By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA – An agro-economist, Prof. Dupe Olatunbosun, has thrown his wait behind the call by former vice president, Atiku Abubakar for restructuring the federation, saying those who fault such proposition have little or no understanding of the concept.

Olatunbosun who described Atiku as a very courageous man, “who can take radical decisions such as is desirable at this point of the life of Nigeria”, said the country needs leaders with relevant experience and intellectual consciousness to be able to move forward.

In a chat with journalists, Sunday in Abuja, Olatunbosun said “Atiku Abubakar’s commitment and contributions to education, a major key driver of development, puts him in good stead in our search of a leader of distinction”.

The professor of agro-economics bemoaned the poverty in the country even in the midst of the surplus human and material endowments of the country, saying Atiku’s antecedents as a fine manager of human and material resources qualifies him for the nation’s top job.

“It is sad that ours is a country very rich, but with very poor people. We must start to think seriously of this nation. There are many countries in the world namely Pakistan, Singapore, Malaysia who were behind us before 1960, today they are all developed countries.

“In 1960, Malaysia came to Nigeria to take oil palm seedlings. I wrote a book, insisting that Nigeria would soon be importing palm oil, but people said I was joking. At that time Nigeria was number one palm oil producing country in the world because it accounted for 85% of world palm oil production. Malaysia that came to get seedlings from us now produces 85% of the world production while Nigeria accounts for less than 7%,” Prof. Olatunbosun lamented.

According to him, Nigeria needs “a man who can turn things around. I say this without any fear of contradiction. I say it boldly. If we want, we can revive this country together. And let it be known to all rank and file, that when we talk of restructuring Nigeria, it does not mean a break up of Nigeria. In fact, that is an opportunity to bring the people of this country together so that the potentials of this country can be better realized, so that there can be greater unity. This is what we are talking about and this is the man we are talking about that can bring Nigeria back from the brink,” he said.

Meanwhile, the former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar has congratulated Nigerians of all political persuasions on the occasion of this years’ Democracy Day, which coincides with the 2nd anniversary of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, stressing that democracy and representative government which it brings to birth remains the best and only hope of the country.

In a press statement released by his Media Office in Abuja, the Turakin Adamawa said Nigerians should be proud of themselves for doing away with military governments in 1999, in favour of Democracy, which the World over, gives voice and a sense of belonging to more people in the society.

He advised those who may be contemplating alternatives to perish such thoughts as the worst form of democratic rule has been adjudged far better than the best form of military dictatorship.