Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion has bared his mind on restructuring of Nigeria: “How can we, since 1960 be looking for one thing, electricity, and we cannot get it? I will not like to delve into politics; if I have to talk about it, it is so deep. Virtually every Nigerian is talking about restructuring today.”
“Restructuring is to amend what is wrong. My late daughter, Dora Akunyili, discussed this thing called restructuring in my sitting room in Abuja. When I was speaking, she bought into it. It is a very good idea. Restructuring Nigeria is long overdue. The constitution is also stale. We need changes. That is what the people are yearning for but whether the people are interpreting it wrongly I do not know.”
“First of all, we have to condition the minds of Nige
rians to love their country. If you see an America man, he will tell you ‘I am an American’. He is proud and patriotic because the American system inculcated America into the Americans’ minds. If he is a British, he will proudly say ‘I am British’. Until Nigerians accept that they are Nigerians, all the things we are saying is waste of time.”
“Our leaders have not sat down to pinpoint where the error is. I hope that one day we will see people who will truly demonstrate such great love and be proud of Nigeria. We have lost so many great leaders like Bola Ige, Alfred Rewane among others who could have turned things around, it is a sad development.”
“The way God created me is that I do not like to see people suffer. I can even borrow for you if I know you genuinely need help. And I thank God that people have accepted me as one of the successful persons. And out of the several people that we started doing business together, I am still there today by the special grace of God.”
“When I was being given an honorary degree some time ago, a top politician said there is nobody that God does not speak to. It depends on if you are listening at the time God is speaking to you. I hear God’s voice, I win some, I lose some. I did not succeed in everything I did, but no one in this country has taken the risk I have taken to dig unknown grounds.”
– Culled from VANGUARD