NIGERIA NATIONAL CONFERENCE

EDITORIAL: NIGERIAN NATIONAL CONFERENCE

EMEKA AKAMIKE B.S (CHEMISTRY), M.S.E.C (INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY), MS/PHD (MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY) PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN IS ON THE RIGHT PATH. ALL HANDS SHOULD BE ON DECK TO FACILITATE HIS INITIATIVE.THE FUTURE OF NIGERIA DEPENDS HEAVILY ON THE OUTCOME OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE. NIGERIA IS WELL SITUATED FOR GLOBAL GREATNESS. TO ACHIEVE THIS, HOWEVER, THERE HAS TO BE TARGETED INDUSTRIALIZATION THAT ENABLES HER TO BREAK AWAY FROM EXCESSIVE DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN CONTROL. THE EMPHASIS SHOULD BE IN THE AREA OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (BIOTECH)AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING, AGRICULTURE NOT WITHSTANDING.COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY IS HERE TO STAY AND WILL DOMINATE THE HUMAN RACE FOR SEVERAL GENERATIONS TO COME. NIGERIA IS ANALOGOUS TO A BUILDING OCCUPIED BY THREE TENANTS, X, Y, AND Z. EACH TENANT HAS A SEPARATE BEDROOM BUT THEY SHARE A COMMON LIVING ROOM AND BATHROOM. X IS AN ATHEIST, Y IS A CHRISTIAN AND Y IS A MUSLIM. X, Y AND Z HAVE TO MEET TO SET UP THE GROUND RULES FOR CO-EXISTENCE SUCH AS (1.) MOW THE LAWN (2) CLEAN THE BATHROOM AND (3) RULES FOR KEEPING THE LIVING ROOM NEAT AND FREE FROM CLUTTER. THE OUTCOME OF THEIR MEETING PRE-DETERMINES HOW AMICABLE THEY LIVE. IN THE SAME MANNER, THE OUTCOME OF THE NIGERIAN CONFERENCE WILL DETERMINE HOW PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS NIGERIA WILL BECOME. THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION SHOULD BE RECONSTRUCTED AFTER SORTING OUT THESE MUNDANE DIFFERENCES TO REFLECT THE UNIQUE NEED OF THE NIGERIANS. CHECK AND BALANCE IS AN ABSOLUTE. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Assembly Transmits Constitution Amendments to States By Omololu Ogunmade Abuja — The National Assembly on Tuesday transmitted the 23 amendments to the 1999 Constitution to the states' Houses of Assembly with pleas to the state legislators not to truncate the amendments through undue influences apparently from the governors. Receiving the amendments on behalf of the state legislators in the National Assembly, the Chairman of Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly, Hon. Samuel Ikon, commended the National Assembly for their effort during the review process and assured the federal lawmakers that the errors committed by state legislators in 2010, including the rejection of autonomy for state legislatures, would not be repeated this time. Before handing over the document to Ikon, Senate President, David Mark, explained how the National Assembly traversed various constituencies which make up the nation to ensure that their views formed the nucleus of the review process. According to Mark, the amendments being transmitted to the states were not the wishes of members of the National Assembly but rather those of the generality of Nigerians, regretting that state legislators opted to reject autonomy given to them during the last review process. He explained that local government autonomy in the current amendments was the wish of Nigerians as gathered from submissions at public hearings on the constitution. Therefore, Mark pleaded with the state legislators to "do what is right in the best interest of democracy and what will bring governance closer to the people." Also speaking at the event, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, recalled how a number of proposals including autonomy for state legislatures were thrown away by the legislators during the last review as he urged them to "resist certain influences" this time by approving amendments to the constitution which he said would deepen democratic practice in Nigeria. In his own submission, Chairman of Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, highlighted the rationale behind the amendment provisions, saying they were meant to strengthen the legislature's authority to enable it serve as an effective pillar of checks and balances to the executive. He also said they would strengthen independent constitutional bodies; strengthen citizenship as a source of national identity; strengthen a culture of good governance; recognise national diversity as a source of richness and wealth; address the issues of corruption, ethnicity, waste of resources, revenue leakages and unbridled government spending; and as well review legislative list for improved federalism. He added: "At this point, I would implore you as critical and distinct partners in this alteration exercise to enlist the support of your members for the successful passage of this bill. You are critical and distinct partners not simply because you are legislators and because of the requirements of Section 9 of the Constitution but moreso because you are the legislators closest to the people. "This bill, being the product of the people's will, it behoves on you to do all within your individual and collective capacities to ensure its smooth passage in obeisance to popular will. As lawmakers, this ranks as one of the highest compliments we can pay the people. "Again, I must state, as I have invariably done throughout the review process, that at no point did the National Assembly have a predetermined position on any matter contained in the bill. The bill is a product of popular will, extensive consultations and collaboration with stakeholders and exhaustive deliberations." In the same vein, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, remarked that the amendments were by-products of Nigerians' submissions at various public hearings which he said were meant to positively influence governance. He therefore urged the state lawmakers not to truncate the wishes of the people. "In constitutional democracy, the voice of the people should count. As individuals and actors, we may differ in opinion but as democrats, we are bound to respect their views. We have played our part. We also expect you in the state Houses of Assembly to play yours," Ihedioha said. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Assembly Gets Conference Report By Musa Abdullahi Krishi and Ibrahim Kabiru Sule The National Assembly has received a report of the recently concluded National Conference, spokesman of the House of Representatives Rep Zakari Mohammed has said. Mohammed said already, every member of the House was issued the "compressed" report to study in preparation for its consideration any time soon. "When we circulate reports, members will study them. We'll consider the confab report very soon, maybe next week. I've not conferred with the rules and business committee, but I do know we'll look at it very soon. We got a more compact report. What we have is a compressed document that you can easily study," he said. President Goodluck Jonathan had promised to send the outcome of the National Conference to the National Assembly shortly after he received the report in August. The National Conference which commenced on March 17 was to last for a period of four months, but it was extension by two months. There were allegations of smuggled "new constitution" at the Confab, which was not part of the initial mandate given to the delegates. Some of the recommendations of the confab include the creation of 19 new states, scrapping of local government councils as third tier of government, retention of bi-cameral legislature, rotational presidency, independent candidacy, removal of immunity for president among others. Mohammed also said that the two chambers would soon send copies of the constitution amendment report to the 36 state houses of assembly soon. He told journalists in Abuja yesterday that with the adoption of the harmonised report, the two chambers were ready to "forward copies of the report to state assemblies soon." The House had adopted the report on Wednesday in which the lawmakers approved an insertion of a new clause in Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution which allows for a referendum only for the purpose of state creation. By this, the House fore-close subjecting the outcome of the recently concluded National Conference to a referendum. The approved version of the House report also removes immunity for the president in Section 308 and compels the president to address a joint session of the National Assembly once a year. An amendment to Section 59 which vetoes the president powers on signing bills after 30 days was also approved. Also approved in the amendment is the migration of the Nigeria Police, Office of the Auditor-General of Police, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) as well as other national security agencies to be part of first-line charge, which means they are to be funded from Nigeria's Consolidated Revenue Account. The House also approved life pension for former presiding officers of the National Assembly who include the senate president, the speaker, deputy senate president and the deputy speaker. The lawmakers also approved independent candidates to stand for an election in the 71 clauses considered. Another area approved by the House is an amendment to Section 7 restrains federal government allocation to only democratically elected local governments, while also providing a 4-year term for area councils' chairmen. Mohammed also said that the lawmakers have since received a "compressed report" of the recently concluded national and would soon being its consideration. "The major issue is we have at hand is the constitutional review process. We're done with the report and will soon forward it to state houses of assembly," he said, adding that the House would also formally notify President Goodluck Jonathan on the development for "his quick assent when the report gets to him." Mohammed added that report of the much-anticipated Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is "almost ready to be laid on the floor of the House" adding that the House would expedite action on it as soon as it is presented and pass it before 2015 elections. On the report of the Rep Farouq Lawan bribery allegations, Mohammed said the House is still expecting it but added that there is a court case on the matter, which may be the reason for delay on the report. He said however that chairman of the ethics and privileges committee which is handling the case had told him that the report would soon be ready. ======================================================================================== 21 August 2014 Nigeria: Confab - We Have Shamed Our Critics - Jonathan Nigeria National Conference Ends While receiving the report of the National Conference Thursday, President Goodluck Jonathan, in a celebratory speech said his government has shamed its critics with the successful outcome of the conference and vowed to implement with the recommendations in consultation with the National Council of state and the National Assembly. The speech read: Mr Chairman, very distinguished delegates, it is with all gladness that I address you this day. After nearly five months endeavour to find the appropriate verb for the noun of our country within the syntax of human experience, you have brought to a grateful Nation, the report of the 2014 National Conference. I want to congratulate the Chairman and his able team, the Delegates, all Nigerians and indeed everyone who has contributed one way or the other to the successful convocation and conclusion of the Conference. I also congratulate the Presidential Advisory Committee which developed the framework for the Conference after travelling around the country. We cannot afford to take for granted the efforts and commitment that the delegates and the leaders put into the Conference to make it a success. The patriotic zeal was evident in the inputs of the delegates into the dialogue and how these have now formed the basis of the report. On behalf of all Nigerians, let me thank you most sincerely for your hard work. Your tireless efforts aimed at coming up with recommendations to chart a path of peaceful coexistence, sustainable development, justice and progress as we march into our second centenary shall not be in vain. To my mind, one of the main reasons for which the Conference was convoked was fully achieved: that is, to create a platform for a genuine and sincere dialogue among Nigerians. Even in moments when things seemed ready to boil over, it was evident that the Delegates were only disagreeing to agree. It is now very clear that as Nigerians, we have devised a way of addressing and resolving our differences amicably: we dialogue and dialogue until we agree! This is most heart-warming indeed! My dear brothers and sisters, I am not unmindful that there were delegates who were in this hall when I inaugurated this conference who today are not part of this closing event as the cold hands of death have snatched them. I pray that Almighty God will grant eternal repose to the souls of our departed patriots and protect all the families they have left behind. They would be proud of what you, their living colleagues, have done to end what we started together. On the occasion of the 53rd Independence Anniversary of Nigeria last year, I made a promise to set a National Conversation in motion in order to advance the course of nation-building. The agitation had been there for a while and we could no longer ignore it or delay the process. I was motivated by a genuine desire to make our country a better place where we can build consensus in the evolution of a New Nigeria. When I was inaugurating the Presidential Advisory Committee in December last year, I made it very clear to the committee that it was a sincere and fundamental undertaking, aimed at realistically examining and genuinely resolving, longstanding impediments to our cohesion and harmonious development as a truly united Nation. At the inauguration of the National Conference in March, I told you the Delegates our expectations. I did say that I expected participants to patriotically articulate and synthesize our people's thoughts, views and recommendations for a stronger, more united, peaceful and politically stable Nigeria. I urged the participants to forge the broadest possible national consensus in the process. I also warned that we should not to be under any illusions about the task ahead because we would be confronted with complex and emotive issues. I am very satisfied that the Delegates navigated these obstacles in a very mature manner. There were those who set out to input ulterior motives to our modest efforts at reshaping and strengthening the foundations of our nationhood to deliver better political cohesion and greater development agenda. The naysayers raised false alarms over some phantom hidden agenda and called to question our sincerity and did everything possible to derail this noble project. The success of this conference has proved the cynics wrong in many respects. Those who dismissed the entire conference ab initio as a "diversion" have been proved wrong as what you achieved has contrary to their forecast diverted our country only from the wrong road to the right direction. They said the conference would end in a deadlock as Nigeria had reached a point where the constituent