The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Confab

  • Confab: Delegates protest withdrawal of power

    Confab: Delegates protest withdrawal of power

    Some delegates at the ongoing National Conference have protested the decision of their principal officers to withdraw the power of committee members to select their chairmen and deputies.

    Addressing newsmen before the plenary on Thursday, Mr Abdulwaheed Omar, the Spokesperson of the aggrieved delegates, said thwarting a decision already agreed by delegates was not acceptable.

    “We are protesting against something that is being brought through the back door; the decision for the committee to select their chairmen and deputies at the committee level .

    “This decision was concluded by delegates at the plenary, only for it to resurface through the Committee of 50, who are only mandated to talk about the voting pattern.

    “The leadership of the conference is using the Committee of 50 to come up with something they were not originally mandated to discuss and we are saying this is the beginning of a dangerous pattern.’’

    Omar declared that if the trend was allowed to continue, there might be such developments in the course of the conference, which might not achieve the desired outcome of the conference.

    He said “we are afraid if we go by this trend, only God knows what other things will be manipulated again in the same way.

    “We are saying we have to practice democracy and we are demanding that this decision be reversed so that we will go back to the popular decision.

    “In 2005, it was the committees that selected their leaders, why will it be different this time?.’’

    It would be recalled that on March 20, an amendment to the Rule was proposed at the conference that committee members should select their chairmen and deputy chairmen from among themselves.

    Arguments for and against the proposal were canvassed by many delegates and when the conference Chairman, Retired Justice Idris Kutigi put it into a voice vote, the “ayes” had it.

    However, the leadership of the conference, on Monday, rescinded the power it gave the delegates to appoint their chairmen and vice chairmen at the committee level.

    This followed a motion by Hon. Muhammed Kumalia (North-East) that the position taken on Order XII of the Draft Rules of Procedure be rescinded.

    The Rule had proposed that the Chairman, in consultation with the Vice-chairman and the Secretary, should choose the committee chairmen and secretaries

     

  • Confab: There should be no sacred areas, says ex-police service chief

    Former chairman of the Police Service Commission, Chief Simon Okeke said he is of the view that everything should be discussed at the ongoing National Conference, including whether Nigeria should continue to be one or not.

    Okeke, who spoke at his country home Amichi in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, said there should not be any no go areas. He advocated a decentralised police force for efficiency and better policing.

    He said: “Everything should be discussed at the Conference, including whether Nigeria should continue to be one or not and the modality for the oneness.

    He insisted that Nigeria must be restructured to give the six geo-political zones more power to control their resources and then contribute to the centre with the control of the police being decentralised.

    Okeke called on Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano to make the provision of a cargo airport in the state one of his administration’s priorities. He, however, urged the new governor not to abandon any project initiated by former governor of the state, Peter Obi.

    He said: “The need for a cargo airport in Anambra State had become necessary with the expansion of commercial and other business activities east of the Niger.

    He insisted that one of the early new projects the governor should handle would be to revisit the airport project abandoned by past administrations in the state.

    The former police boss continued: “Obi has set a high standard and his successor has a big task to maintain and surpass that standard. Obi has done well in infrastructural development, including road network.

    “Obiano should not think about infrastructure but he has to face industrialisation and agriculture as he had promised to create enough job opportunities for the teeming population.

    “He should make sure that Anambra State is fully admitted as an oil-producing state as declared by President Goodluck Jonathan.”

  • Confab delegates want ethnic sectional issues removed

    Confab delegates want ethnic sectional issues removed

    Delegates at the National Conference on Wednesday called for the removal of issues that had brought about distrust and divided the citizens along ethnic, sectional and religious lines.

    They made the call in Abuja when they continued deliberations of the President’s speech which emphasises unity and peaceful coexistence of all the components that make up Nigeria.

    Alhaji Yusuf Daibu, representing Kwara, said that one of the country’s greatest problems was the gross mistrust among the various ethnic and religious groups.

    “This mistrust is an issue we must address strongly if we want to move forward as a nation. No nation can survive under an atmosphere of mutual distrust and suspicion.

    “At this forum, we must individually and collectively see ourselves as bridge builders across ethnic and religious divides that presently exist,” he said.

    Daibu urged Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of give and take because “we cannot always have our ways and no country can survive where religious bigotry thrives”.

