An insightful note by Dr Umar Tanko Yakasai: Conference or No Conference: Is SNC the Answer? The clamour for a Sovereign National Conference has been going on for decades in Nigeria. There are many proponents and opponents to this call. For some time now, the agitation has gained momentum and national prominence and seems to be taking centre stage in the political discuss in Nigeria. In recent past the Senate President of Nigeria Sen. David Mark has made similar calls along with other prominent people. Such calls have remained mere wishes of some few individuals, until recently when the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan made a surprising announcement during his Independence Day Celebration National Broadcast of the formation of a 13 Man member National Dialogue Committee to come up with the strategy and modalities for the convocation of National Dialogue Conference and submit a report within a month. However, whether the conference will be Sovereign or not when it is finally convened only time will tell. Though, many legally and constitutionally minded minds have said that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not envisage such a conference and therefore does not confer such powers on anyone to convene it including the President Commander In Chief of the arm forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, thus making it illegal. Well, we will see in due course if that is true or not.  To start with, let us look at the reasons proffered by the proponents of the sovereign national conference. A number of them have posited that in 1912 Nigeria was amalgamated via the Northern and Southern Protectorates by our colonial masters without the express consent, approval and participation of the Nigerian people as represented by the various ethnic groups. It was therefore a forced marriage of inconvenience amongst completely strange bed fellows which was handed down to us with all its inherent contradictions and potential conflicts. We have spent a century trying to make sure the marriage works which has been bedevilled by myriads of problems and crisis. It is therefore time to stop think and reconsider the terms of the union to see if there will be any need to continue as one or everyone to go his separate ways. Nigeria as a nation consists of diverse people of different ethnic nationalities, thinking, culture, trade, traditions and religion. The thinking, orientation, desire and goals of every ethnic group differ significantly from one group to another. The country is also blessed with different regions endowed with different abundant natural resources. The presidential system of government adopted has not been implemented completely where the centre is expected to be weak and the federating entities have autonomy and sole responsibilities over their natural resources contributing only minimally to the centre. In fact, the reverse is the case. Moreover, nepotism, impunity, bad leadership, governance, misrule, blatant corruption and stealing of public funds and extreme poverty and joblessness have further strengthened the basis for such calls. Not to talk of needless but endless crisis leading to destruction of lives and properties. The issues of insecurity such as rampant armed robbery, kidnapping and terrorism are endemic and further fuelling the call for SNC. There are many more reasons in addition to the above, which the proponents of the Sovereign National Conference gave as justification for their call that I have not mentioned. It is true that Nigeria is battling with all these issues and a solution must be sought immediately to steer away the ship of the country from imminent danger, collapse, wreck and disintegration. However, while there is general consensus on the problems facing the nation and the urgent need to address them, there are a number of questions that the opponents of the Sovereign National Conference like me are posing which requires articulate and solid answers to convince the doubting Thomas.  To start with the word Sovereign means a lot. The conference being sovereign means it is envisaged when convened to be over and above all the organs of government constitutionally derived such as the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary. Therefore the members are supreme to the President of Nigeria, the various State Governors and there cabinets, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the rest of the Judges and finally the Senate President, the Speakers of the House of Representatives and their State Assemblies counterpart. Consequently, all the decisions taken at the conference are binding on all these principal officers and the entire people of Nigeria. Which right thinking President and NASS will hand over such sovereign powers to selected people and relinquish their powers willingly and voluntarily? Certainly not Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who finds it difficult to honour his one term agreement after spending 6yrs in power, just 2 yrs less than the constitutionally stipulated 8yrs. Even if he chose to do that, will the Nigerian army sit and watch while the country moves towards disintegration when they fought the civil war, lost many comrades just to keep the country as one? certainly not. Secondly, how will the members of the conference be chosen? It is said that it will be a conference of all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria for everyone to have his say, demand and positions tabled for discussion. At the end of which if there is an agreement then the country will remain, while if there is none then a disintegrating formula will be adopted and everyone will find his or her way peacefully and live happily ever after. Where has it ever happen in the world that the proponents think that such disintegration will be peaceful? Will each ethnic group just sit down and nominate its representatives through selection or will there be a voting of some sort? If itâs by selection then who will do the selection? the traditional rulers, politicians, religious leaders or the masses?  If itâs through voting who will conduct the election? Is it Jegaâs INEC or a different electoral body? If its Jega`s INEC does it have the constitutional mandate to carry out such an excise?  If itâs a different electoral body who will constitute and inaugurate them?  Where will they derive their constitutional mandate and legitimacy? Where will they get the resources and the budget to conduct such a selection or election process without an act of the National Assembly? Since every budget is an act of parliament.  Will the NASS approve such an expenditure when the whole conference is an indictment on their part? NO! Furthermore, how many people will represent each ethnic nationality? Is it going to be 1 person per tribe or more? How will equity, fairness and justice be ensured between an ethnic nationality with a population of say just two hundred thousand people vs. those with millions of people?  