ISSUES AS THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE BEGINS… In this report, Group Politics Editor, Taiwo Adisa, examines the emerging scenarios at the ongoing National Conference, the configuration, the enthusiasm being exhibited by delegates and their expectations. The much-awaited National Conference kicked off in Abuja on Monday March 17, 2014 with lots of expectations from those who wish it well and its adversaries. While those who believed sincerely in the conference would be hoping that the jaw-jaw, already dubbed the gathering of Nigeria’s heavyweights would fashion a new Nigeria and address the hanging issues of nationhood that could not be easily taken up by the National Assembly, others who are not enthusiastic about the confab are wishing that nothing will come out it. To some of such persons, the recommendations would only go the way of the earlier conferences such as the 1994/95 Constitutional conference of the General Sani Abacha era and the 2005 National Political Reform Conference of the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo era. Incidentally the two conferences had a similar target or were targeted at similar issues; self perpetuation of those that convened them. While the Abacha conference led to the 1995 Constitution, which was not promulgated and which was driving towards the transmutation of General Sani Abacha as civilian President, that of Obasanjo era was said to harbour the third term agenda. To many observers, the confab was primarily organised to facilitate the third term arrangement for Obasanjo. They insisted that once the plot failed at the committee level, then President Obasanjo simply lost its appetite to implement its resolutions. But then the Jonathan conference is starting on a different note. First, he set up the Senator Femi Okurounmu-led Presidential Advisory Committee which went round Nigeria to collate views on the desirability or not of the confab. The committee came to a conclusion that the conference was desirable and that it was the wish of Nigerians. Again, President Goodluck Jonathan refrained from giving guidelines to the Advisory Committee and also refused to give them a single red line, which is to ensure the indivisibility of Nigeria is not questioned. He told the Okurounmu-led committee to design the conference and call it whatever name it wanted. At the end of the day, it emerged that Nigerian are not interested in dismembering the country. It was obvious that Nigerians mainly wanted to live together but at the same time, they want to define such unity to the extent that all parties would work for common good. When the government released the guidelines for the conference four weeks ago, it became obvious that all was set for the convocation of the confab. The President offered to appoint only 37 elder statesmen who are to be picked at one per state. Governors and the political parties that are represented in the National Assembly also have nominees, just as other category of Nigerians including the religious leaders, the professional groups and the civil society. It was obvious that the government had set out a peoples Conference through the recognition given to the ethnic nationalities. The government also made sure that states like Adamawa or Akwa- Ibom with huge number of ethnic groups are not conferred with undue advantage ahead of majority ethnic groups like the Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo. It thus ensured that the six geo-political zones are to present 15 nominees each. The nominees are to be spread across the ethnic groups existing in the zones. A balanced template was set out and all stakeholders appeared at home with it. The government also refused to get involved in selecting nominees for the different groups, thus making it less contentious. The snag was only seen from the civil society groups, which were to nominate 24 at six persons per zone. The groups submitted close to 20 different lists which informed the setting up of an extraordinary committee by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) which resolved the NGO question. Looking at the composition of delegates to the confab, one analyst had said that the those going to the confab are the most suited to resolve Nigeria’s problems and that if these Nigerians cannot resolve the issues, the country should be deemed to be in deep trouble. The list of 492 delegates released last week by the office of the SGF indicates that a huge presence of elder statesmen will be attending the meeting. From the South-South, Chief Edwin Clark; from the South-West, the first eleven were put forward, just like the South-East, North-West and North-East. The big names include elder statesmen such as Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, Gen. Ike Nwachukwu (rtd), Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Prof. Jerry Gana, Chief Olu Falae, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Sir Olanihun Ajayi, and Mallam Tanko Yakassai. Also on the list of conference attendees are elder statesmen such as Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Richard Akinjide, Chief Olu Falae, Mrs. Olusola Obada, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, Chief Jim Nwobodo, Chief Olusegun Osoba and General Jerry Useni. Other delegates include former Senate Presidents Adolphus Wabara and Ken Nnamani as well as former Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu as well as former Speaker Ghali Umar Na’Abba. There is also Iyom Josephine Anenih, Senator Jim Nwobodo, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), Senator Azu Agboti, Chief Peter Odili, King Alfred Diete Spiff, Daisy Danjuma, Prof. Evara Ejemot Esu, Chief Nduese Esiene, Prof. Ambrose Okwoli, Alhaji Abdulahi Ohoimah, Mr. Dogara Mark Ogbole, Gen. Jonathan Temlong, Prof. Jubril Aminu, Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Muazu, Mr. Ibrahim Bunu, Ambassador Yerima Abdullahi, Mr. John Mamman, Alhaji Adamu Waziri, Alhaji Umaru Musa Zandan, Prof. Mohammed Jumari, Senator Ibrahim Idah, Justice Usman Mohammed Argungu, Prof. Sambo Jinadu, Ishia Aliyu Gusau, and General A. B. Mamman. In the category of retired military and security personnel are Gen. Zamani Lekwot, Maj. Gen. Alex Mshelbwala, Rear Adm. C. S. Ehanmo, Brig. Gen. D. O. Idada-Ikponmwen, Group Capt. Ohadomere, Gen. Raji