    Another delegate, Alhaji Dalhatu Bashir, representing Jigawa, said in the nation’s history, people had lived outside their ethnic zones and were voted for by their hosts to represent them.

    “We know that Dr Nnamidi Azikiwe, an Ibo man born in Northern Nigeria, won election in the heartland of Yoruba land.

    “The Tiv People invited Ibrahim Imam from Borno to contest election in Tiv land to go and protect and promote the interest of the Tiv people and there was no problem.

    “Bagudu also from Nupeland won election in Ibadan. Ladan from Nupeland won election in Onitsha twice and recently in Kano, Sikiru a Yoruba man won an election,” he said.

    Bashir said that was the Nigerian spirit, and urged the conference to find solutions to the dichotomies of ethnicity, religion and resource control that currently divided the people.

    Dr Magdalene Dura, representing Benue, regretted what she called the arbitrary state creation and boundary demarcation which had balkanised some ethnic groups.

    She said that the issue of indigene/settler dichotomy must be addressed by the conference to give all Nigerians the right to live where they wanted, vote and be voted for.

    In her position, Maryam Abdullah, representing the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, blamed the elites for manipulating religion, ethnicity and sectionalism for their selfish interests.

    “Why we have been fighting along ethnic, regional and religious affiliations for years is caused by the elites competing for the control of political and economic powers.

    “The ordinary Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and Ibo people do not have problems with one another; they wake up every day and struggle for their daily bread without relying on the government.

    “But because of competition among the elites, they instigate the people to fight one another while the elites convert the resources of the nation for their personal benefits.

    “We can only experience peace, unity and progress once the elites stop seeing personal loss as that of their tribes, regions and religions, and I hope this conference will address the issue,”she said.

    Prof. Olu Ajakaiye, representing Nigeria Economic Society, said the dwindling economic fortune of the country was responsible for the divisions among the people.

    “If the opportunities are there, if what you want is available, you will not remember who is Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Christian or Muslim; you will think about Nigeria.

    “So, it is because of scarcity that we are Ibos, Yoruba and Hausas. If we reduce the issue of scarcity, nobody will bother whether you are Christian or Muslim,” he said.

    Ajakaiye, therefore, challenged the delegate to evolve a working governance structure that would usher Nigeria into prosperity.

    A representative of the National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof. Obinna Ekpe, regretted that the rights of the minorities, whether ethnic or religious, were not adequately protected.

    “In many parts of the North, Christians are in minority but they have not committed any crime by being Christians.

    “Nigeria must ensure that the rights of the Christians are protected without infringing on the rights of the Muslim majority.

    “In many parts of the South, Muslims are in minority; Nigeria must evolve a way of protecting their rights without infringing on the rights of the Christian majority,” he said.

    Ekpe, who is an Ibo Muslim, regretted that he was the only Igbo Muslim in the conference in spite of the large population of Igbo Muslims.

    “The minorities are under-represented. I am the only Muslim Igbo in this conference and there are many Igbo Muslims which must be protected and represented,” he said.

  • Subject Confab outcome to referendum – NGO tells FG

    AN NGO based in Kano, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has appealed to the Federal Government to subject the outcome of the national confab to referendum.

    The Executive Director of the human Rights group, Mr. Ibrahim Zirilullahi, who made the call in Kano, told reporters that it has become necessary to enable Nigerians express their views or opinion on the recommendations of the conference.

    ‘’CHRICED welcomes the convocation of the on-going National Conference by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    ‘’We are particularly happy that the civil society is represented by credible leaders, like Dr Olisa Agbakoka, SAN and Comrade Femi Falana, SAN among others.

    ‘’This representation of credible Nigerians has given us a seeming hope that there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

    ‘’However, we submit that the outcome of the conference should be subjected only to a national referendum for validation,’’ he said.

    However, he expressed the hope that the recommendations of the conference would finally see the light of day in view of Nigerians previous experiences on similar conferences in the past.

    Commenting on the 2015 elections, Zikirullahi cautioned politicians against acts that are capable of over-heating the polity, which at the close of the day would truncate the entire system.

    ‘’We are approaching 2015 elections and already the ethnic and sectarian band is being beaten, various groups are talking about marginalisation on ethnic, regional and religious lines.

    ‘’If we are not careful, we will run the risk of fighting along these lines, and further divide the country,’’ he said.

    He therefore urged politicians in the country to educate their supporters on the dangers involved in playing politics on religious, ethnic or regional lines.