parts could no longer agree on any issue. We exploded that myth by suggesting that you should arrive at your decisions by consensus or 75% majority threshold. That was the first challenge you had at this conference when it appeared you were going to break up. There were suggestions that we should intervene as government to "save" the conference at that dicey moment but I insisted that beyond the inauguration we were not going to intrude into the conference in any manner. We kept our promise. One of the many reasons for our non-interference is this: we have at the conference, 492 delegates and six conference officials who all in their individual rights are qualified to lead our great country and if they were unable to agree on how to take decisions, we would be in real trouble! Acknowledging the quality and patriotic content of the delegates, I was confident, the right thing will be done. I understand, there were a few outstanding issues yet. That you did not agree on all issues shows the sincerity of the discourse. Nobody was at the Conference to be politically correct. People spoke passionately and argued strongly in favour of what they genuinely believed in. As a result, there were bound to be strong disagreements. If everybody agreed on every issue, the debate would not only be lacking in quality and passion, it would also be said to have been stage-managed. What we should worry about now is not that there were disagreements in one or two items, but how to manage these disagreements such that nobody walks away feeling short-changed and bitter. It is a major challenge in nation-building as experienced by the biggest democracies in the world. You managed them well and came out tall, fellow citizens. I must congratulate you! You not only worked out a compromise but you never had to divide the house to take over 600 resolutions which I understand you passed at this conference. You have indeed built a new architecture of negotiation based on trustful give-and-take that is going to be a permanent reference point in our national life. There were many other moments of anxiety at the conference with avalanche of headlines about possible "walkouts" and "show-downs". However with your sense of maturity and abiding presence of God who put this country together, what we have today is a walk-in and a show-up! In my inauguration speech on March 17, 2014, I enjoined you as follows: We need a new mind and a new spirit of oneness and national unity. The time has come to stop seeing Nigeria as a country of many groups and regions. We have been divinely brought together under one roof. We must begin to see ourselves as one community. We are joined together by similar hopes and dreams as well as similar problems and challenges. What affects one part of the community affects the other.' I'm greatly delighted that you worked that out in practical terms by your patriotic demonstration of the truism that "though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand". The result of the conference has shown that we are not enemies, neither are we antagonists no matter our religion, region, state and tongue. This Conference has reinforced what I have always believed: that Nigeria is here for our collective good. Mr Chairman, distinguished delegates, there is a wisdom saying that if two siblings went to the inner recess to dialogue and they are grinning from ear-to-ear when they are done, truth must have been in short supply in their discussions. However, no matter the bitter truth they shared behind closed doors, holding hands when they emerge and not disowning each other is the hallmark of blood being thicker than water. This dialogue reflects the current issues in the light of the socio-political evolution of the world. I did say before that we cannot proffer yesterday's solutions to today's Nigeria's problems. The challenges we faced at Independence or even at the beginning of this democratic experience in 1999 are not the same challenges we face today. The discourse reflected our latest challenges. We shall send the relevant aspects of your recommendations to the Council of State and the National Assembly for incorporation into the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. On our part, we shall act on those aspects required of us in the Executive. Let me reaffirm this: Nobody has a monopoly of knowledge. We who are in government need to feed from the thoughts of those who elected us into power. You have done your patriotic duty, we the elected, must now do ours. As I receive the report of your painstaking deliberations, let me assure that your work is not going be a waste of time and resources. We shall do all we can to ensure the implementation of your recommendations which have come out of consensus and not by divisions. In this regard I appeal to all arms of government and the people of Nigeria to be ready to play the different roles that the volumes of reports you have produced would assign to you. It is my hope that with what you have done, our country is on the right road to getting the job of nation building done. The report of the National Conference, coming 100 years after the Amalgamation, promises to be a landmark in our history. I have always believed that dialogue is a better way of driving change in the community and I am happy that this dialogue has gone very well. With the far-reaching recommendations touching on several areas of our national life, I am convinced that this will be a major turning point for Nigeria. We have gone through many challenges in our first centenary, now is the time to hit the track and take our proper lane for the race of progress. Our moment for national rebirth is here. We have to rekindle hope not only within our country but in the entire African continent where collectively our leadership is acknowledged. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, in every governance index, we are making progress. In 2009, our life expectancy was 47 years. It has now risen to 52. We were spending over a trillion naira importing food four years ago. It is now down to a little over six hundred billion naira and still falling! The size of our economy has grown. We are improving on our infrastructure and now well on our way to self-sufficiency in energy security. We are focussing on education with a view to banishing illiteracy from our country. We have revived our railways and our airports are undergoing massive repositioning. Our sports men and women are now hungrier for laurels and we are recalibrating our security forces to meet the challenges of newer security threat that was brought to us! Very distinguished delegates, this administration has made the sanctity of the ballot a cardinal focus. Our successes in polls in different states in recent past have shown we are making substantial progress in the direction of making the polls attractive to all categories of citizens in our land so that our best and brightest would not continue to shun the electoral process. Our goal is that Nigeria must quickly arrive at the point where every vote is not only counted but counts. It is free, fair and credible elections that we crave. Now is the time that we put behind us all the drawbacks that have inhibited us from fulfilling our manifest destiny and realizing our full potentials. We must steadily arrive at the juncture where strife, conflicts and mistrusts would become distant echoes of our past. We must make every inch of our country a space for joyous habitation. Our country must enter a new season of harmony, prosperity and happiness with justice abiding in every hamlet, community and our country. It is the dawn of a new day in Nigeria and the new nation is at the door accompanied by its great men and women, young and old. All those who have predicted the disintegration of our country at the end of our first centenary would wish they chose another country when the possibilities of the new vision for Nigeria are actualised. In place of disintegration we shall have integration. In place of bitterness and spilling of blood, we shall have sweetness and healing in our land. Henceforth, our country shall become like a running water that approaches a rock, rather than stopping it takes a curve and flows on. Mr Chairman, we arrived at this point with praise to God and gladness in our hearts. I once again congratulate you and your wonderful team and all of you the distinguished delegates, for the great job that you have done in these five months. I would like to implore you all to continue to make yourselves available for service to the nation as that is the hallmark of every patriot. We are grateful! On this note, I hereby accept the report and declare the 2014 National Conference closed to the glory of our Almighty God. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Jonathan Receives CONFAB Report Thursday By Terhemba Daka and Karls Tsokar PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan will on Thursday officially receive the reports of the 2014 National conference at a ceremony scheduled to take place at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja. This is even as Vice President Namadi Sambo Wednesday assured that the recommendations by the 2014 national conference will be utilised to settle the myriad of problems besetting the country. He also described the just concluded national conference as the broadest in the history of Nigeria. Sambo, who spoke at the closing dinner organised for the delegates at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja on Wednesday night, said the Federal Government was happy with the outcome of the conference. Though he said the history of national conference predates the nation's independence, he however said the outgoing conference remains the broadest in the history of the country. I'm confident that the recommendations would be utilised to settle the nation's problems. "You stood for Nigeria and Nigeria would stand for you," he told the delegates. He said the President has asked him to thank the delegates for a job well done, saying that President Jonathan would be at the venue of the National Judicial Institute, venue of the conference tomorrow, Thursday, to officially receive the reports of the confab. He said the conference was conceived in order to move the country forward, just as he thanked the members whom, he said were carefully chosen for the assignment. He said the decisions of the conference would help in moving the country forward. Sambo said the conference was called in a way to chart a fresh course for the country, adding that there was no alternative to dialogue. "I'm confidence that the recommendations would be utilised to settle the nation's problems. You stood for Nigeria andNigeria would stand for you," he told the delegates. Meanwhile, Chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi who commended the delegates for exhibiting exemplary conduct during the cause of the conference, also paid tribute to four members of the 2014 confab who passed away during the parley which lasted five months. A one minute silence was observed in honour of the four delegates, Barr Hamma Misau, Dr Mohammad Jumare, Prof Dora Akunyili, and Prof Mohammad Nur Alkali. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: A New Nation Is Afoot, Says Jonathan As Conference Ends By Chuks Okocha President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in Abuja received the report of the National Conference and commended its delegates for setting in motion the building blocks for a new Nigeria, saying a new nation is afoot. The president also taunted critics of the conference and prophets of the disintegration of Nigeria as a sovereign nation, stating that instead of disintegrating, the country would grow from strength to strength. Also, the president promised to implement the recommendations of the conference contained in 22 volumes of approximately 10,335 pages with 600 resolutions. Speaking after receiving the report, Jonathan said: "All those who have predicted the disintegration of our country at the end of our first centenary would wish they chose another country when the possibilities of the new vision for Nigeria are actualised. "In place of disintegration, we shall have integration. In place of bitterness and spilling of blood, we shall have sweetness and healing in our land. "Henceforth, our country shall become like running water that approaches a rock, rather than stopping it takes a curve and flows on. "It is now very clear that as Nigerians, we have devised a way of addressing and resolving our differences amicably: we dialogue and dialogue until we agree. This is most heart-warming indeed!" The president, in commending the 492 delegates and the management team of the conference, which officially came to an end yesterday, added: "I am greatly delighted that you worked out in practical terms by your patriotic demonstration of the truism that 'though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand'. "The result of the conference has shown that we are not enemies, neither are we antagonists, no matter our religion, region, state, and tongue. This Conference has reinforced what I have always believed: that Nigeria is here for our collective good." He said there is wisdom in the saying that, "if two siblings went to the inner recess to dialogue and they are grinning from ear-to-ear when they are done, truth must have been in short supply in their discussions. "However, no matter the bitter truth they shared behind closed doors, holding hands when they emerge and not disowning each other is the hallmark of blood being thicker than water". The president stressed that the dialogue reflected the current issues in the light of the socio-political evolution of the world, reminding his audience that the challenges Nigeria faced at independence or even at the beginning of the present democratic experience in 1999 are not the same challenges it faces today. Giving assurances to the delegates that the report of the conference would be implemented and not reduced to the cabinet, the president acknowledged that the discourse reflected the country's latest challenges. "We shall send the relevant aspects of your recommendations to the Council of State and the National Assembly for incorporation into the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. On our part, we shall act on those aspects required of us in the executive," he stated. Jonathan furthered stressed that nobody has a monopoly of knowledge, adding: "We who are in government need to feed from the thoughts of those who elected us into power. You have done your patriotic duty, we the elected, must now do ours. "As I receive the report of your painstaking deliberations, let me assure that your work is not going to be a waste of time and resources. We shall do all we can to ensure the implementation of your recommendations, which have come out of consensus and not by divisions. "In this regard, I appeal to all arms of government and the people of Nigeria to be ready to play the different roles that the volumes of the report you have produced would assign to you. "It is my hope that with what you have done, our country is on the right road to getting the job of nation building done." He said the report of the National Conference, coming 