Rasaki, R. O. Osanaiye, Alhaji Mamman Misau, Alhaji Bashiru Albasu, Chief Nicholas Duru Nkemdeme, Mr. J. I. Ebinum, Mr. Samuel Adetuyi, Chief Jeremiah Okwuonu, A. K. Horsfall, Mr. Iliya Danga, Chief Babatunde Ala, Ambassador B. M. Sani, and Ambassador J. K. Shinkaiye. The former Governors Forum is led by former Ogun State governor, Chief Segun Osoba, while former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Umar Ghali Umar Na’abba is leading the former members of the House of Representatives. Delegates from the traditional rulers include Alhaji Zayyanu Abdullahi, Emir of Yauri; Alhaji Nuhu Mohammed Sanusi, Emir of Dutse; Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha, Lamido of Adamawa; Alhaji Abdullahi Ibn Muhammad Askirama III, Emir of Askira; Alhaji Sulu Gambari, Emir of Ilorin; Elder Jacob Gyang Buba, Gbong Gwom Jos; Oba Michael Gbadebo Adedeji, Ariyowonye Lim Owaoye of Okemesi; Oba Aderemi A. Adedapo, Alayemore of Ido Osun; Coordinator, Eze Cletus I. Illomuanya, Obi of Obinugwu; Eze Agom Eze; Dr. Edmund Daukuro, Amanyanabo of Nembe Kingdom; Chief Nosakhare Isekhure, Chief Priest of Benin Kingdom; and HRM Ismail Danlami Mohammed, Sarki of Karshi. The list also includes Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, Chairperson of Women Arise for Change Initiative & Campaign for Democracy; Festus Okoye, Human Right Monitors; Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), leader, Civil Society Organisation; and Femi Falana (SAN), leader, Civil Society Organisations, amongst others are coming under auspices of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). Political parties including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will be represented by Dr. Ahmadu Ali and Commodore Olabode George (rtd.); All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chris Ejike Uche and Dr. Sagir Auwal Maidoya; Accord Party (AP) has Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja and Hon. Muhammad Lawal Nalado; while Labour Party (LP) has Chief Dan Nwanyanwu and Comrade A. A. Salam (Baraden Paiko) as its delegates. The government had earlier announced the principal officers of the conference as including Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi (rtd); Vice-Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi; and Secretary, Dr. Valerie Azinge. Declaring the conference open on Monday, President Goodluck Jonathan told the delegates that much hope is placed on the expected outcome of the conference which is coming shortly after Nigeria’s centenary celebrations. He said that the conference should lay a solid foundation for Nigeria’s next centenary. President Jonathan told the 492 delegates in Abuja, that the outcome of the conference could be subjected to referendum if the need arises adding that the delegates have a one in a lifetime chance to rev up the Nigerian engine. According to the president, the conference would enable Nigeria to address its challenges especially issues that cause tension in the polity. He said: “I am delighted to welcome you all to the inauguration of this historic National Conference which promises to be another significant landmark in our efforts to strengthen national unity and consolidate democratic governance in our beloved country. “I also believe that this National Conference is coming at a very appropriate time. Having just celebrated the first centenary of our country, the most compelling task before us, as we move ahead and contemplate what our nation will be at the end of its second century, is to lay a much stronger foundation for faster development.” In assuring that the outcome of the confab would go to referendum, the President stated that the National Assembly had kickstarted the process by seeking to include referendum in the ongoing constitution amendment exercise. The President said: “Let me at this point thank the National Assembly for introducing the provision for a referendum in the proposed amendment of the Constitution. This should be relevant for this Conference if at the end of the deliberations, the need for a referendum arises. I therefore urge the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly to speed up the Constitutional amendment process especially with regard to the subject of referendum.” In an exhaustive speech which touched on almost all areas of the conference, Jonathan defined the agenda of the conference as open to issues that will address the cleavages that hitherto segment Nigeria. The president said: “This conference is open for us to table our thoughts and positions on issues, and make recommendations that will advance our togetherness. The issues range from form of government, structures of government, devolution of powers, revenue sharing, resource control, state and local government creation, boundary adjustment, state police and fiscal federalism, to local government elections, indigeneship, gender equality and children’s rights, amongst others. “We must not approach these issues with suspicion and antagonism. Rather, we should be open-minded and work to achieve what is best for Nigeria. Even though you come to the Conference as nominees and representatives of different interest groups, I urge you all to make a more united, stronger, indivisible and prosperous Nigeria your preoccupation and reference point at this national gathering. Whatever the pressures on you may be, I call upon you to put the best interest of Nigeria before all other sectional or group interests.” Thepresident stated that the conference was therefore being convened ensure Nigerians engage in “in intense introspection” as regards the political and socio-economic challenges confronting the nation adding that the delegates are expected to chart the best and most acceptable way for the resolution of such challenges. He also stated that the conference would ensure that Nigeria builds a fresh national consensus for the amicable resolution of issues which continue to cause friction among the people and ensure the nation embark on journey towards greatness on a faster note. According to him, his government realises that there are always ups and downs in the course of nationhood but further affirms that it must take action because it could not sit by and fold our arms with the assumption that things will straighten themselves out. Jonathan insisted that the delegates will also concern