanipekun Scholarship Scheme and the sixth edition of the Wole Olanipekun Foundation Empowerment Programme.
The senior advocate, who is the principal of both initiatives, said the programmes had continued to touch lives and build enduring legacies in Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State and across the country.
He urged privileged Nigerians to uplift the less fortunate, saying, “Let those who have received God’s benevolence in society encourage the downtrodden; let the mighty lift up the lowly.”
He added, “Nigeria needs humanists. Humanists are thinkers; they are kind-hearted and thoughtful. Humanists will not wage war against their country. There are people—Nigerians—waging war against Nigeria, and we don’t want to label them. We are afraid of naming them, but we know them.
“My suggestion to the government is this: we should stop pretending as if we don’t know who those people working against the interest of the country are.
You can’t do some of these things in America and get away with it. You can’t sabotage your country; you can’t work against its interests. You can’t be planting war against your country while living in that country. So why are we deceiving ourselves? Why are we pretending as if we don’t know those who are waging war against this country?
“So why are we not naming names? The way out is for the government to do the needful—to name the names. We don’t need any external intervention.”
Olanipekun, who said President Bola Tinubu inherited the current situation, added, “I sympathise with him because he is the inheritor of what he did not plan. So he should not reap what he didn’t sow. The problems have been there. We should stop pretending as if we do not know the problems are there.”
He added that it was time for Nigerians to heal and chart a new path for coexistence, stressing that regional federalism remained the only viable solution.
“What can save Nigeria today is regional federalism. Through the regions, we can integrate properly. I’ve been saying this since Olusegun Obasanjo was president, when I was also NBA president.
“Let the regions come together. Let them form a strong alliance. Let residual powers reside in the regions, while powers traditionally meant for the centre are donated to the centre. That has been my song, and I will continue to advocate it.
“Let there be regions that will negotiate on behalf of their people. You have the South-East; they speak the same language. You have the South-South; they are similar. You have the North-Central, North-West, and North-East.