100 years after Nigeria's amalgamation, promises to be a landmark in the country's history. "I have always believed that dialogue is a better way of driving change in the community and I am happy that this dialogue has gone very well. With the far-reaching recommendations touching on several areas of our national life, I am convinced that this will be a major turning point for Nigeria. "We have gone through many challenges in our first centenary, now is the time to hit the track and take our proper lane for the race of progress. "Our moment for national rebirth is here. We have to rekindle hope not only within our country but in the entire African continent where collectively our leadership is acknowledged," he added. Jonathan also used the occasion to showcase the achievements of his administration, stating: "We are making progress. In 2009, our life expectancy was 47 years, it has now risen to 52. "We were spending over a trillion naira importing food four years ago, it is now down to a little over N600 billion and still falling. The size of our economy has grown. "We are improving on our infrastructure and now well on our way to self-sufficiency in energy security. We are focusing on education with a view to banishing illiteracy from our country. We have revived our railways and our airports are undergoing massive repositioning. "Our sports men and women are now hungrier for laurels and we are recalibrating our security forces to meet the challenges of newer security threat that was brought to us. "This administration has made the sanctity of the ballot a cardinal focus. Our successes in polls in different states in the recent past have shown we are making substantial progress in the direction of making the polls attractive to all categories of citizens in our land so that our best and brightest would not continue to shun the electoral process. "Our goal is that Nigeria must quickly arrive at the point where every vote is not only counted but counts. It is free, fair and credible elections that we crave. "Now is the time that we put behind us all the drawbacks that have inhibited us from fulfilling our manifest destiny and realising our full potential. We must steadily arrive at the juncture where strife, conflicts and mistrusts would become distant echoes of our past. We must make every inch of our country a space for joyous habitation." Lampooning the critics and cynics of the conference, the president expressed satisfaction that the delegates were able to navigate, in a mature manner, the obstacles he warned them against when the National Conference was inaugurated in March. "There were those who set out to input ulterior motives to our modest efforts at reshaping and strengthening the foundations of our nationhood to deliver better political cohesion and greater development agenda. "The naysayers raised false alarms over some phantom hidden agenda and called to question our sincerity and did everything possible to derail this noble project. "The success of this conference has proved the cynics wrong in many respects. Those who dismissed the entire conference ab initio as a 'diversion' have been proved wrong, as what you achieved has, contrary to their forecast, has diverted our country only from the wrong road to the right direction. "They said the conference would end in a deadlock as Nigeria had reached a point where the constituent parts could no longer agree on any issue. We exploded that myth by suggesting that you should arrive at your decisions by consensus or 75% majority threshold. "That was the first challenge you had at this conference when it appeared you were going to break up. There were suggestions that we should intervene as government to 'save' the conference at that dicey moment but I insisted that beyond the inauguration we were not going to intrude into the conference in any manner. We kept our promise. "One of the many reasons for our non-interference is this: we had at the conference, 492 delegates and six conference officials who all in their individual rights were qualified to lead our great country and if they were unable to agree on how to take decisions, we would be in real trouble. "Acknowledging the quality and patriotic content of the delegates, I was confident, the right thing will be done," he said. In an apparent reference to some of the issues yet to be resolved like the derivation and resource control, the president said: "I understand there were a few outstanding issues yet. That you did not agree on all issues shows the sincerity of the discourse. "Nobody was at the conference to be politically correct. People spoke passionately and argued strongly in favour of what they genuinely believed in. As a result, there were bound to be strong disagreements. "If everybody agreed on every issue, the debate would not only be lacking in quality and passion, it would also be said to have been stage-managed. What we should worry about now is not that there were disagreements in one or two items, but how to manage these disagreements such that nobody walks away feeling short-changed and bitter. "It is a major challenge in nation-building as experienced by the biggest democracies in the world. You managed them well and came out tall, fellow citizens." He congratulated the delegates for not only working out a compromise but also refraining from dividing the conference to reach the 600 resolutions that were passed. "You have indeed built a new architecture of negotiation based on trustful give-and-take that is going to be a permanent reference point in our national life," the president stated. In his closing remarks, the Chairman of the National Conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, described the conference as a tough assignment, but was grateful that it turned out a huge success, despite initial challenges. Kutigi, who was a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), said: "We knew that we were taking on a tough assignment. If truth be told, most Nigerians did not believe that this whole enterprise was going to last this long or come to a successful conclusion. "Yet, Mr. President, here we are five months later at a ceremony to mark the successful execution of our mandate. It is not that we lasted this long that is newsworthy, but that we overcame all the obstacles on our way." He said when 494 Nigerians were assembled to address the fears, disappointments, aspirations and hopes, which had accumulated over 100 years, it was only to be expected that the debates would be robust and tempers would fly. Kutigi said the delegates did not try to ignore or bury their differences, instead, "we addressed these differences while respecting the dignity of those holding these differences and sought to construct solutions which would become building blocks for a just and stable nation". Kutigi who gave insight into the reports of the conference, said: "We approved over 600 resolutions, some dealing with issues of law, issues of policy and issues of constitutional amendments. "These resolutions did not deal with frivolous or inconsequential issues. We showed courage in tackling substantial and fundamental issues. "Mr. President, time will not permit me to list all the critical and fundamental resolutions adopted. But let me emphasise this: all our resolutions were adopted by consensus. Not once did we have to vote or come to a division. "This is a message that we wish the world to hear loud and clear. Nigerians are capable of not only discussing their differences but are also capable of coming up with solutions to these difficulties." Comparing the work of the conference with previous conferences in the country, the former CJN said: "In the post-independence history of Nigeria, there have been four conferences, including this 2014 National Conference. "However, Mr. President, our own task has been the most arduous. The following statistics graphically illustrates this: The 1978 Constituent Assembly had a membership of 230 people and met for nine months. "The 1995 National Constitutional Conference had a membership of 371 people and met for twelve (12) months. The 2005 National Political Reform Conference was made up of 400 delegates and met for five months. We are 494 in membership and you made us do all this work in four-and-a-half months." He commended Jonathan for convoking the conference, saying: "On behalf of the delegates to the 2014 National Conference, I thank you for your courage in summoning this conference. "We have finally laid to rest the apprehension that a National Conference will lead to the disintegration of Nigeria. We have held a National Conference and we are more united today than ever." He equally commended the president for not meddling in the affairs of the conference and paid tributes to the four delegates who died during the conference. The delegates that passed on included Mr. Hamma Misau who died on March 27; Dr. Mohammad Jumare who died on May 5; Professor Dora Akunyili, on June 7; and Professor Mohammad Nur Alkali, on August 1, 2014. A minute's silence was observed for the four delegates. The closing ceremony was attended by Vice-President Namadi Sambo; Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mariam Muktar, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Confab: We were all grandstanding – Prof. ABC Nwosu on July 28, 2014 Says Obasanjo has earned his place in history Erstwhile Political Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo, erstwhile Minister of Health, Prof. Alphonsus Nwosu, was one of the principal founders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, joining from the Peoples National Front, PNF where he was national secretary. Prof Nwosu: Our constitution says we the people, that is a lie Prof Nwosu In this revealing interview, Nwosu articulates three principal objectives of the PDP in 1998, one of which was to ensure the realisation of a president from Southern Nigeria in 1999 and another being to permanently check the incursion of the military in governance. Nwosu also reviews the performance of the political class, analyses issues arising from the National Conference and affirms a respectable place in history for President Obasanjo who he affirms was at all times and in all issues a decisive leader. Excerpts: By Levinus Nwabughiogu Many believe that it the National Conference was a waste of money. Do you agree? People are entitled to their opinion. Even one of my close friends, Professor Pat Utomi believes that the conference wasted billions and some of us who are his friends in that conference whether Femi Falana, Olisa Agbakoba, ABC Nwosu and the rest, all we can say is if Pat believes that we can be part of any wasted exercise, it is his opinion. May be when we meet, we will explain to him but it remains his opinion and what I take from that opinion is that they have not really bothered to see what we have achieved or read the decisions that have been taken. The recommendation for the setting up of a Technical Committee by the presidency on the issue of derivation gives the impression of an impasse on the issue. Was that the best you could have done? I think it was the best way to resolve the matter. I was a member of the committee on devolution of power. Members of that committee will also tell you that I was also the chairman of the writing subcommittee of that committee that produced the report for the plenary. And I think that if you see our report, you will see that this issue generated so much contention and we adjourned in the committee about five times before we arrived at a decision in the best interest of the country to maintain the equilibrium and stable state that we have in the country and not compromise on the security. The decision of the plenary was simple. We agreed that 13 per cent derivation should be reviewed upwards eventually, eventually, it was brought to 18 per cent from 21.1 per cent which a subcommittee had agreed on. I think that 18 per cent would have sailed through the plenary. It was also agreed that there should be mineral development fund which we agreed should be about 5 per cent of national revenue to fast track solid mineral development and bring more money into national revenue from all the six geopolitical zones of the country. Again, that would have sailed through. The trouble came with the 5 per cent national intervention fund because some said that it should be for north east, north central and north west. It didn’t make sense to the others including me. I will give you three reasons. If it is that, then it should not be a national intervention fund. It should be a northern intervention fund and that was why quickly, people like me said then we must have a southern intervention fund and if we didn’t have that, we will have a Biafara Reparation Fund. That is just to say that whenever you get unreasonable, you trigger unreasonableness in so many angles you never anticipated. And so, by that thoughtlessness of not agreeing what was on paper that we should have a national intervention fund beginning with the north east, we would not have had a technical committee. But that thoughtlessness produced thoughtlessness and would have ruined the entire work. So, we decided that the Federal Government should look at this matter in its technicalities instead of closing all the other decisions we took. Would that not generate more controversies? I don’t know. I am a member of the National Conference. Our report must go back to Mr. President that set us up. We will make recommendations on what Mr. President should do with this report at the end of it. But we have been taking many decisions and this country has not really broken. What I did say and still maintain is that we are all grandstanding. We are all enjoined by being Nigerians to be reasonable. Once you have unreasonableness coming in, everybody will show you that it is usually reasonable. In the part I come from, it says, if you want to live together, OK. If you don’t want to live together, so be it. There is nobody who is a second class citizen. The south cannot put its foot down for the north. The north cannot put its foot down for the south. The majority ethnic groups cannot put their feet down for the minority ethnic groups and the minority ethnic groups cannot gang up gang up against the majority. We should do what is good because that is what will bring us into mainstream development in 21st century. That is where I agree with my friend, Professor Pat Utomi that many are living in the past and think that they can be unreasonable, filibuster, do this and that. No, no. That bit of unreasonableness at the end of the conference serves to remind us that we love ourselves. Let’s be fair to ourselves. What happens when a Nigerian tries to cheat another Nigerian? Oil is coming from his soil, you don’t like him to get the benefits of that oil and then there is sharing, you want it to be only for your own section, not for other sections. If flooding, for example, occurs anywhere, you wouldn’t want him to access the fund. No. This fund is only for the north. Who said so? What should Nigerians expect as the conference reconvenes on August 4? Our job on August 4 which may take us a week or weeks or less is to say we approve this report and then, we will send this report to Mr. President