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Tag: National conference

  • ‘My reservations about National Conference’

    ‘My reservations about National Conference’

    All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu spoke with reporters, shortly after his return from a medical trip abroad. EMMANUEL OLADESU, KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR and MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE were there.

    What is your state of health now?

    It is a great joy to be back. It is good that we are back and I really appreciate your concern and this great gathering. I am returning today after I had left this country, almost three months ago, for medical attention. Among those who contributed to this are great Nigerians, well qualified, who have moved out of the country because there are no facilities, no equipment. No such opportunities in Nigeria. The surgery was successful. Among those who attended to me were physiotherapists, who did the job that I must get well quick and return to the country. This is the first ever and the longest period of my absence from Nigeria’s political scene. Since 1993, it has never happened. The only time something like this happened was when I was in exile. Since 1999 that we returned, I have never been away for more than one week not even personal vacation. I am glad that I am back. I am fit and able, and many of you cannot compete with me on a 2.5 kilometer race now. If you want to try me, I will get down, we can run and see who wins. I know so many people will be lagging behind.

    You were not around when the APC was registered. What is the next stage after the registration?

    I am proud to be part of the group of Nigerians, who are determined to say enough is enough in the political landscape. That we should not continue to allow terminates, rodents, to promote corruption, unemployment, destitution, lies and unfortunately, ineptitude in government. Our determination is to have a political platform, where true democracy will be promoted by all Nigerians. We got to a stage that we finished all the documentation before I was confident that we will be registered in a country where there is the rule of law. I am glad the baby was not aborted; the baby was born. That baby is the new hope, a new platform. This new platform is a rescue platform. It is not a replica platform of the past or of the same old way. It is a reversion, it is a redefinition and rescue mission for Nigeria. You own it. All Nigerians owns it. All Nigerians must be determined.Political success is not a game of bystanders. It is not a game of spectators. You journalists know the principle of this party, the objectives of it and, if you buy into it, you will be able to see whether this party can rule Nigeria. And definitely, we will do that.

    What is your reaction to the National Conference being proposed by President Goodluck Jonathan?

    This dialogue is for who and by who? Government is about trust. I am standing with the governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola. Go to Osun and look at his programme and you will see that his people trust him. If Aregbesola says a road will pass here today, people believe him because the road will pass there immediately. The level of deception in the country is very high. Now, they have adopted public deception as their strategy. How many months to the elections? How long have we been talking about it? why suddenly? Now, there is something in political history and social history. They say beware of Greek’s gift. It is only a very smart rodent in a house full of little crumble of poison that will survive the trappings of the owners. Let us, first of all, ask series of questions. But I need to consult with my party , but I see a contradiction here. I will discuss with my party. I see a diversion here. I will discuss with my party. I see deception here. I will discuss with my party. I see lack of honesty and integrity here. I will discuss with my party. It is time to look at our own agenda and develop it. Nigeria is being deceived. So, where is the sovereignty? What about the electoral act? What about the Lemu Committee? We have not had white paper or green paper out of that. Why now? How many months to the elections? Can’t you smell a good soup when it is well cooked? Can’t you smell bad one that stinks? Can’t you smell the odour of the deception when it is passing by? It is left for our party and all of us to note all these developments. You inherit the assets and liabilities of your predecessor. This President was the Vice President when Umaru Yar’Adua told the world that the election process that brought him to office was floored and he promised that he will do something about it. He started and set up a panel of eminent Nigerians up to look into that process, where Justice Mohammed Uwais, with great eminent Nigerians, sat down to look at the matter. Where are the reports that came out of that deliberation? They chose to compromise the electoral process, they chose to dwell on corruption and the INEC.

    Some people are calling for the postponement of the 2015 general elections because of the proposed national conference. What is your reaction?

    That is the saying of a thief who wants to continue to hand on to the opportunity, who is enjoying and stealing and want to continue to have that opportunity. What are you postponing about election? Is it with the head you walk or with the feet? You must stand on something. You say democracy and sovereignty of this country is about the National Assembly. But I argued then, that sovereignty belongs to the people. Now, there is a diversion. where is the agenda? I want to say that you should beware of the poisonous gift. But I cannot conclude here today, unless I consult with my party. I can only express my own feelings. I am a democrat. If the party says go this direction, I must follow them to that direction.

    What is your reaction to the recent plane crash involving the children and relatives of former Governor Segun Agagu and those planning for his burial?

    Agagu was a committed family man. Tunji (Okunsanya) was a close friend of every one of us. But God has done one thing. He has shown us his wonders. In the midst of all of these, Feyi Agagu survived, his brother-in-law survived. He has given room for us to give thanks to God. Addressing the government, I think we are talking to a deaf ear. Nigeria’s aviation is a risk. We have never allowed professionals to run the aviation industry. We created too much bureaucracy, ‘kinsmanship’. We allow ethnicity and mediocrity to intervene in our decisions. We play with the lives of Nigerians. We have no infrastructure. This runway that we landed on is one of the worst in the world. It does not meet world standards, You allowed non professionals, fraudsters, corruption to dominate the ministry. The ministry should have nothing to do with all agencies. The professionals in the Ministry of Aviation should be adequately trained. They should be trained and retrained to meet the world standards. The independence of decisions is important. You allowed mediocre to take decision. You abuse me politically or you ground Ameachi any time you want to do so. You can stop Oshiomhole anytime you wish like doing so. Is that a way to value peoples’ life? Where are the professionals? where are the engineers? What is the age of the plane and the records of maintenance? But when they have already compromised the office, they waste our valuable lives and time. We have to remove corruption. That is a cancer in our society. We have to remove ethnicity and clannishness in our society. It is a shame on our society.

