THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE,2015 AND BEYOND: BY ATABO M ABUBAKAR: A little over a month ago,I wrote an article on this platform on this same topic of National Conference where I highlighted the necessity,relevance and implications or otherwise of this very National Conference at this critical period of our national life especially as the 2015 general election approaches.As at the time I wrote that article the composition of membership wasnt constituted,but,now that the characters that will shape the Conference were unvailed 24 hours ago,I feel obliged to write additional article as concluding part of the earlier article.As I said initially,the National Conference will have a direct far reaching implications on the 2015 general election especially as it could serve as a template in the hands of the politicians to further enhance their hegemony in manipulating and subjugating the masses. However,I dont want to go into the characters/delegates to the Conference which to me was negative from the start,but,further implications of the Conference will go beyound the 2015 general elections as follows: 1. The National Conference as constituted (especially the delegates) is tantamount to equating the voices and interests of a vocal minority over and above that of the silent majority.Such a situation is not healthy for the sustainance of democracy as policies and programs will always be to the disadvantage of the majority of the populace. 2. The National Conference as constituted will surely sow the seed of discord,hatred and dispare in this country as it will excavate a lot of healed wounds and settled issues in the polity.The issues of Biafra,Resource control,so-called minority questions,ethno-religious cleaves etc are going to re-incarnate and propelled to the highest level in the polity. 3.The National Conference as constituted is capable of diverting the attention of Nigerians from issues of bad governance,maladministration and corruption perpetuated by the elites which should be the yard stick for measuring the performance or otherwise in the 2015 general elections.Nigerias attention will focus more on the advancement of their ethno-religious interest rather than talking about,poverty,unemployment,lack of infrastrature etc. 4. The National Conference as constited is tantamount of rendering the 2015 general elections irrelevant due to the serious scar it will mark on the national polity.A lot of people will prefer to jettison the 2015 elections untill the recommendations of the Conference(especially if it favours them) are implemented.This will open door for electoral apathy in such a way that people will not be interested in whatever may be the outcome of the elections.The rulling Party will then go ahead and declare cooked results and people will not be interested in challenging them. 5. Finally,the National Conference as constituted is capable of taking us back to the pre-independence era where Nigerians will prefer to identify with their tribal and ethnic enclaves against national unity,peace and progress of the country as one and indivisible nation. The Conference may end up doing more harm than good to our polity as a nation and as a people.This is becouse,it will not only distort our psychi against the common good of the nation,but,also plunder us to pathologically hate one another,hate the basis of our existence,hate even nature itself.Thereby,reducing Nigeria down to the ladder of proverbial primitive stage of State formation where life was short,nasty,bruitish and solitary poor.....May God save Nigeria and Nigerians,amen.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 06:36:22 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015