Will the representation be based on equality or proportionate allocation of a number of persons per population density?  because it wonât be fair for 1 person to represent mere thousands of Ijaws and equally for 1 person to represent millions of Yorubas, Igbos etc. If representation is based on proportions of population, will it be fair when it comes to voting for a minority population? When Ijaw may likely have 1 while Yoruba, Igbos and Hausas have let say 20 persons each based on their population. Hypothetically. How will gender balance issue be tackled in terms of women representation per tribe and in general? How will religious balance be ensured? How will the needs of a Muslim, Christian or Pagan Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Ijaw, Tiv etc be addressed?  Or will a Muslim Hausa speak for the non Muslim Hausaâs or Christian Igbo speak for a Muslim Igbos or will each religion per tribe be represented in the conference? Or do they think that people of same tribe but different religion have no differences in their needs in a given nation? Thirdly, when the conference is convened how will the leadership be elected? Will a non Nigerian be invited to head it or not/? because whoever is elected the same issue of north vs. south will still emerge. If a southerner is elected wont the north feel that itâs their turn to produce the leader since a Southerner, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has served the tenure of the north in addition to 8yrs of Obasanjoâs tenure from the south making a total of 14yrs as against 2yrs for the north in this fourth republic since 1999, hence power is therefore expected to return to the north even in a Sovereign National Conference? Moreover, wont it raise suspicion and issues of conspiracy against the North to have a Southern President and Southern leader of a Sovereign National Conference at the same time if a Southernerso emerges?  or do they think that, that wonât bother the North? Conversely, will a Southern President as represented by GEJ convene a Sovereign National Conference and be foolish enough to allow a Northern person emerge as the leader of such conference when its decision are expected to be binding on everyone including GEJ and his people? Lastly, what defect is in the NASS as presently constituted which the SNC seek to remedy? Is it the representation issue or the fundamental questions of continuous existence of the country as one?  I do agree that not every ethnic nationality is represented in the NASS. However, I donât believe that all the issues that the proponents of the SNC talked about cannot be equally addressed in the NASS. Can the SNC be more legal and legitimate than the NASS? NO. It is not like people from different country other than Nigeria will be members of the SNC. It is the same Nigerians that are in NASS that will be members of SNC though entirely new. All Nigerians are the same whether in SNC or NASS. They will still be parochial, boot lickers and can be bribed for a vote on any particular issue to take an unpopular decision. Are these not the reasons why people tend not to have confidence on members of the NASS. History is there to judge and will always repeat itself. If in doubt Abachaâs Constitutional Conference and Obasanjoâs Political Reform Conference is there for one to study as point of reference. So whatever are the shortcomings of the NASS members it will equally be the same with that of the newly convened SNC. All these questions need to be adequately answered before venturing into any SNC. I do know that in the absence of a democracy, a SNC can be convoked just like it happened during the colonial era or military regimes to fashion out a constitution based on which election will be conducted and the country governed.  No right thinking President, no matter how incompetent, will ever relinquish his mandate to anyone just like that on a platter of Gold after suffering hard going round the country campaigning for votes winning an election in a fiercely competitive contest like Nigeriaâs general election, even if it is a stolen mandate for that matter.  A patriotic Nigerian President cannot handover the country to unknown forces with an unknown leadership just because of pressure of the vocal few. Once a SNC is convoked then no one knows who will emerge its leader and how he or she is going to behave. I am therefore certain that no SNC will be convoked, no matter the contradictions in the Nigerian state as it is currently constituted and the desire or call by few people to review the 1 Century of its amalgamation though not voluntarily. An average Nigerian cares only about haven decent/ good leadership, light, water, decent shelter, food, security and job. He cares not about SNC and nothing about its call. It is a project of the elite few who grapples for power. Given the inherent contradictions in the SNC and the millions of question seeking to be answered which I raised above, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan CANNOT Convoke a Sovereign National Conference. It is therefore my belief that the National Dialogue Conference as announced by GEJ to be convened soon, is anything but SNC and is merely just yielding to the pressure of a few selfish element as a way to divert the attention of the Nigerian populace from the various issues confronting the nation seeking for urgent attention, solutions and remedy. I concur wholeheartedly with those who said it is a waste of time and resources, a mere jamboree just like the Political Reform Conference of President Olusegun Obasanjo that will just waste tax payers money needlessly instead of using such resources to address the various infrastructural decay in the country and massive poverty and unemployment. There will be nothing sovereign about the forthcoming conference as its findings and recommendations will still have to be passed to the NASS for legislation and passage into law which I am certain will not happen as it will go the same way as the Obasanjoâs third term bill. So, until the proponents of the SNC proffer convincing answers and solutions to the many disturbing and mind burgling questions raised by Nigerians as highlighted above, any SNC move will be dead on arrival, Period. What Nigeria need is not SNC but a God fearing, Sincere, Pius, Charismatic, Strong and visionary leader who will face daunting challenges of the country head on crushing all obstacles and cabals on the way and bring about peace, harmony, security, jobs, employment, investments, and national unity and cohesion. A leader that will lead with accountability, prudence and merit, devoid of corruption, favouritism, nepotism, ethnicitism, and parochial considerations. A leader that will take and treat every citizen equally and justly.   Dr Yakasai
Posted on: Sat, 05 Oct 2013 10:21:09 +0000
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