    Some were speculating that, due to illness, you may not be able to walk again…

    This is my leg. You can see it for yourself and it can do what it has been doing. Before I travelled, I disclosed to Nigerians that I was going for medical attention in order to avoid this kind of speculation, but they chose to speculate. I thank God that I am back. I thank Nigerians for their prayers. I thank my well wishers for their overwhelmingly concern. They were concerned about my health. They were concerned about the rumour. You don’t have to listen to them. This speculations came up as a result of their idle mindedness, lack of employment and not being occupied with serious issues. I say God Almighty will forgive those who spread the fictitious information. God forgive them because they did not know better. I want to thank those who personally, through visits and telephone messages, to express their love and concern for my wellbeing. I never felt appreciated as much as what I witnessed at this period. It is unfortunate that I came home at a time a tragedy occurred to this country. One of our great politicians, in person of Olusegun Agagu, passed away suddenly and in the process of his burial, there was a tragedy again. So, many lives were lost. It is a sad and depressing period in our country. It is a sad commentary that those who render service never value the quality of life of our people. The quality of service being delivered in the country is appalling. They have not subjected the service to merit and professionalism. They have not dwelt on the capacity building and the development of our industries. Aviation is one of the most regulated, simpler to be used, but what is in existence is nothing to talk about. The control mechanism was not really the challenge. Even, if you have all the mechanisms well placed, whether it was checked in the appropriate way is another question. If it was not properly done, that is corruption. We have too much bureaucracy that has crept into the system. Instead of allowing the professionals to independently handle the agency, like it is done in other countries, reverse is the case here. My condolence goes to chief Olu Falae and others who lost their beloved ones in the crash. We have promises of enquiries into these sectors. But who are the ones making the inquiries? Do they have the knowledge? Do they have the intellectual of professional inquisitiveness? What we have is superficial inquiries in Nigeria. Now, it is left for us to raise the issue and follow it for safety of our people in the industry.

  • National Conference as decoy?

    National Conference as decoy?

    President Goodluck Jonathan’s independence anniversary gift to Nigeria yesterday was the announcement of “a national conference or dialogue”. However, many stakeholders have queried his real intention. The sudden change of heart by the embattled Commander-In-Chief came as a surprise. In the past, he had objected to it, saying that a democratic government was in place. Although the proposed conference has been hailed in some circles, the advocates of a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) are not amused. In their view, the proposal fell below expectation.

    To the gullible, it is cheery news. But to the discerning, the planned conference is an afterthought that may lead to nowhere, owing to the peculiar hypocritical commitment of the government. The timing is also suspicious. The feeling is that, at this critical time of national stress and distress, when the government’s image has been dented by its inability to restore order into a state of pandemonium, the option is for the President to thread the populist path to divert attention from the deep hollow in his score card.

    Two weeks ago, the President’s ally, Senate President David Mark, was flying the kite. The retired General, who had frowned at the agitation for a Sovereign National Conference, based on his belief in the legitimacy of the National Assembly as the anchor of popular rule, suddenly retraced his steps. Thus, many believe that the conference propaganda was designed to guage the public mood.

    Historically, at critical points in national history, past governments have resorted to camouflage national debate, talk or dialogue to douse the tension. Indeed, when the dreadful dictator, the late Gen. Sani Abacha, set up a constitutional conference in 1994, the uprising in the Niger Delta stopped for one year. Also, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo inaugurated the Abuja Reforms Conference, expectations were high that it would usher in a new dawn. The conference collapsed on the altar of the third term agenda. Shortly after he assumed the reins, the first military Head of State, the late Gen. Thomas Auguyi-Ironsi, set up an ad hoc constitutional committee to debate the contentious issues tearing the country apart. The committee was dead on arrival. When the Murtala/Obasanjo set up the Constitutional Drafting Committee and Constituent Assembly, the transition to civil rule programme of the regime received a popular acclaim. Even, when the former President Ibrahim Babangida set up the Constituent Assembly in 1989, it calmed down the nerves.

    Jonathan’s conference is coming two years before 2015. The cloud of anxiety over this year has not fizzled out. It is an election year. There are signs that the gladiators may approach it in a do-or-die manner. The implication is that the country has a perilous future to contend with, unless the right steps are taken. But analysts are also not oblivious of the fact that a foreign agency, which had described Nigeria as a failed state, also predicted that the biggest African nation-state may disintegrate.