  • Confab: Atiku calls for restructuring of federal system

    Confab: Atiku calls for restructuring of federal system

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday urged delegates at the ongoing national conference to give special attention to the restructuring of the nation’s federal system.

    This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja and signed by his Media Officer, Malam Garba Shehu.

    “ The need to rework the current federal arrangement in the country should be a major focus of delegates at the ongoing national conference, “ he said.

    Abubakar observed that the current federal structure arrogated too much functions and resources to the government at the centre, thus killing the spirit of innovation and enterprise among the people.

    He expressed optimism that the envisaged robust federal system would reduce the tensions that are built into the nation’s current over-centralised system.

    The APC Chieftain noted that the current federal structure in the country, which he termed “unitary federalism“ was a creation by and for the military governments of the past.

    “As more power was concentrated in the centre, the federal government appropriated more resources and expanded its responsibilities.

    “ All of these were done in the name of promoting national unity and the process was relatively easy as the unified command structure of the military ensured little opposition.

    “Therefore, fixing Nigeria, to me, will require reversing decades of over-centralisation of power and over-concentration of resources at the centre,” he said.

    The former vice president urged the delegates to make best use of the opportunity provided to them in the conference to change the fortunes of the country.

    “I want to assume that a new and improved Nigeria is the goal, and I believe that any opportunity for people to talk is better than to fight,” Abubakar said.

    He stressed the need for the conference to design a political and governmental system that would empower local authorities and give them greater autonomy to address peculiar local issues.

    “ This will enhance transparency and accountability in governance as well as contribute to the general good of the country, ” he said.

    Abubakar advocated the renegotiating the nation’s union with a view to making it stronger by granting “greater autonomy, power and resources to states and local authorities.

    “ This will ultimately unleash our people’s creative energies and spur more development, ” he said.

    Abubakar, however, debunked insinuation that the top heavy federal arrangement as is currently being operated was working to the favour of a section of the country.

  • Cleric admonishes confab delegates on national interest

    Sheikh Nura Khalid, the Chief Imam of Apo Legislators’ Quarters Mosque, Abuja, on Tuesday admonished delegates to the National Conference to promote national interest.

    Khalid, who made the remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said the conference was timely.

    He urged the delegates to work together as Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic, religious and socio-political background, to achieve the aims and objectives of the conference.

    “Lets forget about being an Igbo man, a Hausa man, a Yoruba man, an Itsekiri man, Urhobo man.

    “Lets see ourselves as one people that are gathered together for a common purpose and for the oneness of Nigeria,’’ he urged.

    He also called on the delegates to have the fear of Allah in all their undertakings for a better exercise at the end of the day.

    Khalid, however, tasked the delegates to discuss exhaustively the major problems confronting the country rather than engaging themselves in irrelevant things.

    He said this would enable them to proffer lasting solutions to the problems, especially in areas of unemployment and insecurity in the country.

    He said that tackling unemployment and insecurity in the country would virtually address other challenges currently confronting the country.

    He urged them to heeded to the advice offered by President Goodluck Jonathan when he inaugurated the conference.

    The chief imam further urged Nigerians, in and outside the country, to support the conference to enable the delegates to succeed.

    Khalid advised the Federal Government to make reforms in some agencies and ministries to make them more functional and effective.

  • Confab delegates pledge to build better Nigeria

    Confab delegates pledge to build better Nigeria

    Delegates at the ongoing National Conference on Tuesday continued discussions of President Goodluck Jonathan’s speech at the inauguration, with a pledge to build a better Nigeria.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the delegates, who took turn to discuss the speech, agreed with the President that Nigeria is being confronted by too many challenges.

    They, however, pledged to do everything possible to ensure that the conference provides appropriate solutions to the challenges confronting the nation.

    Bishop Felix Ajakaiye, representing the South-West, said there was the need to evolve a government that was truly representative.

    “Good governance is about the people. We can’t continue blaming the British after 100 years; we have the opportunity to change it now.

    “We say power belongs to the people but the same people are harassed daily. We should realise that the power of the people is greater than the people in power,” he said.

    Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, another delegate from the South-West, said the conference was necessary so as to avoid the worse from happening in the country.

    “I believe the intention behind the conference is to see that the worse is prevented from happening and we should try to see to it that the best is our lot in this country.”

