A video showing Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, disparaging the clamour for restructuring in the country has resurfaced online.
In the video, Shettima downplayed the idea calling it “madness”.
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An X user, Uptown of Lagos posted the video with a caption thus:
“BREAKING: To hell with Restructuring!! Restructuring my foot!!! – VP Shettima”
The post has generated over 400,000 views, 1,000 reposts and more than 1,200 likes as of June 10, 2024.
After the claimant posted the video, multiple X users began to recirculate the video as recent as can be seen here and here.
CLAIM
Video shows Shettima recently criticising the call for restructuring in Nigeria.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.
The idea of restructuring centres on devolving power and resources from the federal government to states. This is seen as a way to tackle regional inequality and boost economic development, but there are concerns it could threaten national unity, analysts say.
A keyword search on the internet revealed that the video has been online since 2017 when Shettima was the governor of Borno State.
An earlier version of the video published on December 2, 2017, showed that Shettima made the statement at the book launch of a former Minister of Youths and Sports Development under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, Bolaji Abdullahi.
The book titled “On a Platter of Gold” was written on how Jonathan became president of Nigeria in 2011 but lost the office at the 2015 general election.
At the event held on November 29, 2017, Shettima, who was the Father of the Day, dismissed the clamour for restructuring, saying “To hell with restructuring.”
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Shettima opined that the clamour for restructuring will cease if jobs are provided and other sectors of the economy, especially the education sector is developed.
“People are talking about artificial intelligence, other nations are talking about nano technology or robotics engineering but unfortunately, the topical issue in Nigeria is restructuring. Restructuring my foot! To hell with restructuring.
“Let us improve on governance, let us work for the people, invest in education, create jobs for our people, this madness will stop,” Shettima, who was then Borno state governor, said.
Also, Premium Times reported the Shettima’s speech at the event on November 30, 2017
THE VERDICT
The viral video showing Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, disparaging the call for restructuring is old; the video has been online since 2017.
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.