    The President’s first step at implementing the proposal was confusing. Dr. Jonathan has named a body to prepare the ground for the talks. It is expected to be chaired by the former university don and politician, Dr. Femi Okurounmu, who is a staunch advocate of Sovereign National Conference (SNC), and not a mere national conference. There is a line of demarcation between a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) and National Conference (NC). As an Afenifere leader, Alliance for Democracy (AD) chieftain and senator, the former Ogun State Education Commissioner has always clamoured for the SNC.

    Many National Assembly members have loathed the idea of a conference, thinking that the nation should not waste time on another Constituent Assembly that will be saddled with constitution making. To them, the piecemeal review of the 1999 Constitution was enough to reposition the polity. But the tension generated by the non-resolution of the national question may have jolted the President’s advisers from the illusion that all will be well without bold, deep, meaningful and constructive constitutional reforms.

    A conference, on its merit, should not be a bad idea. The obstacle to its success in the past was the lack of sincerity by the government. Since it is not going to be an SNC, the scope of the national dialogue will be essentially limited. There are some puzzles: If a constitution is expected to be fashioned out by the conference, will there be no-go areas? Can a national conference produce a truly peoples’ constitution? Will the government insist that the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable? How will the delegates be determined? Will they be elected, selected or appointed? Will they be elected, based on the distribution of the ethnic nationalities, states, local governments or constituencies? What will be the ratio of representation? What will be the role of civil society groups, professional bodies, the media, women and youth groups?

    There are other questions: Will the delegates be appointed by the governors? What will be the terms of reference? Will the conferences resolutions be subjected to a referendum? If it is not subjected to a referendum, how will the report or resolutions be validated? If it is not validated by a referendum, will it be legitimate? Will recommendations be accepted by the government? Will the report be thrown into the dustbin?

    Since the 80s, the agitation for a Sovereign National Conference has gained prominence. It was first articulated by the legal luminary, the late Chief Alao Aka-Bashorun. In the 90s, the former Oyo State governor, the late Chief Bola Ige, who summed up the arguments for the conference, raised two questions: “Do we want to remain as one country? If the answer is yes, under what conditions?”. The implication is that a debate is necessary to determine the basis for peaceful co-existence and harmony.

    Following the annulment of the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Chief Moshood Abiola, there was disillusionment. The cancellation of that election’s results disputed the basis for peaceful co-existence among the competing ethnic groups. The advocates of an SNC expanded the national question. Discussion on the resolution of the identity, integration, participation and distribution crises came to the front burner. Stakeholders concluded that Nigeria was hanging on a flawed or defective federal system. The unitary system foisted on the polity by the military had created strains. But the interlopers opposed the struggle for a new order with brute force.

    The bone of contention has remained the same: Is state or community police not desirable in a big, diverse, heterogeneous country, which is divided by multiplicity of traditions, customs, and languages? Should the governors, who are the chief security officers of their states, continue to obtain permission from the distant Inspector-General of Police to maintain law and order? Should an Igbo or Yoruba, who was born and bred in the North, be denied political and economic rights, owing to the tension created by the conflict between indigeneship and residency? Should a Fulani/Hausa, who has lived in the South for 30 years be edged out of the political process? Should the goose that lays the golden egg remain in poverty and underdevelopment for life? Should the presidency remain the birthright of one ethnic group? Is restructuring and devolution of power not long overdue? Should Nigeria be a secular or sacred state? Should the Federal Government continue to have input into the creation and control of the local governments? How many tiers of government are required for the Nigerian Federation? How should the argument over the minimum wage be resolved in a federal country?

    In 1999,these proposals for solid political arrangements were not effectively considered before the constitution was decreed into existence by the military. The divided and impatient political class jumped into the train without a compass. The politicians did not see the copy of the constitution before aspiring for political offices. Midway into the electioneering, the legal luminary, the late Chief Rotimi Williams (SAN), alerted them to the impending danger. He said the 1999 Constitution lied to itself, adding that it was not the outcome of the peoples’ vision and aspiration for true federalism.

    Armed with the defective constitution, the operators wobbled on. The crises of nation-building and development continued to stare the nation in the face. The SNC crusaders intensified their struggle, warning that the restoration of civil rule did not translate into a democracy. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s response was to set up an inter-party committee to study the constitution and make recommendations. Nothing was heard about its report. But in 2005, he also set up the Abuja Conference. It ended in a jamboree, not because the delegates did not do a good job, but because it was planned to fail. Despite the robust recommendations of the conference, the third term agenda dispersed the delegates. The report did not see the light of the day.

    In post-Obasanjo period, the agitation assumed a new dimension. The rigged elections have generated more bitterness. Lack of transparency and accountability created boredom. Poverty and squalor grew in leaps and bounds. Ethnic and religious tensions have also threatened the foundation of the country. To the ethnic nationalities, the conference cannot be prevented; it can only be delayed. This is because, according to them, the cosmetic constitution reviews by the National Assembly were insignificant and unsatisfactory.