    Hajia Amuna Ali, who represents retired civil servants particularly urged the elderly delegates to be rational, truthful and courageous in addressing the problems of the country so as to fashion out appropriate solutions.

    “To the elders in this conference, I urge you that we should plant the trees that will provide shade for the next generation; let us truly re-launch Nigeria for our future,” she said.

    Isa Ajiya, representing Association of Speakers, urged delegates to use the conference as an opportunity to re-launch the country as well as to write their names in gold.

    “There are so many things that are not working in this country like education, health, and so many others but we have an opportunity now to make it work.”

    Chief Onikepo Akande, representing Oyo, expressed concern about the rising youth unemployment and the recently aborted immigration recruitment.

    “There are so many unemployed and unemployable youths. There should be skills acquisition centres to train people. Employment generation and poverty alleviation should be at the forefront of this conference.”

    Mrs Victoria Akanwa, representing Nasarawa state, called for justice, equality and fairness among all the sections and zones of the country, saying “no section or zone of the country should override the other”.

    Mr Anthony Akika, said the conference was an opportunity for the delegates to build trust and confidence that would cement the bond of unity of the country.

    “In many countries, lack of trust and confidence, lack of national dialogue have caused a lot of problem like South Sudan, DRC, Ukraine, where dialogue has failed,” he said.

    Mrs Abiola Akiyode, representing the Civil Society, said the constitution had systematically excluded the vast majority of the people but that the conference was an opportunity to write a “Peoples Constitution.”

    Mrs Brenda Akpan, representing the women’s groups, called for inclusiveness of the youth, Persons Living with Disability and women in the affairs of the country.

    “We need this conference to create an enabling environment for active participation of youth, women, children and Persons Living with Disability in all aspects of our national life.”

    On his part, Mr Steve Aluko, representing the Civil Society, challenged the delegates to move beyond lamentations and find workable solutions to the problems bedevilling the country.

    “We must go beyond lamentation to find solution. What will make this conference honourable or distinguished is what comes out of it,” he said.

    NAN reports that 39 delegates spoke on the President’s speech on Monday while about 60 delegates have so far spoken on the speech on Tuesday.

  • National Confab: Delegates adopt 70 percent voting method

    National Confab: Delegates adopt 70 percent voting method

    Delegates to the National Conference have agreed on 70 percent voting method whenever the Conference failed to reach concensus on an issue.

    The agreement followed the adoption of the outcome of the Group of 49 elders that met with the leadership of the National Conference.

    Vice Chairman of the Conference, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi said the elders and the leadership met between Tuesday and Wednesday last week where the decision was reached.

    He read out the decision of the meeting where he said it was arrived that 70 percent of delegates present and voting be adopted where consensus can not be reached.

    The implication of the new decision meant that Orders 6 rule 4; 11 rule 2; and 12 rule 4 (e) that proposed 75 percent or three quarter of delegates present and voting be adopted where consensus fails have been amended.

    Sen. Iyorchia Ayu moved the motion and it was seconded by former governor Victor Attah.

    The question was put and those in support carried the day.

    The delegates also voted in favour of rescinding the earlier decision to remover the power to select Committee Chairmen and their Deputies.

    Earlier decision was that delegates should select the leadership of the Committees.

    Attempts by some delegates to oppose the adoption of the new decision was rejected in a voice vote.

    In other words, a selection Committee is henceforth empowered to select Chairmen and their Deputies taking into consideration competences of individual delegates  as well as all States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi put the question for the adoption of the National Conference Procedure Rules 2014 and it was unanimously adopted in a voice vote.

    The delegates also adopted the proposed work plan of the Conference after several observation on inadequacies in the proposal were raised.

     

    The Secretariat would make necessary corrections, the Chairman assured.

  • Confab: Delegates plot to defy Presidency

    Confab: Delegates plot to defy Presidency

    As the National Conference enters its third week, there are indications that delegate may ignore President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive not to discuss issues bothering on the unity of the country.

    Some delegates, The Nation gathered, are already evaluating issues they consider to be critical to the continued existence of Nigeria as one nation.

    They want such issues to be thoroughly discussed at the conference regardless of government’s position on them.

    The Presidency, according to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, had declared that discussions about the oneness of Nigeria   are no-go-areas for the delegates.

    Anyim, in unveiling the modalities for the conference had said:  ”The national conference shall tentatively last for three months and shall discuss any material, except the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria as a nation; thus the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable.”