themselves with issues of forms of government, devolution of powers, resource control as well as states and local government administration. He said further: “In our history as a political entity, we have experienced highs and lows but have always forged ahead. To my mind, the fact that we have weathered all storms and continued with the mission of evolving a truly national identity signifies that we are going in the right direction. “The strongest nations in the world today also went through their own formative stages; some for decades and others for centuries. We must learn from them that nationhood will not happen overnight, especially given the circumstances of our birth as a nation.” He told them that the report of the Presidential Advisory Committee has confirmed the willingness among Nigeria s to talk, adding that the challenges of today are not the challenges of 1960. “History also teaches that nation-building is a journey of dedication, commitment, diligence, perseverance and patriotic vision. To be successful, nation-builders must continually strive to evolve better and more inclusive societies in which every citizen is a proud and committed stakeholder. “It was with this objective in mind that we set up the Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC) on the National Conference in October last year and charged its members with the responsibility of designing the framework and modalities for a productive National Conference. “The Committee which submitted its Report in December, 2013, was able to reach out to all Nigerians and various interest groups, socio-political groupings, regional and religious elements, professionals, civil society, the organized private sector, labour, youth, women and others to ascertain their views on the initiative. “The Presidential Advisory Committee established that there was indeed, a national consensus for this Conference to be convened immediately, to meet the yearnings and aspirations of our people,” the president said. He allayed the fears that the conference would not in any way usurp the powers of the National Assembly as according to him, it only emphasises the fact that power resides in the Nigerian people whose elected representatives cannot lay claim to knowing all. He said: “For many years we have discussed and argued over various issues concerning our national existence and well-being. Much of this national discourse has been conducted through the mass media, both print and electronic. More recently, the advent of the age of ICT and social media has greatly enlarged the space for the discussion of our country’s future. “Many more young and articulate Nigerians who previously had little access to the traditional mass media have now joined the conversation, motivated by patriotic concern for good governance, peace, stability, justice, equity, fairness and the harmonious co-existence of the diverse groups that make up our great nation. “Dear Compatriots, my administration is convening this National Conference today because we believe that we must assume responsibility for ensuring that the long-running national debate on the best way forward for our country is not in vain.” He further said: “This National Conference is a very important avenue for the voices of our people to be heard. Our people have yearnings and desires that need to be discussed. Their representatives at this conference are neither usurping the role of the National Assembly nor the Executive. They are complementing us in our march towards a greater and stronger union. “Over the years, well-meaning Nigerians have drawn attention to inadequacies in our current constitution. Some have described it as a military-inspired document which does not take into full consideration the genuine desires and wishes of the people.The phrase in the preamble that says “we, the people,” has been variously criticised as being misleading because, according to the critics, the constitution was not written by the people. There are also those who believe that the constitution is not our problem but the political will to faithfully implement it for the peace and progress of Nigeria.” The president asked the delegates to put the interest of Nigeria first in their deliberations while shunning ethnicity and religion. The president advised the delegates further: “A deeper look will reveal that the challenges we faced before each of the preceding national conferences were different. The challenges of 1956 are certainly not the challenges of 2014, and definitely not the challenges that the nation will face in years to come. It makes sense, therefore, that as the challenges before us evolve, we must be constant and proactive in our search for fresh solutions. We cannot continue to proffer yesterday’s solutions for today’s problems.” He admonished: “Indeed, I am quite worried when I hear people say that some participants in this National Conversation are coming here to defend and promote ethnic or clannish agenda. It is very regrettable that there are persons who believe that we cannot undertake any collective task in our country without the hindrance of ethnic rivalry even after 100 years of nationhood. “This conference gives us an opportunity to prove such persons wrong and I believe it will. As we start a new century of nationhood, we have an obligation to reshape and redirect our country for the benefit of our children. There should be no room for divisive cleavages and ethnic jingoism. There should be no room for selfish considerations that defeat the purpose of national progress. There should be room only for the national interest.” The resident was applauded for a state-manly delivery at the auspicious occasion. It was a packaged speech that left no area untouched. It was also a challenging speech that laid the field bare before the delegates as well as challenged their senses of nationalism. A number of delegates spoken to exhibited readiness to key into that challenge in the hope that national consensus will be reached at the conference. Elder statesmen, including Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Richard Akinjide, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Gen. Jeremiah Useni as well as former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba were all in tandem with the president in espousing the values and focus of the conference. In