    But can the envisaged conference shore up the President’s image? It is wrong for the stakeholders to delude themselves into thinking that the conference offers solutions to the elementary tests of leadership and other problems created by the ineptitude of those in power. What is the relationship, for example, between the national conference and the resolution of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASSU) strike? Does the President need a conference to fight the infrastructure battle, tar the roads and fund the public hospitals efficiently? Does the President need a conference to build refineries, fight corruption and resolve the crises that have engulfed his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)? Does he need a conference to guarantee power supply?

  • Forum advocates national conference

    A group, the Yoruba Unity Forum, has supported calls for a national conference, saying it will facilitate solutions to the nation’s problems.

    In a statement by its Secretary General, Senator Tony Adefuye, the group said: “The crisis pervading very important aspects of our national life should be of utmost concern to all patriotic Nigerians because it portends danger and unimaginable consequences for the country, if not addressed.

    “For example, the insecurity in the North, which was originally confined to the Northeast, has spread to parts of Northwest and North-central states. Our public universities have remained shut for over two months without any planned date to resolve the contentious issues raised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The factionalisation in the ruling party has become a threat to peace and security in some states. Labour unions and the National Assembly are at loggerheads over the proposed removal of the national minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list.

    “Solutions to these issues can only be found through a national dialogue. It is against this background that we hail Senate President David Mark for speaking the minds of Nigerians, when he called for a national dialogue while welcoming senators back from vacation.

    “This call, coming from the third highest political office holder in the country, cannot be wished away or ignored. As the country moves towards the precipice, the Yoruba Unity Forum has come to the conclusion that our rescue lies only in the convocation of a national conference, which shall provide an unfettered platform for Nigerians to negotiate and agree on the terms of living together on the basis of mutual respect and trust.”

    The forum urged President Goodluck Jonathan to convene a national conference not later than December.

  • Is national conference feasible before 2015?

    Is national conference feasible before 2015?

    Last week, Senate President David Mark threw his weight behind the call for a national conference to address the many ills plaguing the country. AUGUSTINE AVWODE and MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE examine its feasibility before 2015.

    For The Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerians, a national conference to address Nigeria’s socio-economic and political problems, should hold before 2015. This was their position when they visited President Goodluck Jonathan in August. The group was led by its chairman, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, (SAN).

    Briefing reporters after the meeting, Nwabueze said, “We talked about the transformation of this country. Its entire economy, the entire polity and the entire society would need to be transformed. We believe that the way to achieve that objective is through a national conference, a national conference of ethnic nationalities in this country.

    “We need to bring these nationalities around a conference table, to discuss how we are going to live together as one country in peace, in stability, in security with the aim of achieving national unity. As of today, we are not a nation yet; we are a state. So, that is the gist of what we put forward to Mr. President and that this conference should be conveyed as a matter of priority as soon as possible, in any event, before 2015 general elections.”

    The President’s response was reassuring. He said he was concerned about finding a workable platform for a national dialogue that will reinforce the ties that bind the country’s many ethnic nationalities together.

    He pointed out that the National Assembly has a major role to play in any process that will lead to such a dialogue. “The limitation we have is that the constitution appears to have given that responsibility to the National Assembly. I have also been discussing the matter with the leadership of the National Assembly. We want a situation where everyone will key into the process and agree on the way forward”, President Jonathan said.

    In a way, Jonathan tactically passed the ball into the court of the National Assembly. Therefore, when Senate President, David Mark endorsed the call for a national conference in the country, it was a piece of cheering news to many.

    According to Mark, “We live in very precarious times, and in a world increasingly made fluid and toxic by strange ideologies and violent tendencies, all of which presently conspire to question the very idea of the nation state. But that is not to say that the nation should, like the proverbial ostrich, continue to bury its head in the sand and refuse to confront the perceived or alleged structural distortions which have bred discontentment and alienation in some quarters.

    “This sense of discontentment and alienation has fueled extremism, apathy and even predictions of catastrophe for our dear nation. A conference of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities, called to foster frank and open discussions of the national question, can certainly find accommodation in the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution which guarantee freedom of expression, and of association”, Mark declared.

    2015 target not feasible

    Howver, the question is whether such a conference is feasible or not before the 2015 general election as suggested by the Patriots. While many people have applauded the position taken by Mark, they have, however, said the 2015 target is not feasible and that it might even cause more dislocation in the polity. In fact, to politicians in the opposition camp, the endorsement of a national conference by Mark at this point in time is simply a diversionary tactic.

    Speaking to The Nation last Friday, Executive Director, Human Rights Monitor, Chief Festus Okoye said the prevailing insecurity in the country, crises in some of the political parties and the fact that elections are slated for 2015, all combined to make it practically impossible.

    “A national conference before 2015 is not possible. The present insecurity challenges, which the country is facing in the Northeast and Northwest zones of the country is an obstacle.

    “Again, apart from the issues of kidnapping and armed robbery in the Southeast and South-south regions, there are crises in some parties. Most importantly, elections are approaching, which are slated for 2015. We don’t want a situation where politicians will hijack the process to further their own interests.

    “In the final analysis, both the objective and subjective conditions for a national conference are not available now. For me, I would rather call for a systematic completion of the review of the constitution, before anything is done in respect of a national conference ”, he said.

