By Ikenna Uwadileke
Abuja – Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) on Monday urged the Southern Leaders Forum (SLF) to adopt constitutional means in pursuing the demand for restructuring of the country.
This is contained in a statement issued on in Abuja by the Chairman of the group, Mr Austin Braimoh.
Braimoh also urged the SLF to avoid insisting on using other means that had the potential to destabilise the polity.
“The group expresses reservations at the pronouncements of the SLF, which creates the impression that restructuring is a unilateral decision of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“As leaders who spent most of their lives fighting for the unity of the country and promoting a new dialogue for better, just, inclusive and peaceful country, they should not wear the toga of agitation.
“Or utter statements capable of generating ill-feelings and social disorder.’’
He called on the SLF to desist from describing Nigeria as a country that had not attained nationhood.
“If they had done what they were supposed to do when they were in government, Nigeria would not have found itself in the mess that President Buhari is working assiduously to clean up today,” he said.
He also said that it was not the responsibility of the Presidency to initiate the process of any discourse on constitutional changes.
“The National Assembly is the institution with the constitutional powers to address the grievances of Nigerians on such issues.
“Therefore, members of the SLF should channel their demands through the law making arm.’’
Braimoh said that while the National Assembly had commenced the process of constitution amendment, its leadership maintained that the issue of restructuring had not been foreclosed.
“Based on the foregoing, the SLF is advised to concentrate its efforts on getting their elected representatives to table and pursue their demands according to constitutional procedures.’’ (NAN)