different interviews the statesmen insisted that the conference was coming at the right time. Chief Adebanjo said that the confab would right the wrongs of amalgamation and ensure that Nigerians live together peacefully henceforth. He also insisted that the conference would ensure the enthronement of federalism in its true colour. Chief Richard Akinjide, however, cautioned against tampering with the structure of the existing federalism without reason. Chief Adebanjo said: “We hope all the differences will be ironed out and those who have differences will solve them. They will resolve them peaceably around the table. That is why we are calling the conference. We know that there is no region that does not have one complain or the other but if it is true that we genuinely want to stay together, we want to solve those complaints.” According to Akinjide, the present set up of federalism was arrived at by Nigeria’s greats including Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Dennis Osadebey, Chief SLA Akintola among others, adding that the situation of Nigeria demands a strong central government. Chief Akinjide said of the need to retain federalism in Nigeria thus: “In this type of government the centre is critical because we produce oil which is about 80 percent of our revenue and that oil goes to the centre alone. If the centre gets that type of money the control of it is critical. “The centre the states and also the local governments should have some say and that is exactly what they are doing. I don’t believe in transferring anything to the states again, at all. If you are not careful, and you make the states too strong, you are going to have instability. I was involved when we had the states having a lot of power. There was instability. “They had their own police at the time, the federal had their own police we had no peace. So we used a whole conference to look at what was done in Canada, in Australia, in USA, in India and deliberately people with vast experience, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, , Chief SLA Akintola, Chief Osadebey and all others said look, we must have a very strong centre and weak states. It was deliberate. If we reverse that and make the states stronger now, we are going to have instability in this country.” For the Chairman Board of Trustees of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Gen. Jeremiah Useni, the issue of National security is a vital topic on the agenda of the conference. He insisted that the conference would achieve big for the progress of Nigeria. He said that the conference will take the issue of security very seriously. He stated in an interview: “So I think this time around, we are going to talk seriously about insecurity. Security is not just somebody taking arms to shoot you, there is insecurity when you are hungry. You can do all sort of things; when you are unemployed, you can do all sorts of damages. When you are humiliated, you are discriminated against; you can do all sort of things. “So security covers so many things that touch us. So what do you do? God can touch our country and there will be structural adjustment. Is there anything wrong with the present structure that we need to look into? How is the National Assembly doing? Are they doing the right thing? Why should there be all crises between the legislature and the executive when the constitution clearly shows or demarcates the responsibility of each of them. So what is wrong? Is it human nature or we are reading the constitution differently. Look at the governance itself and some of the things we are seeing. “Look at the way the governors remove elected local government chairmen, the President doesn’t do the same to them so why are they doing so? All these are the things to be looked into. We will look into discipline generally to me there is no discipline that is why all these things are happening. Discipline at party level, discipline at governmental level, at every level.” Na’Abba also declared that insecurity appears to be a measure of negligence of the grassroots by the people in government at all levels. He stated: “Insurgency I believe is a function of the way governance has been carried out in this country. The people are not involved. And because the people are not involved, and are not being carried along, there is disconnect between the government and the people. Even though the government at all levels would want to say that there is no such disconnect but there is. And that is why we are having all this insurgency everywhere. “If you look at it, you will see that most of this insurgency has to do with the nonchalant attitude of political office holders to the needs of the people. If you at the conflicts in the North Central Area between the Fulani and the farmers, it’s about grazing land. And these Grazing land, even in the First Republic, our leaders regarded it as a national security issue. And they never joked with it. “All the stock roots have been marked out well and they are well looked after year in year out. Today most of these grazing roots have been taken over by farmers so there is no route for the cattle a herdsman to take their stock of cattle for grazing. Grazing lands also have been taken over by farmlands and there has been no proper support to the National veterinary institute in Vom. That institution is responsible for the welfare of herdsmen, the health needs of the cattle themselves and these are some of the things that the government must look at. “I believe that once these routes are identified, and reclaimed, you will begin to see the issue dyeing down. The North East has not been buoyant economically because of bad governance. The insurgents started recruiting members from the swelling number of unemployed youths that is why they are large in number. If you come to the North-West, you will see that it is cattle rustlers that are having a field day. These cattle rustlers are mostly people who have been disenfranchised. They are not part of governance anywhere and they want to survive. These are some of the things we must look at nationally. The government must also begin to isolate the reasons for conflicts in the North and begin to proffer solutions as soon as possible.”
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 02:51:14 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015