    Former Governor of Edo State Chief John Oyegun agreed with Okoye. He called for the ‘salvaging’ of the country first, before embarking on a national conference.

    “It is our idea; we have been calling for it. But just now, or before 2015 is not feasible. What I want us to do first, is salvage the country from the hand of those who have kept us down in the last 14 years. When we have rescued Nigeria, then, we can now tell Nigerians that we all need to sit down and talk. The atmosphere now is too tense for any meaningful dialogue. We are on the verge of salvaging Nigeria, we have to salvage the country first, we don’t want this diversionary thing, and we will not be taken in by this approach. When we have the power to call a meaningful national conference, we will do it. But first, it is the soul of the country that must be salvaged”.

    Legal luminary and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Mike Ahamba, described the 2015 target, as advocated by the Patriot as a “grave mistake”. He pointed out that there is no law in place which empowers the National Assembly to facilitate such a conference to be attended by people other than members of the National Assembly”.

    He referred the Senate and House of Representatives to what happened in 1977, when a law was enacted, and which led to the setting up of a Constituent Assembly. It was that Constituent Assembly, he pointed out, that produced the 1979 Constitution.

    “If we target a particular date, say, 2015, we will be making a grave mistake. There must be an enabling law, first. The members are going to come from outside the National Assembly, and if that is the case; then, there must be a law like that of 1977. It formed the basis of the Constituent Assembly which produced the 1979 Constitution. “All these things are contained in the memo that I submitted to the National Assembly in respect of the constitution review some time ago. It is when that has been done, that we can now fix a time and approach it slowly. Not set a target that it must be before 2015”, Ahamba said.

    Apart from the issue of a targeted date, which is said to be inauspicious; the whole idea of a national conference does not sound quite logical to others. Former Minister of Police Affairs and now chieftain of the APC, Dr Ibrahim Lame is simply not enthusiastic about the idea of a national conference. He told The Nation that, those proposing a national conference, are yet to define exactly what they mean and what they want. He said the nation’s problems won’t be solved through a conference. “My qualm is that nobody has defined exactly what they mean by national conference; nobody has told us anything about what they mean, what they want to achieve and who will go. So, I don’t understand them, and I am sure many people also don’t understand what they are talking about. Look, I acknowledge the fact that Nigeria has problems, yes, but we don’t have to necessarily go through a national conference to solve these problems. I don’t think a conference in itself, is a panacea to Nigeria’s problems”.

    Dr. Lame offered a different route out of the country’s problems. He said what the country needs is ‘doing the right thing’ by following the rule of law. he added thatNigeria must establish proper leadership recruitment system.

    “What I think Nigeria can do is establish the rule of law and follow it religiously; make sure that leaders are accountable to the people and establish a process that will ensure a proper recruitment of future leaders. What we need is capacity building and capacity utilization. Once that is done, all this talk of a conference will be unnecessary. What I see is a ploy by the proponent s of the national conference to create job for their hangers-on, their friends, cronies and siphon the resources of this country for their personal use”, he said.

    However, others expressed optimism about the workability of the 2015 target date. One of such people is former Minister of Information Prince Tony Momoh. He told The Nation that it is possible to have the conference. “The major issue is political. When you address political problem, the economic problem is automatically solved. If you have a particular arrangement, where one man dictates what happens, then there will be problems. There was a time we had three regions, Nigeria worked. Then we have four, 12, 19, 21, 30 and now, we have 36.

    “People are still calling for the creation of more states. The more you split up Nigeria, the more you spend money on running the country. The less you have, the less it becomes burdensome. Everywhere in the world, development is part of democracy. In Nigeria, we put democracy ahead of development; that will not work. There is the need to meet to discuss what is needed to grow Nigeria. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo tried it in 2005, but instead of moving in that direction, they were working at extending his tenure. So, they could not achieve that, they did everything possible to nail the process.

    “We must all recognize the need to spend less money running Nigeria than we are doing now. We spend more than 80 per cent of our money running Nigeria, which is recurrent expenditure. We should not spend up to 20 per cent running Nigeria. The other 80 per cent should be for development. Government is for the security and welfare of the people.

    “We can do this between now and the 2015 election. And what we should go for is the parliamentary system, not presidential. We should equally go for part time parliamentary legislature, and not full time. If we have the political will, it can be done before 2015”.

    Similarly, Senator Femi Lanlehin agreed with Momoh. He said: “the conference can hold before 2015 because it is all about how to run the country. In doing this, all shades of opinion must be considered. All nationalities must be involved, the positions they take would have to be considered and then passed through the National Assembly.

    “We can have a national conference, if the people are serious about it. For instance, the conference can even look at the modus of transition. I think if we are serious about having a conference, from now to 2015, it can be done”, Lanlehin said.

    However, whether the age long call for a conference to discuss the national question will take place now or later, only time can tell.

  • Why Nigeria needs National Conference

    Why Nigeria needs National Conference

    Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU traces the genesis of the clamour for a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) to the neglect of federal principles by successive administrations, thereby aggravating the multiple challenges of nation-building and development.

