Former female Presidential candidates in 2019 election in Nigeria, Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, a Professor of Applied Linguistics and Communication Arts, a Bishop and an accomplished Educationist, as well as Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, a former Federal Minister of Solid Minerals and later a Federal Minister of Education of the federal republic have both opined, “It’s time to reset, rebuild, retool and reboot Nigeria.

In the view of Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, “It’s time for full restructuring and regionalisation inview of the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest in the nation.” She added, “We would recall historically that, “Bernard Bourdillon the Governor-general at that time initiated and laid the foundation of federalism in Nigeria in 1939 by creating three provinces; after he later handed over the constitution to his successor Arthur Richards and it became the Richards Constitution of 1946.”

She explained, “Now, we have overlooked the importance of the regions and the inefficiencies at the states and local government levels.
If the two tiers are working along with the federal government in a regional balance, life would be easier for Nigerians.”

Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies as a Linguist also recommended, “Creating special nomenclature towards restructuring and regionalisation of the nation, Nigeria.” In her words, “It’s not just time to restructure and regionalize Nigeria in view of the pending report of the 2014 National Confab by Nigerians during former president Goodluck Jonathan presidency, but time is ripe to also create special nomenclature for the restructuring and regionalisation of the nation, and the time is now!”

Dr. Oby Ezekwesili similarly wrote, “The president should convert the current crisis to a ‘Golden Moment of Opportunity’ for a reset of Nigeria. Every reasonable Nigerian knows that Nigeria in its present state cries out for a RESET.

She continued, “The mounting restiveness of our citizens across the country is but a symptom of deeper structural problems for which should lead the rest of political leaders and citizens’ representatives nationwide to a present sound plan for a credible National Conversation focused on the Most Effective Structure and Direction for Good Governance at all levels for productivity, competitiveness, prosperity, justice, equity, equality, order, peace, harmony, stability and resilience.”

It is important to reinstate that, “The protesters had put forward what they described as a non-negotiable fifteen (15-point) demand before the government for the protest to be called off, according to the account of, Comrade Gbenga Olowoyo fcia fimpa JP, a Trade unionist and industrial relations practitioner.

These demands include:
“•Scrap the 1999 Constitution and replace it with a people-made constitution for the Federal Republic of Nigeria through a Sovereign National Conference.

•Restructuring of Nigeria to accommodate Nigeria’s diversity, resource control, decentralization and regional development.

•Toss the Senate arm of the Nigerian Legislative System, keep the House of Representatives (HoR), and make lawmaking a part-time endeavour.

•Pay Nigerian workers a minimum wage of nothing less than N250,000 monthly.

•Invest heavily in education and give Nigerian students grants, not loans. Aggressively pursue free and compulsory education for children across Nigeria.

•Renationalise all public-owned enterprises sold to government officials and cronies.

•Reinstate a corruption-free subsidy regime to reduce hunger, starvation and multidimensional poverty. Face all corruption headlong.

•Probe past and present Nigerian leaders who have looted the treasury, recovered their loot, and deposited it in a special account to fund education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

•End banditry, terrorism, and violent crimes; the people are tired of being kidnapped and being killed.

•Reforms of security agencies to stop continuous human rights violations and duplication of security agencies and enhance the physical security of Nigerian citizens.

•Release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally and demilitarise the South-East. All EndSARS and political detainees must also be released and should be compensated.

•Establish a Special Energy Fund immediately to drive massive, corruption-free power sector development.

•Immediate reconstitution of the Nigerian Electoral Body @inecnigeria to remove corrupt individuals and partisan-backed appointments to manipulate elections.

•Massive investment in public works and industrialization will help employ Nigeria’s teeming youths.

•Massive shake-up in the Nigerian judiciary to remove cabals of corrupt generations of judges and judicial officers that continue denying everyday citizens across to real justice.

•Initiate diaspora voting: It’s high time Nigerians in diaspora became part and parcel of what is happening at their home.”

As far as Nigerian are concerned, the #EndBadGovernance protest emerged from the suffering and frustration of ordinary Nigerian youth and people. As such, the #EndBadGovernance protesters are saying that,

The Federal government should know that releasing ₦570bn to the 36 states to expand livelihood support to their citizens because of the economic hardship and torture can not solve the problem on ground as well as distribution of rice and any grains for that matter because some state Governors will only patronise their cronies.

*Repackage the fuel subsidy removal, bring down the price of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) to at least N200 that is the only thing that can have positive multiplier effects on Nigeria livelihood. There is no household that does not make use of PMS for one thing or the other.

*Federal government should reactivate all the moribund refineries in Nigeria and give sustainable lifeline of operation to the Dangote refinery in order to eradicate dependence on fuel importation to Nigeria.

*Also, Federal Government should reverse increase in electricity tariff increase in order to make life meaningful to millions hapless Nigerians.
Electricity becomes unreliable and expensive to citizens when there is insufficient power. Relying primarily on expensive petroleum products which increases noise pollution caused by generators and machines, and oil mining can cause pollution at sea and in the air. Environmental pollution is equally costly to control.

*Federal government should urgently open all land borders to allow free flow of consumables movement possible in accordance with the spirit and letter of ECOWAS.

*Federal government should promote public policies that can encourage long-term planning and investment, the only way to build resilience to economic the downturns, is by investing in education, infrastructure, research, and development. There is no amount of policy rhetorics that will feed the hungry stomach if no concrete steps are taken to address these multiple tasks of ineptitude in governance.”

Finally, Bishop Prof Adesanya-Davies stated in conclusion, “The government should do something now without further procrastination,” and “This is actually the right time to restructure and regionalise Nigeria, by leveraging the transformative potential and power of linguistics and language through communication and dialogue among other demands of the protesters.”