with our recommendations. Whether it should lead to a new constitution, then we will have draft constitution attached. It is his duty to get a draft constitution to the National Assembly. We are not going to review any decision at all. We are going to consider and approve and pass our report and arrange to hand it over to Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief, period. Would you say that Nigerians have reaped the dividends of democracy even after 14 years? I think that the be- all and end-all to our welfare and well being is good governance. Many of us who were at least in secondary school before 1960 look back with nostalgia to our premiers then. And that’s why many of us are still clamouring for regions and all that. We remember that the secondary schools we attended were for the rich and the poor. The health facilities were for the rich and the poor. The teaching hospital, UCH at Ibadan was very highly rated in the commonwealth. The universities then were highly rated. Our premiers had little in terms of personal wealth. Let me use my own premier, Late Dr. M. I. Okpara for example. Everybody knew he gave public service. Everybody knew that he denied himself to give the best to the state and that was why Eastern Region prospered. When the military came, no matter how people want to interpret it, the military in my view intervened because they wanted better governance of the people. When it was misinterpreted and the civil war followed, we still had the military. But some of their actions were good. National Youth Service Corps scheme was good. The third mainland bridge was good. The federal unity schools, government colleges were good, etcetera. So, I don’t judge governance based on civilian rule or military rule. I judge it by the policies that are people-oriented. We must go back to people oriented policies. Any public money you spend must be spent with a consideration as to how many people will benefit from it. You don’t have to go and build specific roads so that people who have Rolls Royce cars and Mercedes Benz cars can pass on them. That is not people orientated policy and I can go on. Do you share the opinion of its critics that the People Democratic Party, PDP which has been in power since 1999 is a failed party? The party has not failed Nigerians. I am a founding member of the PDP. I belonged to one of the five associations that fused to get the PDP in 1998. That association was called PNF (Peoples National Front). I was the secretary and we fused. We met here in Abuja. It was in Professor Jerry Gana’s house. The founding interim chairman was Dr. Alex Ekwueme until he had a presidential ambition and so, Solomom Lar came. Lar was not the first chairman of the PDP and I was in the writing committee with Sule Lamido and the rest. PDP has not failed. Our manifesto is clear. It is those who have operated this manifesto at the various states that have failed. Not all of them anyway. Some have succeeded while some have failed. So, PDP has not failed as a party. For example, many people look at privatization, etcetera. It is there in the manifesto. People don’t read the manifesto. They read the constitution of the PDP in order to see who to expel, who to do this and that. And now, people are meeting in Government Houses instead of political party houses. So, at a stage, we formed the PDP reforms forum. They expelled about 12 of us and recalled 12 of us. But the national convention of the PDP is not a convention to anoint office holders. We should hold conventions to reaffirm the manifesto and the direction and where we should be leading the people to. These were the things we were thinking of. We were not envisaging a PDP meeting in Government Houses under the directives of governors and then anointing who would be senators and all that. We wanted internal democracy. Who the people want should go. So, it is those who started it whether it is guardroom or boardroom democracy or whatever that really derailed. PDP as a political party was formed on 3 main reasons: that all politicians should as much as possible come in and develop an ideology and reaffirm civilian rule so as to ensure there is no military intervention again. The second one was that there must be a manifesto that is people based. The third is that power must shift from the North to the South and that was why in 1999, the north honoured it. It must shift from the north to the south. So, those of us who were there had clear principle that brought us in. I am not one who derides politics. People say oh, I am a professional in politics. I am a professional politician now but I will not go for an elective office any more. Are you worried by godfatherism in Nigerian politics especially in your home state, Anambra…? (Cuts in) It’s everywhere. In any state at all where a governor has served for two terms, you can see what happens. It is the duty of the people to protect internal democracy. The people should refuse and say we want somebody to govern us and nobody is good enough to govern us without our consent. That is a basic tenet of democracy. You were part of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government. What would you remember that government for? President Obasanjo was a strong president. He was not going to allow any forces that would pull on the unity of Nigeria. He would crush those forces with all that he had. That one I can say for him. He did not want any divisive forces in Nigeria even to take root. He was passionate about good governance to the extent that a human being can be. If you remember, I was substituted as a gubernatorial candidate in Anambra for Dr. Mbadinuju and so, on 29 May, 1999, President Obasanjo without knowing me, without having met me appointed me his political adviser. I thus became the first Igbo person in the cabinet. I believe we were about five: Joseph Sanusi (Central Bank), Jackson Gauis-Obaseki (NNPC), Musului Smith (IGP), myself and one other. When I saw him that night, I told him I was Professor ABC Nwosu. He stood back and asked “you?” And I answered “yes”, Mr. President. He took me inside a small room. In his right hand pocket, he had a bill for the creation of NNDC. I owe it as a duty to my God to say it. He had it there that first night. On his left pocket, he had an anti-corruption bill. These were the two things he told me that I had to help him work on. The NNDC bill and anti-corruption bill and I can go on and on to tell you what we then did when I became Minister of Health. So, in summary, Obasanjo was committed to good governance anchored on delivery of services to the people. Like all human beings, we had our failures and they were many. But we had some successes. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/confab-grandstanding-prof-abc-nwosu/#sthash.AZem8ope.dpuf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Confab: Knotty national question back to sender! on July 20, 2014 By Levinus Nwabughiogu They came, they debated, they disagreed. This was the situation at the 2014 National Conference which had 492 delegates in attendance. The intrigues and hiccups arguably made the conference seemingly deadlocked. The conference has been adjudged the best in the political history of Nigeria, given the rich assemblage of the delegates. But virulently divided along ethnic lines of North and South with some vestiges of religiosity at play, they failed on where it mattered most. Yet again, the issue was the contentious and vexatious resource control and derivation principle for Niger-Delta states as contained in the main report of the Conference committee on Devolution of Power. Though there were two new issues which included a proposed 5% each for the development of mineral resources across the federation and special intervention fund for national emergencies, the essentiality, however, was derivation. In fact, through out the life of the conference, the issue kept many delegates on their toes and hopes were alive that an enduring solution would be found but that was not to happen. This was the dilemma of Idris Legbo Kutigi, a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, who was re-engaged by President Goodluck Jonathan to chair the National Conference that concluded its plenary in Abuja on Monday. Kutigi might have spent some good years of his life at the bench where there must be a response to any issues in form of judgement, whether savory or unsavory. But in the case of the conference, he ended up on a note of frustration without any piece of “judgement” on a matter so serious and important. Instead, he, in a manner that conveys an impression of subdued competency and technical finesse, announced a retreat to the door step of the Presidency to resolve the derivation impasse. The retired CJN said: “Conference therefore recommends that government should set up a Technical Committee to determine the appropriate percentages on the three issues and advise government accordingly”. Events before The week before, Kutigi was encumbered to set up a committee of some 37 elders to reach a consensus on improved percentage to be appropriated to the Niger Delta states in addition to the current 13 percent derivation enjoyed by the zone. This came amid the agitation for a substantial increase or a complete resource ownership by Niger Delta delegates who vehemently kicked against an earlier recommendation of status quo on the derivation principle by the conference Devolution of Power Committee. To stem rising tempers, the elders committee jerked up the percentage from 13 to 18. In its wisdom, it further recommended that 5% of the national income be reserved for immediate development of the untapped abundant mineral resources national wide. Also, going a little further, the committee set aside another 5% as special intervention funds for national emergencies. All these seemed accepted by the delegates. But in a dramatic turn, a member of the elders committee and elder states man, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, who was asked to present the communique reached at the committee at plenary on Wednesday, last week allegedly brought in a clause. He announced that the proposed 5 % for national emergencies was for the rehabilitation of North-east, North-west and North-central, starting from the Boko Haram ravaged North-east. Then the lid was let open and anger flayed inflammably. Torn between the ethnic lines of North and South, the conference adjourned till the next day, Thursday. Even on Thursday, there was no love lost. No compromises. This made Kutigi to announce an expanded meeting of the conference leadership with the 50 “wise men” who had at the beginning of the conference resolved a voting procedure crisis, the chairmen of the standing 20 committees and their deputies on Friday. The agenda was to further pursue a consensus on the outstanding matters. But, unfortunately, the meeting suffered a drastic boycott by the chosen ones. Reasons were later given that many licensed to take part in the meeting had already booked their flight tickets for a weekend trip outside Abuja. The last straw At the resumption of plenary on Monday, a disappointed Kutigi said: “I am still of the view that the committee that is handling the matter of coming to a compromise will still do their job. We couldn’t have the meeting on Friday. So, I am proposing that we give them two hours to meet with us”. Two hours stretched to five hours and, when eventually the conference came alive again, the delegates who had waited with bated breath got what they never bargained for: “Having critically examined the issues in contention, conference recognizes the need to review the percentage of revenue to states producing oil (and other resources), reconstruct and rehabilitate areas affected by problems of insurgency and internal conflicts and diversify the economy by fast tracking the development of the solid mineral sector,”Kutigi told them. “The conference also notes that assigning percentages for the increase in derivation principle, and setting special intervention fund to address issues of reconstruction and rehabilitation of areas ravaged by insurgence and internal conflicts as well as solid minerals development, requires some technic details and considerations. “Conference, therefore, recommends that government should set up a Technical Committee to determine the appropriate percentages on the three issues and advise government accordingly”. With this, all debates became concluded and the conference stood adjourned to August 4 when it shall resume to adopt the entire report which would be eventually be submitted to President Jonathan. Other matters North’s insistence that what many regarded as self-inflicted devastation in the North-east must be paid for with the proposed 5% special intervention fund prompted more agitations from other zones. For instance, the South- east rose up, pressing for reparation for injustices meted to it and a portion of the present South-south in the 1967-1970 civil war. Delegates at the on-going national conference Delegates at the national conference They reasoned that despite General Yakubu Gowon’s promise of 3 “Rs”, Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation of the zone, the Federal Government has not remembered the zone, 44 years after the war. In a document entitled: “ Atrocities and Injustices against Ndigbo: Ohanaeze demands for Reparation,” they said: “The case of the South-east, which bore the full brunt of the civil war for 30 months, is particularly tragic. Most of it remained a wasteland, despite General (Yakubu) Gowon’s declaration of the three ‘Rs’, Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation. “The Federal Government should pay N400 billion each to the five states of the South-east as compensation to those who lost loved ones and properties and those still suffering dislocation today in Nigeria. The same amount should also be paid to the government of Delta State for the benefit of Anioma area of the state.” Angry reactions The idea of setting up a Technical Committee, instantly sparked off arguments. While some said it was the noblest path to toe in the face of the mountainous disagreements, others said the conference has failed to do what it was, ab initio, set up for. Recall that the president had given it the mandate of helping him solve the Nigerian problem, possibly in all its spheres. But by ostensibly taking the job back to the president, the conference, in the estimation of many people, has pooh-pooed. Meanwhile, some delegates spoke Sunday Vanguard on the issue. Conference shirked responsibility—Hon. Sola Ebiseni, Commissioner for Environment and Ondo State Local Government delegate “As far as I am concerned, there was no decision taken today. What we did was simply to abdicate our responsibility by throwing the issue back at Mr, who sent us here to assist in proffering solutions to some of our national challenges. What we fully failed to appreciate about what a National Conference is all about is that it is an extra-constitutional assembly of the people to critically examine all the issues that were pushed to us in a federation like ours where we have to constantly review the terms of our national engagement as a country. “To now come at the tail end and considering critical