    Senate President David Mark’s endorsement of a national conference on Tuesday is generating reactions. Many are cautious in welcoming his call, even though they agree that the ethnic nationalities need to talk about how to live together.

    Not a few see Mark’s change of mind as diversionary and one of the tactics being perfected to ease way for some political interests in the 2015 elections.

    From the eighties, ethnic nationalities intensified their campaign for a Sovereign National Conference (SNG) to discuss the basis for peaceful co-existence in the country. Under the military regime, the agitation grew, following the breakdown of the federal principles, which were agreed upon by the founding fathers.

    The 1960 Constitution prescribed federalism for the country. Barely six years after, the military deposed the legitimate authorities and foisted a unitary system. Since then, the battle for the restoration of the federal principle has been raging. Thus, the clamour for a national conference has as its main objective the return to true federalism.

    In his book, Path to Nigeria’s Freedom, the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, reflected on the country’ future. He submitted that, considering its heterogeneous nature, the practice of federalism would be appropriate. Having studied the federal societies around the globe and the challenges confronting them, he reasoned that that system of government would protect the identities of the constituent federal units, which are co-ordinate with the “federal, national or general government at the centre” and confer on them autonomy, based on their peculiarities and diverse interests.

    After the fall of the Second Republic, the military pursued its unitarist agenda, which made the states subservient to its authority. Although the country faced many crises, those of distribution, integration and participation have put it on edge.

    The distribution crises stemmed from the feeling of the alienation by the goose that lays the golden egg, which is oil. Integration arose from the indigene/settler dichotomy and its attendant controversies. Participation crisis is about the Presidency and the scramble for federal power and resources by the competing, antagonistic tribes.

    These crises of nation-building make the resolution of the subsisting national question more compelling. Reflecting on it, Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who supports national conference as against SNC, lamented the mistrust, distrust and suspicion that have crippled peaceful co-existence. “There is need for us to meet and discuss”, he said, maintaining that a national conference, and not a SNC, is the answer.

    In fact, the late legal luminary Chief Alao Aka-Bashorun spent the last decades of his life fighting for the conference. He reasoned that, if Benin Republic could achieve it and reposition its polity through the measure, it was possible in Nigeria.

    The slain Attorney- General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, had also delved into the heart of the national question almost 20 years ago. He peeped into the future, warning that Nigeria was heading to a danger. “Do we still want to live together as a country?”, he asked. If the answer is yes, he again asked: “how’? To the former governor of Oyo State, a national family meeting was crucial to deliberate on the terms for unity among the component units that are coordinate with the central government. But it was evident that Nigeria lacked the potentials to become a national community, a family and an enduring federation, because of its leaders aversion to the pursuit of the federal tenets.

    Ige’s proposal trailed the postulation of his leader and mentor, Awo, But before that, Governor Hugh Clifford, who took over from Lord Fredrick Lugard as governor of Nigeria, had also dissected the huge plural society and its forced amalgamation. The colonial governor identified the fundamental elements of its plurality. These include diverse languages, customs, traditions, and religions. Clifford acknowledged that these elements had the ultimate potentials of shaping the colonised peoples’ reactions and perceptions of the socio-economic and political milieu.

    As the colonial country wobbled on to independence, frontline nationalist politicians, who were eager to receive the bastion of leadership from the interlopers, also recognised Nigeria’s limitations. Former Eastern Regional Premier, Dr Nnamidi Azikiwe, who later became Governor-General, said to Awo and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello: “Let us forget our differences”. But Bello, who clearly knew the point Zik was raising, disagreed. The former Premier of Northern Region said: “We must understand our differences”.

    The three regions; North, East and West, were not the same, both in the quality and quantity of their population at independence. In 1998, Ige, who later served as the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, remarked that, for the North to catch up with the South in the race of progress, development must be at a standstill in the South for 20 years. The distribution of the proceeds from the ‘gift of nature’, which is now a source of blessing and curse, is also skewed. But its is majorly produced by the minorities, who until President Goodluck Jonathan’s emergence, have not produced the President, the sole distributor of the national largesse. None of the three big tribes, or ethnic nationalities, is a major producer of oil, which is now the mainstream of the economy.

    While the early leaders opted for federalism and regionalism during the pre-independence and immediate independence era, with the advantage of healthy competition that went with the choice, the military, which submerged the country under its centrist system of administration sowed the seeds of discord. The early strain manifested in the three years of avoidable civil war. When states and local governments were created in response to the elite’s scramble for power, resources and relevance, the distribution by the military was lopsided, thereby engendering bitterness. The military nationalised the regional assets, including tertiary institutions, banks and industries, and the formula for equitable, just and fair distribution of the commonwealth. The principles of derivation, need and national interest were turned upside down and the oil-rich region was inflicted with the burden of neglect and denial, prompting violent protests in the Niger Delta.

    Unitary system erased the gains of federalism. Gone were the community and state police. The result was insecurity across the six geo-political zones. Up came the Land Use Act, the emasculation of the state and local governments, hijack of value added tax, and full concentration of power in the tiny federal apparatus.