    However, sources at the confab said some delegates want to push for the discussion of all issues.

    It was also gathered that steps are already being taken to convince more delegates into seeking the discussion of the no- go- areas.

    One source said: “I can authoritatively confirm to you that we are talking seriously about ensuring that the conference discusses all issues. There is no way we will come here and miss the opportunity to restructure Nigeria.

    “If we do that, we would have failed the people we came here to represent. While it is true that we were told not to discuss the unity of this country, I want to tell you that is one thing we cannot afford to leave un-discussed.

    “Nobody is bent on dividing the country but most of us are worried about how we should exist together as a nation. What we are saying is that unless we discuss the unity of this country, we will not be able to agree on how we want to live together.

    “It is not okay that we should continue to exist as a country on terms that are obviously not satisfactory to all the parties involved in the union.

    “It is because of this that we are now talking together on how to get the confab to set aside that directive and allow for the discussion of all issues without constraints and conditions. It is only when this is done that we can say we have achieved the intentions of a gathering such as this.”

    The Nation also gathered that some delegates met at a location in Abuja on Thursday to fine-tune strategies on how to lobby more delegates into the move to set aside the no –go-areas.

    A participant at the meeting said it was called by worried delegates to enlighten others on the need for swift action on how to set aside certain inhibitions that are likely to affect the outcome of the entire talk shop negatively.

    “I don’t want to agree that it was a secret meeting. This is because it was freely announced and discussed on the floor of the conference same day it was held.

    “I, for one, was not secretly invited. It was initiated by respected delegates here at the confab.

    “The discussions at the meeting bothered on how to ensure that we maximise the opportunity offered by the confab to satisfy the yearning s of our people.

    “It also discussed how to ensure that all issues that are needed to be discussed by a confab as this are tabled and thrashed out.

    “We resolved to continue to enlighten more of the delegates on the need to put Nigeria first before any other things. We agreed to reach out across all divides in the quest for thorough deliberation of the Nigerian questions.”

    A delegate representing one of the self determination groups at the conference confirmed the moves, said:”It is wrong to say what we are doing by discussing how to ensure the discussion of all issues is a new plot to defy anybody.

    “Did we sign any undertaking to come here and be guided by any restriction? Is this not a talk shop meant to fashion ways forward for us as a people and as one nation?

    “Please, tell me: how can we move forward in unity if we don’t get answers to the many questions hanging on our nationhood?

    “Even before the conference was inaugurated, our people had been saying they wanted all issues discussed. The records are there. All sections of the country canvassed the discussion of all issues.

    “The President General of the Ohaneze Ndigbo told the federal government that the organisation wouldn’t be restricted at the conference.

    “He declared that they would want all problems to be mentioned and discussed. That’s their position on it. Similarly, the Movement for the Realisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) said it was coming to the conference to table the demand for Biafra State.

    “You will also recall that the Odua Peoples Congress leader said each section of the constitution ought to be mentioned”.

  • Confab: too soon for the Nigerian factor

    Confab: too soon for the Nigerian factor

    Many people in the context of oral tradition simply say that the Nigerian factor is about doing the same wrong thing over and over and expecting different results each time this happens

    The national conference called by President Jonathan is just in its second week, but avoidable conference-tearing noises are already emanating from delegates on voting pattern. Delegates across traditional regional divides are already up in arms about what should be the right percentage of votes to take decisions in the case of lack of consensus on any issue. Northern delegates argue that the best way to come close to consensus when it does not exist is to adopt the three-fourths of votes recommended by the president. On the other hand, southern delegates are adamant on using two-thirds majority to take decisions as it is done in most democracies.

    Conference delegates have been assured that the decision on three-quarters has presidential backing, having emanated from the Okurounmu advisory committee that recommended conference modalities to President Jonathan. The leadership of the conference has called for further consultations with delegate leaders on the division on what is to constitute majority decision. The latest decision is to continue the conference while waiting for the result of further consultations, hoping that more time would calm nerves. Many Nigerians have started to express lack of surprise about the crisis over voting pattern. They have put the disagreement in the category of what is known in popular parlance as the Nigerian factor.

    The Nigerian factor is a term that is used largely outside the corridor of power. The only time I heard the word in a formal sector is when money paid to me at a bank was less than what it should have been. I asked to speak with the manager who said, “I am sorry sir, it must have been the Nigerian factor.” I was too much in a hurry to ask for elaboration. But several Nigerians have attempted to define this nebulous term, in order to make it meaningful to users of the term and their audience.

