WHY IS TINUBU OPPOSING GEJ’S PROPOSED NATIONAL CONFERENCE? All the years I have known Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, since he was Governor of Lagos State, he has been a staunch proponent of a national conference as the only panacea for the Nigerian quagmire. He has also stayed consistent on this demand for a long stretch of time, maintaining that ethnic nationalities in the country should meet to negotiate their terms of intercourse. Just a few months ago, precisely on February 10, 2013, we were all gathered at the Lagos Airport Hotel in a symposium to mark the seventh memorial anniversary of Dr. Beko Ransome Kuti’s death and the former governor, who was represented by a frontline scholar and essayist, Prof. Adebayo Williams, noted that the theme of the symposium: ‘Constitutional gridlock: the way forward”, was apt as it called for a reflection on the fundamentals of the Nigerian nation. Tinubu on the occasion said: “Nigeria runs a defective federalism. Beko would have fought against these issues. And that was why until he passed on, he was an undying advocate for the convocation of a national conference. “For this reason alone, the call for the convocation of a national conference to give to Nigeria and Nigerians a people’s constitution is justified. Sometimes people say why can’t we just live with what we have? Alas, that is what we are doing and see where it has left us! Nigeria is an artificial creation and this artificial creation will only work if and when the federating units are given the opportunity to sit down to talk and agree on the rules for their co-existence”. I was also personally present in Benin on November 24, 2011 at the first Pa Anthony Enahoro Memorial Lecture at the Benin Club, Benin City, Edo State where Tinubu represented by the late Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs. Funmi Olayinka, said: “I submit to you today that because of the multiple issues surrounding our skewed federalism and constitutional flaws, the Nigerian nation is weak. “Unless we move to strengthen it through dialogue and equity, we will remain a nation in mere words.” The ACN leader said fixing the national pillar would entail a robust people-driven debate, insisting that any artificial tinkering of the present constitution would fall short. He said: “The 21-member Presidential Committee on the Review of Outstanding Constitutional Issues (PCROCI) recently set up by President Goodluck Jonathan falls short. “It is a backdoor approach to the issue of national conference. In memory of Chief Enahoro we must convoke a national conference. It would provide a platform to address our pressing concerns.” I was therefore in shock when on his return to the country after a successful knee operation, Tinubu is now lampooning the decision of President Jonathan to respond to this age long call for a national conference. I Think that for people like General David Mark retired, who are staunch enemies of democracy and the will of the people and a President Jonathan who recently said that those calling for a National Conference are living in the past to now cave in to the demand is an indication that they have exhausted their options and they are now coming back to the people. Tinubu should give Nigerians concrete reasons why he is opposing this call other than politics. Was he expecting the conference to be convened only by a government controlled by his political party or what is his main grouse with the conference? Though I don’t like his acquisitionist tendencies, I admire Tinubu so much for his audacity and courage to face the PDP behemoth and his role in creating an opposition that today is a real threat to the strangle hold of PDP in our polity. But our respected political leaders should not begin to play politics with the future of the country. I think that we need the conference now. Femi Okorunmu the chairman of the conference committee is an ally of Tinubu. Tinubu can suggest and contribute to making sure that the central government does not hijack the exercise and turn it to a PDP affair. If he could cause a Tambuwal rebellion against his party, he can work behind the curtains to ensure that this opening is adequately maximize by ensuring the delegates list is representative of the contending forces in the arena and not to condemn what I see as proactive step by the GEJ government.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Oct 2013 10:55:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015