    After a protracted battle by the citizenry against the military, the new dispensation was improperly midwife. The military succeeded in laying the foundation of this dispensation on the relics of its unitary structure. The bone of contention is the constitution, which in the view of the frontline legal luminary, the late Chief Rotimi Williams (SAN), lied against itself. It was drafted in a hurry. A closer examination by the political class that would operate it was not permitted. Instead of devolving powers to the states and councils, the 1999 Constitution made the component units the appendage of the federal government. Consequently, Nigeria groans under a power-loaded President, who has sweeping powers.

    The operators, mainly the conservative political bloc, deliberately erected barriers on the way of constitution amendment. From the beginning of this dispensation, the polity has been polarised by the struggles of the pro-constitution amendment crusaders in the National Assembly and agitators of a new constitution through the Constituent Assembly. A National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) leader, Gen. Alani Akinrinade (rtd), who belong to the later group, said the National Assembly, as currently constituted, lacked the mandate to make a new constitution for the country. He explained that only a body that is representative of the ethnic nationalities and other interests can tackle the assignment. Members of the National Assembly disagreed. Even, the vociferous progressive legislators have kept mute on taking their seats in the parliament.

    Observers contend that efforts at constitution amendment have been futile, owing to the insincerity of the power that be. While the Abuja Conference set up by former President Olusegun Obasanjo ended in a fiasco, owing to the third term agenda, the Pro-National Conference Organisation (PRONACO), which held an alternative dialogue in Lagos, lacked the zeal to market the its draft to the government and people of Nigeria. The Abuja Political Conference was crippled at its inauguration when the former Commander-In-Chief declared that there would be no-go area.

    Many believe that, unless the constitution is amended or reviewed to reflect the yearnings of the people, Nigeria will remain a tension-soaked, fledging federal state. Although no ethnic nationality has really indicated intention to opt out of the federation, there are repeated inclinations for the protection of diverse identities and interests, which global organisations describe as the anthem of this millennium.

    It is doubtful, if the federal government is sensitive to this reality. Many Nigerians were shocked when President Jonathan ruled out the possibility of an SNC. The anxiety intensified in Lagos when the Senate President, Gen. David Mark, said that the National Assembly was capable of repositioning the polity through the constitution amendment. However, judging by the moves by the Senate and House of Representatives, the on-going amendment cannot resolve the national question.

    Echoing these feelings and sentiments, Ayo Adebanjo, lawyer and politician, posited that the solution to the tensions and contradictions that plague the country lies in the Sovereign National Conference. He lamented that those blocking this route may make its gains to elude the polity.

    Highlighting the gains of the conference, the leader of the Southeast-Southsouth Professionals, Emeka Ugwu-Oju, said a national debate or dialogue is a soothing balm to the pains and scars inflicted by the fading federalism. He recalled that, when there were national conference in Abuja and the alternative conference in Lagos, there was no single case of violence in the Niger Delta for one year.

    Frontline legal scholar Prof. Ben Nwabueze said the SNC is non-negotiable. His association, ‘The Patriots’ also believes that peace, trust and tranquility would return to Nigeria, if two criteria are met. The first is the drafting of a new democratic constitution to replace the 1999 constitution, which it described as a military-imposed document. The second is the convocation of a conference. This lines of thought are supported by the revolutionary lawyer, Dr Tunji Braithwaite, a SNC advocate.

    “It is now clear that the 1999 military Constitution is neither amenable nor amendable to panel beating as it has been attempted in the past and now by the political class,”he said.

    The founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, wondered why the people in government are opposed to the conference.

    He said: “We need to revert to regional autonomy to allow the regions to develop at their own pace and permit their governors to strategise on developmental priorities as currently being done by Southwest governors”.

    Braithwaite, who has been calling for a constitutional surgery, dismissed the fears of the anti-conference crusaders, saying that they were unfounded. He said the conference will not lead to balkanisation, adding that Nigeria will emerge as a united country based on mutual agreement.

    Another pro-conference agitator and lawyer, Dr Tunji Abayomi, who spoke on the flaws of the 1999 Constitution said certain issues affecting the country can be properly discussed at the Constituent Assembly of the Nigerian People. He said: “The foundation of this country is not clear. There is no agreement by the ethnic groups about Nigeria. Until there is an agreement on the basis for co-existence, there will be no nation. It will be worse for our children in the future.”

     

  • Sagay, David-West , others: it’s Sovereign National Conference or nothing

    Sagay, David-West , others: it’s Sovereign National Conference or nothing

    Notable Nigerians are kicking against a National Conference without sovereign power advocated on Tuesday by Senate President David Mark.

    Civil rights activist Shehu Sani described Mark’s suggestion as diversionary because whatever decision taken at such conference would not be binding.

    He said: “Nigerians are not just asking for a conference but a sovereign one. It is not the usual conference that come out with a communiqué but a conference with a resolution that is binding on the Nigerian people.

    “Right now, the country is operating under the military conference and the constitution authored by the Abacha and Abdulsalam military regimes. We need to use the opportunity of our centenary to freely discuss all issues that bother the Nigerian state, so as to strengthen our unity, democracy and enhance the wellbeing of our people.”