    One of such writers, Mike Ikhariale in an article, “The Nigerian Factor” in the Punch of December 1, 2013, defined the Nigerian factor as a syndrome that is illustrated by “incapacity or unwillingness to play by the rules” or the propensity to “make covenants we do not intend to keep.” Another public affairs commentator, Chris Ngwodo, describes the syndrome as a phenomenon that is at once social, psychic, and psychological, which embodies the potential failure of any enterprise and a behaviour that derives from “a perverse pleasure from inflicting pain on each other.” In his own definition, Tochukwu Ezukanma refers to the syndrome as “the propensity for mediocrity or the belief that anything is possible regardless of whether the input is right or proper.” Many people in the context of oral tradition simply say that the Nigerian factor is about doing the same wrong thing over and over and expecting different results each time this happens.

    The noise at the national conference in the last few days over voting pattern illustrates all of the definitions identified above, especially the belief that whatever Nigerians choose to do about anything can work, regardless of structural or logical evidence to the contrary. Many average Nigerians would readily explain the resolution to defer taking a decision on voting pattern until after further consultations with the same groups that are sharply divided on the issue as a resurgence of the Nigerian factor in the conference hall. The spirit of anything is possible became evident after delegates overlooked Victor Attah’s caution on ignoring the “soul of the conference” and calling for progress without the rule that to guide decision making. It is amazing that delegates would defer making a decision on what is central to the progress of the conference. But this is a normal behaviour within the framework of making any situation, right or wrong, work.

    It is surprising that members did not suggest that the principle of three-fourths majority should be taken back to the president for review. Most of the delegates opposed to the principle believed to have originated in the presidency should have asked that the recommended rule be taken back to the president for review and re-formulation. From the tone of the president at the opening of the conference, it is unlikely that he would have knowingly created a booby trap for delegates most of whom he nominated. To insist on 75% of votes for taking decisions when there is no consensus amounts to allowing the wish of 26% voters (a clear minority) to prevail, at the expense of the wish of 74% voters. Dr. Bello Mohammed’s observation that the intention behind the controversial three-fourths majority vote is to ensure that all decisions are almost consensual sounds plausible, but it is also plausible that the rule could have been designed to prevent any substantial change to the status quo that the conference is designed to review.

    The threat by some delegates to walk out of the conference does not solve any problem. Even if delegates are summarily sent back home by the president, the need to discuss the sources of the tension that frustrate peace and progress in the country will still be around for discussion at another time. In other words, the demand for national conference will not disappear after a mass walk-out. What must be addressed if the conference is to make any progress is for delegates against three-fourths majority vote to appeal to President Jonathan to remove the insurmountable obstacle put in the way of decision making at the conference.

    To expect that delegates who are divided on this fundamental matter will all come to a consensus on one of the two divergent principles of majoritarian decision is to act in the spirit of the Nigerian factor: anything is possible or anything can be made to work. So far, delegates have started on a right note. They have all accepted the indivisibility or indissolubility of Nigeria. In other words, nobody is pressing for deconstruction of the Nigerian State. All delegates have accepted this No-Go area, to assure each other that there is nothing to fear by anyone who means well for the country.

    What is full of risk is a principle that virtually leaves no room for anything other than ideas that enjoy consensus. If there was such possibility, there would have been no basis for any national conference. A national conference has become necessary because of the unmistakable centrifugal forces that have frustrated the pursuit of peace and progress in the country for decades. If the rule purportedly passed to the conference from the presidency prevails, there may be no substantial decision on devolution, resource control, fiscal federalism, etc. Given the palpable divergence of visions about the country across the regions, it will be myopic to expect consensus on any issue that is fundamental. The hot disagreement over what constitutes a game-changing majority rule is a sign of the paralysis awaiting discussion of issues that relate to the architecture of governance.

    If the conference is able to make recommendations only on issues that are not central to shared sovereignty that has been the basis of conflict since 1966, then the country will be thrown back to the era of agitation for sovereign national conference, thus making agitation for national conference a permanent feature of the polity and a perpetual source of tension. It is important to call on President Jonathan to prevent this conference from the abortion or miscarriage of President Obasanjo’s National Political and Reform Conference.