    Social critic and political activist Prof Tam David-West shared Sani’s view. He said national conference of ethnic nationalities being suggested by Mark was not the solution to the country’s problems . David-West said: “We need a SNC where the representatives of all ethnic group would sit and freely discuss on how we relate with one another, do we still want to remain as a country and what type of government do we want.

    “We should not run away from the truth, we should come to a round table conference to discuss our differences and the structural distortions in the polity. Whatever decisions taken at such conference become sacrosanct like the Bible and the Qur’an.”

    Constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Prof Itse Sagay said Mark needs some education about why the conference must be sovereign.

    He said: “If it is National Conference without sovereign powers, it is okay, it is a good development. Though, Sovereign National Conference is preferable. It is assembly of Nigerians to discuss issues and come up with the best possible means of addressing and proffer solutions to Nigeria’s problems. There is no need for us to hold a conference that its decision would not be binding.

    He said the conference should address: the issue of ideology, that is, what should be the ideological direction of Nigeria; the relationship between the federating units as regards issues of economy and political power distribution, production of a new constitution for the country and the issue of social welfare programme for Nigerians.

  • Senate backs convocation of national conference

    Senate backs convocation of national conference

    … Wants ASUU back in class

    The quest for the convocation of a national conference got a boost on Tuesday as the Senate said that steps should be taken to convene a national conference of ethnic nationalities.

    The upper chamber also lamented that those it described as political jobbers, sycophants, and hustlers have seized the country’s political space, and are being allowed to set the tone of national discourse ahead of 2015 general elections.

    Senate President, David Mark, stated this in an address to flag off a new session for the Senate.

    Though he counseled that Nigerians should make haste slowly and operate strictly within the parameters of the Constitution in discussion of the national question, Mark agreed that time has come for the country to meet to confront alleged structural distortions in the polity.

    Such a conference, he said, can find accommodation in the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution which guarantee freedom of expression, and association.

    The only no go area at the conference, the Senate President noted, should be talk about dismemberment of the country.

    He, however, cautioned that it would be unconstitutional to clothe such a conference with constituent or sovereign powers.

    He said, “We live in very precarious times, and in a world increasingly made fluid and toxic by strange ideologies and violent tendencies, all of which presently conspire to question the very idea of the nation state.

    “But that is not to say that the nation should, like the proverbial ostrich, continue to bury its head in the sand and refuse to confront the perceived or alleged structural distortions which have bred discontentment and alienation in some quarters.

    “This sense of discontentment and alienation has fueled extremism, apathy and even predictions of catastrophy for our dear nation.

    ”A conference of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities, called to foster frank and open discussions of the national question, can certainly find accommodation in the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution which guarantee freedom of expression, and of association.

    “To that extent, it is welcome. Nonetheless, the idea of a National Conference is not without inherent and fundamental difficulties.

    “Problems of its structure and composition will stretch the letters and spirit of the Constitution and severely task the ingenuity of our constitutionalists.”

    On the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senate President urged the lawmakers to spare a thought “for the plight of our youths who are idling away because of the closure of universities due to the ASUU strike.

    He said, “The morass in the education sector is deeply troubling not only because it is retarding the educational progress of millions of our children, but also because it arrests the intellectual development of our nation, with grave consequences for the future.

    “While appreciating the tremendous merit in the case put forth by ASUU we call on its leaders to return to class, while pragmatic negotiations to address their grievances continue.

    “The Senate will invest the full weight of its moral and constitutional authority to nudge both the Federal Government and ASUU towards a comprehensive settlement that addresses, in a realistic manner, the problems afflicting tertiary education in our country.”

     

     

  • 2015: Maitama, Nwabueze call for national conference

    2015: Maitama, Nwabueze call for national conference

    Eminent Nigerians, including Alhaji Yusuf Maitama and Prof. Ben Nwabueze, on Saturday rose from a meeting in Lagos, calling for a national conference before the 2015 elections.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting, held under the aegis of Project Nigeria, was jointly chaired by Maitama and Nwabueze.

    Addressing journalists after the closed door meeting, Nwabueze said that “any election held before such a conference considering the situation in the country may spell disaster.”

    “The convoking of the national conference is essential before any elections are held,” he stated.

    He said Project Nigeria would facilitate the forging of a national front, comprising various groups, to press on the Presidency and National Assembly, the demand for a national conference.

    “The team will meet with the president and leaders of the national assembly and submit a memorandum on the conference.

    “The memorandum will spell out how delegates are to be chosen, the preparation of a draft constitution and preparation of a referendum,” he said.

    He said there was need for Nigerians, both as members of ethnic, civil society groups and individuals, to deliberate and agree on what terms and conditions of living together.

    “The conference will also adopt a constitution whose source is the people. A constitution that will ensure justice, peace, development and progress to all Nigerians, “he said.

    Maitama, who led the Northern Elders Forum to the meeting, said that justice was the key to power all over the world.

    He said that dialogue was important because “contact removes conflict.”