issue and say we couldn’t take a decision and push it back to he President, to me, it is a crafty way of adopting the status quo and refuse to talk about it. “If a Technical Committee must be set up, after all plenary has been adjourned till 4th of next month, I would have expected the Chairman to draw the members from the conference itself. “Without sounding immodest, I do not see anywhere in Nigeria where people with more technical know-how are assembled that those at this conference. “The leadership and the conference should have set up the Technical Committee from within the conference itself to advise us rather than allowing government to set up a committee made up of politicians and ethnic lords. I must be quick to say that much as I disagree with the last decision of the leadership, the credibility of the final report of the conference would not be affected because it was just only one item out of scores of recommendations from 20 reports. “The credibility of the conference won’t be affected because we have succeeded making far-reaching and lasting decisions that, if eventually implemented, would make the country better in the long run”. It achieved the desired purpose—Chief Bode George, former Military Governor, Ondo State and PDP’s delegate to the conference. It is not a deadlock. It was the most sensible thing to do. People looked at it. They had two options either to agree with what the committee recommended or to look at the main committee. It is far, far bigger than what we are looking at. Looking at all those various calculations and recommendations, we would never have been able to reach any decision on that because it requires more detailed calculation. And so, in the end, people thought there was no need to vote. If we had voted, many states, now that you have more states that are non oil producing than oil producing, everybody was a bit apprehensive. So they needed more study on this issues before we can come to conclusion. The conference absolutely achieved its purpose. No body can say it did not. What we set out to achieve, we achieved it. All they needed was more information, technical details, more analysis. If we look at what it took government to arrive at 13 percent, you realize that it took a lot of negotiations, discussions and analysis. The most sensible thing to do was to take it further and allow so many other agencies involved in the percentage allocation to do their job. The technical details must be taken into consideration. For me, the conference ended on a very resounding note. For the first time, those areas that were either swept under the carpet, that would have driven emotion beyond normalcy, but based on robust, super debates, we were convinced. The conference did well by not approving exclusive funds for North-east—Mr. Christian Udechukwu, delegate to the conference representing Nigerians abroad. The conference took a good decision by not approving an exclusive fund for the North-east because the violence and insurgency in Nigeria has affected all Nigerians and, therefore, it will be inappropriate to dedicate any fund specifically to the North- east because, ultimately, if that that is done, it might create further incentives for other insurgent groups, like OPC, MASSOP, Zionist Movement to become more violent than they already are. Sunny side of conference The fact that the National Conference witnessed keenly debated matters did not, however, diminish the thought of unity and democratic values in many of the delegates. To this end, some of them came together and planned what was christened, “ All Time Democrats Award”, to honor some distinguished Nigerians, dead or alive who have championed the cause of democracy in the country since independence in 1960. This saw former President Shehu Shagari, his vice, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, and the acclaimed winner of 1993 presidential election, the late Chief MKO Abiola, recognized as “All Time Democrats”. Also honored were three elder statesmen which included, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Edwin Clark and Mbazulike Ameachi. Others included retired Justice Mamman Nasir, Mallam Tanko Yakassai, Mallam Magaji Dambatta, Chief H.I.D Awolowo, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Chief Tunji Braithwaite, Shettima Ali Monguno, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki, Chief Olanihun Ajayi, Chief Richard Akinjide, Governor Kayode Fayemi, Retired Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte, Retired Justice Muhammed Lawal Uwais, Justice Usman Muhammed, Chief Benjamin Chahcha, Alhaji Inuwa Wada, Senator Franca Afegbua, Khalifa Alhassan Yusuf and Alhaji Maitama Sule were also honored. Last line: Indeed, a great lesson should be learnt from the debates and disagreements. But whether successful or deadlocked, many share in the view that the 2014 National Conference reached some vital decisions that, if implemented, would put the country on the road to development. For instance, many see the establishment of state police, removal of president and governors’ pension and gratuities, removal of immunity clause, etcetera, as a good omen to ridding the country of official corruption. But, above all, what might be a worry to all and sundry is the fact that uncertainty still mounts on whether the outcome of conference will be forwarded to the National Assembly for ratification or subjected to referendum. The picture of what becomes of the conference outcome will become clearer as the days go by. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/confab-knotty-national-question-back-sender/#sthash.sMkaLszD.dpuf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nigeria: Uwazurike - Now We Know Those Who Are Crafty and Those Forward Looking By Nkechi Onyedika, 13 July 2014 Chief Goddy Uwazurike is the President of Aka Ikenga, an Igbo political think tank and also a delegate to the ongoing National Conference. He spoke with NKECHI ONYEDIKA in Abuja, on the gains of the conference and what the Southeast delegates are taking back to their people. AS the National conference winds up, what would you say are the gains or is it going to be another lost opportunity to address problems confronting Nigeria? THE conference is timely, it has been an eye opener; it has been effective and was not in any way a lost opportunity. We came to into this conference with all kinds of prejudices, anger and expectations, but as we are winding up, I can assure you that most of us are better educated about ourselves, about our neighbours and about all the zones. Virtually all the zones came with one package or the other, but the gains are that we have known each other better. We have known those who are crafty, we have known those who are playing, we have known those who are forward looking, those who want to see progress and those who are saying there should be no changes; that as we were yesterday, so shall we be today, whatever the grievances are, they don't want to know. Sincerely speaking, it is a worthwhile investment by government and I may even recommend that every five years, but not more than 10 years, we should have this kind of gathering. In four months, we have done an intensive study of ourselves, so it is rewarding. What issues did the delegates of the Southeast take to the Confab and the gains they are taking back to their people? We from the Southeast went to the Conference with a very good solid team and made a good impression. The method we used this time is the best method practicable for any group of people who are result-oriented. How to get what you want without hurting the other person is our Modus Operandi and believe me, we succeeded. In the past, we went then, shouted; "We are Igbo's, therefore we want this." First of all, you have to study what the others want, if you know what they want, all of you can then work in that direction. So we went to the conference with so many packages but you have to place the packages in order of priority. Our number one priority was to address the imbalance in the number of states. The Southeast zone happened to have the least number of states. In order words, we are marginalized by the military and not by the civilians. Other issues we took to the conference were the status of local governments, devolution of powers, freedom of residence, freedom of religion, freedom of movement and most importantly, rotation of power. Offices must rotate among the zones of the country and within a state, among all the Senatorial Zones. For us, we went with a lot and we are satisfied with what we are going back with. The Confab, which is made up of eminent men and women took a decision to place a recommendation that the number of states in the Southeast be increased by one to bring them at par with at least five other zones. This means that the other zone, which is the North West, will has seven states, and every other zone will have six. That feeling of injustice was actually done by the military because in their reckless fiat, they created a number of states without really caring about the consequences and left us with a baggage, which has left a sour taste in the mouth. I am glad the way the conference handled it, placed a separate recommendation and the day it was passed, it was thunderous, and virtually nobody said 'no' and as soon as that was passed, most of the delegates, (not Igbo's) got up and started singing "Enyi Mba Enyi" and "Igbo Kwenu, Igbo Kwenu" rent the air and we were all happy, we are all proud. That is the major thing we are going back with, all the other issues, are issues affecting every other zone. So to a large extent, I can say that the major package the Southeast went to the Conference with has been achieved. The issue on regionalism was initiated by the Southwest and we bought into it, and unfortunately that quest did not pass through the committee and plenary levels, because most people did not understand why they should go back to where they were about 50 years ago. Most people said, that means we go back to the Regional Headquarters of Enugu, Ibadan, Kaduna or Benin. That is what most people understood it to mean. Those in Bornu said, "why should we go there," those in Lagos said, "we were never part of zones, so why should we go there, we reject it," those in Ebonyi State did not want anything about regions and those from the South-south did not even understand what it means. What would you say are the gains therein for Nigeria? For Nigeria, we have federating units now to have more states created to balance all the zones, so that they all will have nine states each; that is a very good one. The rational was that no zone should be more than the others and since we have one zone that has seven states, and there were other requests for more states, that was how we recommended the creation of additional 18 states in order for each zone to have nine states. But if the National Assembly or any other body thinks that nine states per zone is much, they can leave all zones at eight or at least seven states each. What about issues of devolution of powers and the responsibilities between federal and states? Believe you me, the work load in four months is really intimidating, there are 20 committees and we had to look at virtually every issue in this country; from transport to agriculture, we looked at the environment, the judiciary and so on. Nigerians know that this is a make or mar conference and because we are not bound by all those constraints affecting the National Assembly, we were free and open. I know that at a point, we even had to send the Press away to discuss the Boko Haram issue and that was when people opened up. We found out that those of them who wouldn't have spoken if the Press were there freely said a lot of things and we are going away full of knowledge of what is actually happening. It is our job to go home and talk to others that this is the situation. On the issue of devolution of powers, it is the last report and actually the most contentious, I will say that we should just leave it as we had done. The committee did a very wonderful work and the plenary also modified many things. We are looking at government at the centre with fewer responsibilities, less funding, and having states with more funding and more responsibilities. We are saying local governments have no reason to start looking towards Abuja. It should be a creation of the states, to be handled by the states, but guaranteed by the Constitution. We are saying we don't want governors waking up one morning and sacking a chairman, that the chairman has guaranteed rights just like the governor. If Mr. President cannot sack the governor, why should the governor sack a local government chairman? That is how far we have gone. On the issue of funding for local governments, we set up a committee to propose a different funding mechanism where the federal government does not have the right to determine for a state. There is a committee handling it. In the past most governors simply get a chairman to sign that they have collected the money, whereas they have not seen the money. We are properly briefed on all those issues. Where does the debate go from here, considering that there is no enabling law yet for the Confab? That is the first issue we have to tackle, but we reserved it for the last. Our recommendations are in three phases. There are some that need legislation, some require policy and executive matter; there are some that are actually relating to the Judiciary. Starting from the Judiciary, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) has the power to issue what is called "Practice Direction." It is that Practice Direction that improves legal services among Judges, among lawyers. The CJN, who also gave us a position paper on Judiciary can implement without any ceremonies, all these things. For the executive, there are issues needing administrative execution, you do not need too much grammar, it is a policy matter. If you are talking of the Military or Police, that will need a brand new constitution for a State Police, which we have recommended. If you are talking of amending the constitution or enactment of any new act, that is for the federal legislature. There are some recommendations, which would go to the state legislature. In this case, once we finish and confirm everything we now deliver it to Mr. President who set us up. Now, the issue of referendum is actually something we have been demanding and Mr. President said when he inaugurated us on March 17, 2014, that he is in support of referendum and that the Constitution being amended by the National Assembly at the moment has provision for referendum. The 1999 Constitution does not have provision for referendum, but the one that will come into force any time from now will have that provision. This means that our report will be the first to go through a referendum, but through the National Assembly at any time they want to do an amendment. In fact, the new constitution is even saying, you can enact a new Constitution. President Jonathan told us to propose, draft and submit any bill we want. We can even submit a bill for a brand new constitution, it will go to him, and the President in his wisdom will then forward it to the National Assembly. I know that the present Assembly may have one or two grouses against us, but it doesn't matter. They are more interested in election, the primaries are coming up and I don't see them doing much. The next Legislative House may be the one to tackle Confab issues, but remember that these things are already documented. No other body than the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has the experience needed for the conduct of the referendum, INEC has the experience on nationwide issues. Some elements in the Southeast are still bent on freeing the Southeast from Nigeria. Do you think Biafra is still realisable? We didn't discuss that at the Confab, because Mr. President told us to discuss everything, except the break-up of Nigeria. As for those agitating for self-determination, I am not in their mind; anybody who has ever gone into agitation for self-determination is convinced about what he is doing, I cannot comment beyond that. Will Confab recommendations address grievances of the different ethnic groups in the country? Yes, the truth is that it will go a long way; first and foremost, pent-up anger has come out. When we came in, we came as if we were enemies but as we are departing, better informed, the grievances of people, the minorities, the majorities have been better treated. How about Boko Haram who have continued to unleash mayhem even as the Confab is ongoing? To be honest, many of us were sure we were objects of attack to Boko Haram. That was why we asked for executive session to discuss Boko Haram and we did that and also learned a lot. We are now better educated. Is it an Islamic affair? Is it a criminal affair or an attempt to destroy Jonathan's government or to split Nigeria? How did it start, who were the originators and their motives, who are the people fighting? Are they Nigerians or foreigners? These are some of the questions we asked ourselves. When you go to a market in Maiduguri, Kaduna, Kano or Nyanya and throw a bomb, is that bomb going to distinguish between Muslims and Christians? These are the mind-boggling things about Boko Haram. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Conference Backs Removal of Immunity Clause for Elected Executive Office Holders By Celestine Okafor, 13 June 2014 Abuja — Delegates to the on-going National Conference took a major step on Thursday towards the amendment of the 1999 Constitution when they overwhelmingly voted for the removal of immunity clause as enshrined in the Constitution. The clause, which has attracted unfavourable comments at every National or Constitutional Conferences, currently protects the President, Vice President; and state governors and their deputies from prosecution as long as they remain in office. However, except otherwise decided, by the resolution of the National Conference , both the President and their deputies can now be dragged to court over criminal and civil cases. The resolution was based on consideration of the report by the Committee on Economy, Trade and Investment headed by Hajiya Bola Shagaya with Fola Adeola as deputy chairman. Conference also resolved that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation should be made to pay prevalent interest rates on unduly delayed remittances to the federation account. The resolution was meant to discourage late or non-remittance of money by the corporation into the Federation Account for allocation to the different tiers of government as demanded by law. It was also resolved that government, the armed forces and the private sector should collaborate and invest in the development of a military industrial complex that can support Nigeria's defence needs as the largest economy in Africa. In a bid to attract patronage of goods produced in Nigeria, Conference urged the National Assembly to enact a law that would prohibit government from going abroad to source for goods that are available in Nigeria. The decision was meant to encourage promotion of campaign on locally produced goods so that Nigerians would be enticed to consume home made products. To prevent excessive personalization of policies and promote policy consistency, it was decided that government submits a Bill on National Participatory Development Process to the National Assembly, to be enacted into law. As a pro-gender policy, Conference asked government to provide a special fund for interest-free loans for women farmers, marketers, traders, transporters, and owners of rural cooperatives. It was also agreed that all banks should establish gender desks to ease the stress of borrowing by women. Government was also mandated to build fuel depots in remote areas and riverine communities where there is plenty of crude oil but no fuel to buy at affordable price. Delegates also voted for a reduction by 50% of the cost of tuition, books, equipment and hostel for all female students in secondary and post-secondary education. Conference said the Central Bank of Nigeria should establish a special interest regime of a single digit for industries and condemned situations where banks record billions of naira in profit yearly while the manufacturing sector dies. It was further decided that operators of micro, small and medium enterprises should be duly registered and provided with tax holidays of three years to relieve them of the burden of multiple taxation and enhance their productivity. In addition, local textile manufacturing industries were exempted from paying Value Added Tax (VAT) for three years while imported textiles should attract a levy of not less than 5% of the value of goods imported to boost the textile revival fund. In addition, it was recommended by the Conference that government should completely release the N100 billion budgeted for the cotton, textile and garment revival scheme through the Bank of Industry. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Conference Delegates in Shouting Match Over June 12 12 June 2014 Delegates at the National in Abuja threw decency to the winds at plenary on Thursday when they engaged themselves in a shouting match over a motion seeking to pay tribute to Nigerians who paid the supreme price fighting for actualisation of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election. The election was won by the late businessman turned politician, Moshood Kasimowo Abiola, but annulled by the then military government headed by Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, now a retired Army General. Citing Order 7, Rule 5, a South South delegate representing Cross River State, Orok Otu Duke, had moved that the Conference pay special tribute to the late Abiola and many others who died while struggling to claim the 1993 election mandate. Duke said: "I am moving this motion on a matter of urgent public importance. I want to say that June 12, 1993 election has become a watershed in our nation's political history. "We should not pretend as if it has not happened. We all know that Chief Moshood Abiola and many other Nigerians paid the supreme price fighting this course. "There is every need to pay special tribute to Abiola and those who died in the struggle." Hardly had he finished moving the motion when Naseer Kura, representing Civil Society Organisations, opposed the motion by engaging Duke in a shouting bout with 'No', 'No', 'No'! Other delegates immediately joined the fray. While some re-echoed 'No', 'No', 'No' refrain, others countered with 'Yes', 'Yes', 'Yes'! It took Chairman of the Conference, retired Justice Idris Kutigi, a long while to restore normalcy on the floor. While supporting the motion, an Afenifere chieftain and delegate Ayo Adebanjo, thanked Duke for reminding the delegates of the importance of June 12 election. He said the motion ought to have come earlier. Adebanjo argued that "the democracy we are enjoying today was as a result of the June 12 election" which made Nigerians to sit up and fight for democracy. Another delegate representing Jigawa State, Umaru Mohammed Hadejia, however, opposed the motion, saying the Conference has spent much time and could not continue to waste more on "frivolous issues". He said the Conference should avoid any distraction coming from any delegate so that it can continue with the business of the day, which was the consideration of the report of its Committee on Economy, Trade and Investment. Also, while supporting the motion, a delegate representing Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Isa Aremu, said "we should always remember June 12 and the acclaimed winner of that election, Chief MKO Abiola". Aremu also lamented that despite the lessons of June 12, "we are still having problems with our electoral system". Also supporting the motion, a Lagos based lawyer and delegate representing Federal Government, Mike Ozekhome, said "we should not be like people that have learnt nothing and forgotten nothing". He, therefore, suggested that the Conference should at least, observe a one minute silence for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives during the struggle for the actualisation of June 12. An Ijaw leader and a delegate representing Federal Government, Edwin Clark, who supported Ozehkome's position, said the May 29 Democracy Day is supposed to be observed on June 12 if not because of vested interests. He said "we must respect our heroes". Conference Chairman, Justice Kutigi, having consulted with other principal officers, then asked the Conference to rise and observe one a minute silence in the honour of those who lost their lives in the struggle for actualisation of June 12 election. Former Secretary to Government of Federation (SGF), Olu Falae, also spoke on the June 12, 1993 annulled election on Thursday, disclosing that the late military dictator Sani Abacha, in the wake of the crisis, called on him to renounce his membership of the opposition National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) for him to be released from detention. Falae, the joint Presidential candidate of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP) and Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 1999, stated this at the 2014 edition of the Oodua People's Congress (OPC) June 12 remembrance day at the Excellence Hotel, Ogba, Lagos. Falae, who was the Special Guest at the event, with the theme, 'June12: A Solution Model for 2015 Electoral Challenges', added that when he refused Abacha's offer, "he (Abacha) went further to promise to make me the Prime Minister when he becomes the President in the then proposed transition. "But I also refused to accept his offer despite promising to free me from detention. "I was not moved by all these promises; he wanted me to renounce my membership of NADECO, he said because I worked as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, so I was his colleague and I should opt out of the June 12 struggle but I told him it wasn't possible," Falae stated. Going down memory lane, the NADECO chieftain pointed out that the first June 12 anniversary was a sad one, while the next five years after saw many of them in detention. "Before MKO Abiola decided to vie for the office of the President, I have also contested for the position. "But Abiola was handed over to me single-handedly by some Yoruba leaders and I was told to take him to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for him to contest as the party's Presidential candidate and I willingly did this with a free and clean heart, and the rest is history. "What happened after the June 12, 1993 election, that is the annulment, was the beginning of political impunity and that is what is still affecting Nigeria till today. "When the crisis began, there was a lot of confusion and three of us wrote a speech for Abiola to claim his mandate because he won the election. "Former Governor of Kwara State, Cornelius Adebayo, Ayo Opadokun and myself had to write a speech for Abiola for him to claim his mandate, which contained the truth," Falae stated. While maintaining that June 12 was the benchmark for due process, he added that the day was a significant one in which there was no rain, chaos, crisis, "but they annulled the election and that is why everything is now going wrong in Nigeria today". "With the annulment of June 12, a great crime was committed against humanity and until justice and fairness is done, there can't be peace and progress. A fair God cannot bear unrighteousness," he added. He, however, expressed hope that the ongoing National Conference will bring back the glorious days that Nigerians used to have before it gained Independence. Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, on his part said the June 12, 1993 election presented Nigerians a veritable opportunity to right the wrongs meted to people by the military. He spoke on Thursday as guest lecturer on the theme, 'June 12: Lessons for Today's Democracy', at the event organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council, to mark the 21st anniversary of the annulled election. Ahmed, who was presented with the Democratic Crusader Award, said the occasion should be used as moment of sober reflection by Nigerians to elect quality leaders who demonstrate the willingness and capability to transform the country and restore its lost glory. "The situation that confronts us today calls for sober reflection. Today, we live in a society where you become a leader not because you are imbued with the right measure of leadership skills, understand the challenges facing our country and the concrete pathways to their solutions, but because you come from a certain region of the country or profess a particular religion. "The truth is June 12 has become a guide to where we are coming from, how we got to where we are today, where we are going to and what we need to get there," he said. Earlier in his welcome address, the chief host, Deji Elumoye, lamented that 21 years after June 12 and 15 years of uninterrupted democratic rule, recent events indicate that Nigeria is gradually descending to the June 12 era where the liberty of citizens were trampled upon by the military. He also condemned recent clampdown on the press by the military, describing it as autocratic. Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, said the late Abiola would have been in the All Progressives Congress (APC) if he were alive today. He spoke during a special prayer session to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election. The event, held at the Abiola's family house in Oke-Agbo, Abeokuta, was attended by some of the late politician's children, relatives and well-wishers. They included Abiola's younger brother, Mubashiru; son, Jamiu; daughter, Tundun; state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Abimbola Akeredolu; Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Yusuph Olaniyonu; and Iyalode of Egbaland, Alaba Lawson. Amosun, who was represented by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Taiwo Adeoluwa, extolled the virtues and democratic credentials of the late Abiola. According to the Governor, Abiola won the freest and fairest election in the country and further laid down his life for the democracy currently being enjoyed by all Nigerians. He submitted that Abiola would have been in the fold of the progressives if he were alive today, urging all stakeholders to work harder towards bringing the politician's dream to fruition. "June 12 was a day that all Nigerians abandoned religion, culture, tribe and united behind our symbol, Chief MKO Abiola. We are happy that Ogun State produced the second civilian President in Nigeria. "We should continue to work harder to bring Abiola's dream to fruition. Those of us who are alive have a duty to carry his message forward," he said. Adeoluwa said Amosun was away to Abuja like all APC Governors for the party's national convention. "If Abiola was alive today, he would most likely be in Abuja attending the APC convention," he added. One of Abiola's sons, Jamiu, said the only way the Nigerian government could immortalise his father is to eradicate poverty in the country. "The Nigerian government has started recognising him gradually but the most important thing is for Nigerian government to do what they can do to make the people comfortable. That is what my father fought for; he fought for the masses," he said. Also speaking, Tundun explained that her father would remain indelible in the minds of Nigerians due to his contributions to national development. National Coordinator of Oodua People's Congress (OPC), Gani Adams, called on Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, to take a cue from the way June 12, 1993 elections were organised. Adams stated this on Thursday at the event marking 21st anniversary of June 12. He urged Jega to try and adopt some of the strategies and incorporate them into his plans for the 2015 general elections. The OPC coordinator noted that part of what made the 1993 elections unique was its openness. He recalled that voters queued behind the candidate of their choice, leaving no room for anybody to rig the election. That system of voting, according to him, made Nigerians freely give their votes without any sense of insecurity. In Ibadan, civil society activists called for renaming of the Presidential Villa (Aso Rock) in Abuja after MKO Abiola. As the martyr of democracy, they reasoned, this is one of the ways to immortalise him. The activists, led by Mashood Erubami gathered at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, for the June 12 Anniversary Lecture organised by the Nigeria Voters' Assembly (VOTAS). The Federal Government was enjoined to join the list of expanding states celebrating June 12 anniversary throughout the country and declare the day as a public holiday in the country. While welcoming the audience, President/Convener of the VOTAS, Erubami, said the election held in 1993 "had become significant because of the principles inherent in its outcome which ostensibly remains the only means to achieving unity, good governance and value based society". He noted that "the significance of celebrating the anniversary of June 12 is foremost to use the date to caution on the underlying tragedies that may continue to befall the country if the government insists on not using the principles inherent in the day as a basis for running a people focused government. "Another purpose is to remind Nigerians that the cabals that misled the military are yet to advance reasons for violently upturning the genuine desire of Nigerians to live together in peace and unity. "To understand their diversities and live by them, constitutionally transit from military to civilian constitutional government, legitimise the process of transferring power among all ethnic nationalities and to build a virile nation where rule of justice will prevail and where no ethnic group will perpetuate the hold of power and oppress the other," Erubami said. In his remark, former Editor of the defunct 'Daily Times' newspaper, Areoye Oyebola, regretted that Nigeria is a country where anything goes, stressing that otherwise, what could have made the country jettison the electoral system that produced the annulled Presidency of MKO Abiola still adjudged the best in the nation's political history. Lamenting the evil done the country by the annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election after it was obvious that Abiola won it, the activist insisted that Nigeria would have become a world power had the winner of the election been allowed to savour the joy of his victory. Asking the present political players to be mindful of the prediction of an agency of the United States of America that Nigeria would disintegrate in 2015, Oyebola maintained that "we won't have Nigeria to talk about if election rigging is allowed". Similarly in Osun State, members of civil organisations and human right bodies trooped out en masse to mark the 21st anniversary of the June 12. The people who marched round major streets of Osogbo, the state capital, sensitised residents of the state on the significance of the June 12, declaring the day as "true democracy day". Coordinator of the rally who is also Special Adviser to the Governor on Public and Civil Matters, Waheed Lawal, while addressing the people, appealed the Federal Government to name national institutions after late Abiola for his contributions to the sustainability of democracy in the country. Lawal specifically mentioned University of Abuja and National Stadium to be named after Abiola, insisting that the late Abiola ushered in real democracy in the country. According to him, "President Goodluck Jonathan led federal government had sectionalised Abiola when he embarked on a failed attempt to name only the University of Lagos (UNILAG) after the acclaimed winner of the annulled 1993 election. "Over 140 million Nigerians trooped out on June 12, 1993 to cast their votes for Abiola. So, what the Federal Government is trying to do is to sectionalise June 12 when President Jonathan made attempt to name UNILAG after Abiola, but we are saying that Abiola won election in Nigeria and not Southwest alone, he won in the North, and East, he won everywhere. "The struggle for democracy by MKO wasn't a regional struggle. "Today, though we live in a civil political dispensation which was the product of the prolonged heroic struggle of the pro-democracy activist, trade unions and other democratic organisations, we regret to say that we are yet to attain genuine democracy. "Indeed, whatever semblance of democracy we may claim as being in existence in our land today is largely restricted by an authoritarian central government which is easily irritated by the slightest sign of democratic activities by citizens and the mass media." Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Joe Igbokwe, noted that since the annulled election Nigeria has not make any progress. Speaking to Daily Independent on the occasion of 21st anniversary of the election, Igbokwe lamented that when democratic governance was restored to the country in 1999, those that struggled and risked their lives for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate were schemed out of political arrangement of the country. This, he said, gave opportunity for those who did not know any thing about the struggle to take the reign of leadership of the country. "It is unfortunate that those who struggled for the actualisation of June 12 mandate were abandoned while those who didn't know any thing about June 12 are those in the corridors of power making lives difficult for common people today," he said. The APC spokesman stated that over 5,000 Nigerians, including the winner of that election, lost their lives in the course of the struggle, yet the government did not recognise their contributions. Igbokwe stated that the effect of the criminal annulment was terrorism and kidnappings that the country is now witnessing in almost every part of the country. "You see what is happening in Nigeria today; unemployment, poverty, kidnapping terrorism and all forms of crimes against humanity. These are some of the problems that June 12 election would have taken care of if the election was not annulled." Deputy Whip of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rotimi Abiru, expressed sadness that the country has not learnt anything from the annulled June 12, 1993 Presidential election. Abiru, who spoke in an interview in his office at the Assembly complex, said "June 12 episode is still held in high esteem because we know we held an election that was acclaimed to be free and fair but which was annulled". ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Confab - Delegates in Heated Debate Over Fuel Subsidy By Bode Gbadebo, 3 June 2014 Delegates at the on-going National Conference yesterday debated the desirability and otherwise of the much-touted Fuel Subsidy as they spoke either in support or against the complete removal of the subsidy as recommended by the Standing Committee on Public Finance and Revenue. The debate on the committee's report kicked off after delegates had resumed for the week following the death of the wife of the conference chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, on Wednesday last week. A total number of 147 delegates indicated interest to comment on the report and as at close of session yesterday evening only about 50 had spoken prompting adjournment and continuation of the debate today. Each delegate spoke with passion on why the Federal Government should either keep subsidising petroleum products for the public or why it should be removed. According to the report, as presented by the committee chairman Senator Adamu Aliero, subsidy on petroleum products was an avoidable major financial burden on the nation. It said between 2006 and 2007, subsidy accounted for 30% of government expenditure which translated to 118% of capital budget and 4.18% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It was also revealed that subsidy payment of N2.527trillion in 2012 and 2013 averaged N1.263trillion per annum and describing it as "a burden too heavy for the nation and its populace." The Committee stated that the situation was anomalous and encouraged smuggling; and that government resources which should have been used to undertake more developmental projects were being spent on subsidy, arguing that its removal will "most certainly" ensure product availability at all times and significantly mitigate illicit cross-border activities. The committee posited that the poor and the rural dwellers to whom the subsidy scheme was initially targeted were not reaping the benefits and its removal would encourage investments in refineries and the downstream sector. Those who argued against the removal of fuel subsidy as recommended by the committee said since constant power supply in the country was still a mirage, government should fix all the moribund refineries for local production of petroleum products before removing the subsidy. The opponents observed that criminal activities would increase nationwide if the removal was carried out since majority of artisans who rely on small power generating sets to do their business would be out of work. However, those in support of the removal of subsidy also presented appalling situations of wastages and high level corruption among both the fuel importers and corrupt government officials. They argued that continuous subsidization of fuel would amount to deliberate effort to enrich a few Nigerians at the expense of others; and that what was advisable would be to ensure judicious use of funds accruing from the subsidy removal. Final decision on the matter would be reached at today's plenary when delegates would consider each of the recommendations one after the other. Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has replaced the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, Ahmadu Adamu Mu'azu with Malam Ado Yakubu as one of the elder statesmen nominated to the conference. The information was conveyed to other delegates by the conference deputy chairman, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi yesterday. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Confab Committee Proposes Restructuring of Nigerian Economy By Bassey Udo, 29 May 2014 The committee on Economy, Trade and Investment at the ongoing National Conference, has proposed a drastic restructuring of the Nigerian economy from being consumptive to being a productive and people-centred economy. The committee said to reposition the economy for growth urgent steps should be taken to amend the relevant sections of the 1999 constitution. With the amendment, all appropriation bills sent to the National Assembly by the president, or state Assemblies by the governors, must be accompanied by the Medium Term Plan or Plan compatibility statement detailing deviations from the previous year's budget implementation. Besides, the committee proposed the enactment of the National Revenue Bill every year prior to the Appropriation Act, to ensure that any excess revenue beyond that in the Act be retained in the Federation Account and not distributed among the three tiers of government. Such retained excess revenue, the committee said, should be used exclusively to finance capital projects and programmes included in the next year's budget. To ensure effective implementation of the proposed arrangement, the committee said the National Planning Commission be converted to Federal Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, with the Vice President as the minister. Equally, the Budget Office of the Federation should be returned to the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development. The committee called for the monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC, cycle to be changed to weekly to check the volatility associated with wholesale liquidity withdrawal of revenue by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC for the monthly meetings. "Government fiscal operations associated with the management of FAAC produce devastating shocks, which adversely affect interest rate administration, exchange rate stability and control of inflation," the committee noted. The committee traced these shocks to the commercial banks that serve as revenue collection agents for the NNPC, by keeping the revenues collected till the end of the month before paying the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN in bulk. It said because of the huge volume of the revenues involved, the financial system usually suffers from perennial shortages, which raise interest rates during the period. "After the sharing of the revenue during FAAC, the share of the states and Local Governments returned to the system causes excess liquidity, resulting in speculative attacks on the Naira and putting pressures on the exchange rate," the committee noted. To mop up the excess liquidity, it said the CBN usually issues treasury bills at high interest rates through the open market operation, OMO, pointing out that the monthly FAAC allocations and patterns of disbursements were a major cause of excess liquidity and short term interest rates swings in the money markets. The situation, as currently managed, the committee noted, was responsible for the high cost and inadequate supply of financing to both private and public sectors investments as well as instability in the macro-economic stability in the country. On cost of governance, the committee noted that the high cost was adversely impacting on the utilization of public resources and its overall development, as the bulk of the annual budget is spent on recurrent expenditure, leaving little or nothing for capital projects. To redress the situation, the committee recommends a drastic cut in the number of political appointees and aides, while elected members of the legislature at all levels of government should be made to serve on part-time basis. Similarly, ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs should be streamlined to avoid duplication of functions and unnecessary cost outlay, while government must ensure strict compliance with the procurement Act in the award of contracts to avoid high projects costs. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Restructuring - We'll Drive Away Igbo Delegates If... - - Ikokwu By CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, 27 May 2014 interview SECOND Republic politician, former Anambra State Chairman of the defunct Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Guy Ikokwu, in this interview said Nigeria should be restructured and derivation increased to at least 25 per cent to accelerate development in the country. On 13 per cent derivation controversy It should be noted that at independence, our constitution gave the regions 50 per cent derivation from the resources from their own area whether agricultural or mineral. It was the military that progressively moved the percentage down to 13 per cent and there were negotiations in the last few years to move it to 25 per cent while the Niger Delta kept insisting on 50 per cent derivation. If the percentage is increased to 50 per cent it will apply to resources in the six geo political zones of the federating units as was the case at independence. Any resolution between 25 and 50 per cent has to be properly reasoned out for the benefit of the federating units. We all know at the moment that the oil resources are fast depleting and the 50 per cent derivation principle which will apply to other mineral resources in other parts of the country and also to the agricultural and other resources will certainly generate more revenues to each of the geo political zones. On restructuring of the country: If the Conference fails to recommend the restructuring of the country then we shall be going back to status quo ante, which calls for a proliferation of states which will be no less than 50 in number. This will increase the level of corruption in the country and reduce capital development exercises because of the enormous expenses involved in the presidential system and the dictatorship of the executive governors and presidency which means that the country will not have true federalism for decades to come. It should be clearly noted that if this conference fails to restructure the country, then the adage of 'to your tents oh Israel' will become a truism for Nigeria. The prediction for chaos for 2015 would be realized and it is therefore hoped that the present level of insecurity in the country is not a prelude for the 2015 cataclysm. According to old age long parlance "A stitch in time saves nine". Let us restructure our country now from unitary federalism to true federalism with the devolution of powers to the six geo political federating units. His confab expectations There are very strong indications that the National Conference shall in the next 30days resolve some of the salient issues that will make or break the conference. Some of the cardinal issues to be resolved are very few whereas the rest can be resolved on a consensual basis now that the 20 committees have submitted their reports. With regard to the structure of Nigeria, there are two main view points; one is for the retention of existing or more states and for the amendment of the existing constitution by the National Assembly. The other view-point is for the present six geo-political zones to have increased regional powers, in this way the present Federal powers will be drastically reduced and we shall be implementing true federalism. This issue will now go for referendum under a new law. This issue of true Federalism has haunted Nigeria for the past 50 years during which our constitution and political structure have been militarized to the point where we now have what is referred to as Unitary-Federalism. The leaders of the six geo-political zones have held several internal meetings with their people and are supposed to represent what is in their best interest. The people of the South-East geo-political zone who are mainly Igbo have unmistakably opted for a zonal arrangement with increased powers and devolution from the centre in Abuja. In this way the zone can deal with a myriad of problems such as infrastructure, education, job creation, health, energy, security and overall wellbeing of her people. Capital resource capability It is up to the zone to have as many states as it requires for its administration, while enhancing its capital resource capability. The Ohanaeze, Igbo Leaders of Thought, The Aka Ikenga, Ndigbo Lagos, Igbo Youth Movement, Igbo traders and peasant groups, MASSOB, and Igbo elite all have come to the irrevocable conclusion that Nigeria has to be restructured now on the basis of the six zones being the federating units of the country. This will enable each zone to develop at its own pace and to establish its own criteria. On South-West demand for regional autonomy It is gratifying to note that the Yoruba South-West zonal group agrees on this zonal restructuring arrangement; likewise the South-South, which maintains that this new structure will be the best for Nigeria. We also understand that the North Central zone comprising more ethnic groups than the other zones believes that this new arrangement will enhance their viability rather than within the numerous unviable state structures which they have presently. The other two zones: North-West and North-East, which are heavily dependent on the present centralized unitary-federalism will certainly be better off, when their zones have greater power to look after their interests as they would be more endowed than most West African states of the moment. We want to make it clear that individual delegates from the South-East, who frustrate such restructuring of Nigeria on zonal lines, had better stay back in Abuja and not attempt to come back to the South-East. It should be noted that once the restructuring on zonal lines is agreed matters like derivation; immunity; Local government; budgetary provisions for capital and recurrent expenditure; security; elections; nationality and indigenship; foreign affairs; customs; aviation; religion; national and zonal legislature; judiciary and others can be easily resolved consensually or otherwise. The present cost of running this country has to be reduced drastically for developmental purposes. One major issue which obviously follows the restructuring is the preference of a Parliamentary system over the Presidential system which is very expensive and enhances massive corruption as we have witnessed in Nigeria since its inception by the military. The Governors of the zonal government should be elected as the assembly men are and would have their seats in the zonal assembly. Zones should either have more states without local councils or create councils with part time councilors and minimal expenses, without Executive Governors as we have now. The current looting of the treasury at the state or zonal level will be drastically reduced. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: True Federalism - Our Only Condition to Remain in Nigeria - Yoruba Groups By Olasunkanmi Akoni, 24 May 2014 Leadership of the Yoruba Assembly in Lagos has made a passionate demand for regional autonomy, saying it is the minimum condition for Yourubas to remain in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They also reiterated demand on special status for Lagos, which they said would continue to be the economic nerve centre of Nigeria and the West Africa, hence, there should be appropriate budgetary provision that is part of the First Line Charge in the federation account. The groups include Afenifere Renewal Group, O'dua Foundation, O'dua Nationalist Coalition, Afenifere Youth Forum, Atayese, Agbekoya Reformed Society and Coalition for O'dua Self-determination Group, among others. The ethnic group made the demands at a joint news conference addressed at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, Lagos on Monday. National Secretary, Chief Ayo Afolabi and Chairman of Atayese Yoruba Group, Chief Tokunbo Ajasin, who read the text of the conference theme: "Regional Autonomy... or Nothing" on behalf of other ethnic groups, acknowledged that it was inconceivable that northern leaders "are the ones leading the campaign against devolution of power and restructuring of government." The ethnic group said it was baffled at the take-it-or-leave-it attitude of delegates from other ethnic nationalities, particularly the Northern delegates at the on-going National Conference, who circulated a document full of fallacies few weeks ago claiming that the North "has about 80 percent of Nigerian population and that its resources were used to develop oil sectors." It therefore said, if any region in the federation "needs a stronger federating unit with greater capacity to provide education, health, security, wealth creation and other social amenities, it is the North where strong links exist between the level of poverty and conscription of innocent youths into extremist tendencies." According to the ethnic group, it appears Northern leaders were not concerned, and indeed have no plan for the teeming youth from the region, as long as they are able to continue clinging to their hold on power. Canvassing regional autonomy, the group stressed, was the most viable instrument for a stronger and united Nigeria, noting that the Yoruba People of Nigeria would not accept anything less than what it called minimum demands. They demanded that states in Yoruba land "want a regional government with its own constitution and unfettered political and fiscal autonomy, except on issues it agrees to cede to the federal government." The ethnic group also declared that the South-west geopolitical region "must include all Yoruba people outside the imposed artificial boundaries in Edo, Delta, Kogi and Kwara States." Part of its demands includes; a negotiated legislative, exclusive, concurrent and residual list; unicameral legislature at the center; details of the Regional legislature shall be clearly set out in the constitution; parliamentary form of government at the center; and the right to self-determination on and up to the right to secede. Other demands include a just and equitable taxation system that "will treat the federating units with equality and better coordination at the federal level in order to eliminate the current rentier syndrome and fiscal federalism and resource control. "A system whereby a substantial part of the proceeds accrue-able from every federating unit will be retained and an agreed percentage contributed to the center by the federating units for the responsibility of the Federal government." The group demanded establishment of regional police and a new people's constitution, which the resolutions and conclusions of the 2014 National Conference shall lead "to an autonomous constitution that is a home-grown and all inclusive draft that shall be submitted to the Nigerian electorate voting in a Referendum. They, however, said: "We are not enforcing our demands on others. They are free to explore whatever suits them while we should be free to organise our governance the way it suits us." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Wole Soyinka - 'We Must Respond to Those Who Feel They Have a Divine Right to Mess Up Our Lives' By Magnus Taylor, 9 May 2014 Wole Soyinka is 80 this year and has long inhabited that illustrious pantheon of African literary greats, the Godfather of whom was the late Chinua Achebe. But Soyinka achieved something that his contemporary, Achebe (whose frail health in later years made him seem like a much older man), never did: in 1986 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, the citation reading: "[he] in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence." With his resplendent, silver afro giving him the most iconic profile in Nigeria, when Soyinka talks, and he does so in long, gravelly sentences, you listen. And whilst his most famous dramatic works may be substantially metaphysical in theme, his current outlook seems more forcefully political. Or perhaps this is a product of what his admirers and questioners most want to talk about: how do we solve the 'problem(s)' of Nigeria? When, in reality, Wole might prefer to ponder the mysteries of the universe, the audience the RAS' 'Africa Writes' lecture last night brought him firmly back down to earth. And the problem-du-jour in Nigeria is currently quite clear: the case of the 300 school girls kidnapped by the islamist group Boko Haram from a small town in the country's northeastern Borno state. The imaginative #BringBackOurGirls campaign has galvanized a previously ambivalent international community to pay attention to a conflict that was formerly viewed as a parochial 'Nigerian problem'. One gets the feeling that even in Nigeria the insurgency in its poor northern regions has been viewed as something that could be effectively contained and had little impact on the oil-rich southern states. Soyinka, however, seeks to dispel the notion that 'Boko Haramism', as he calls it, is a spontaneous, temporary and isolated problem: "it is a product of decades old political tactics". Over the last twenty years, "religion has become mixed with politics to create a toxic brew". Relations between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria have deteriorated as politicians sought grassroots support to buttress their own power. Mixed with the international rise of conservative islam after the Iranianian revolution, "people [politicians] became surrogate ayatollahs in their little religious ponds." Soyinka links this rise of religious radicalism with another blight of modern Nigeria: impunity. This word is often associated with a failure to prosecute powerful individuals guilty of corruption. However, Soyinka argues that it extends far beyond this to include those who engage in violent sectarian action - beatings and lynchings - in the name of religion, and survive unpunished by the legal system. "Boko Haramism", says Soyinka, "began with the culture of impunity on religious grounds." Soyinka asserts that "When the first northern governor declared his state theocratic we should have said 'No!... but the President, seeking an unconstitutional third term, needed votes from the north." But whilst Boko Haram may have its origins within the 'Almajiri' foot soldiers of northern politicians, something then happened that they did not expect. The foot soldiers turned on their political mentors, forming the wild and uncontrolled movement we see today. The insurgency has now grown beyond the capacity of the Nigerian state to control. The government and army "cannot handle it" and perhaps, should not even be expected to: it is "the responsibility of the global community. A crime against humanity has been committed." Soyinka calls for a new generation of Nigerians, artists or otherwise, to step up and accept leadership, for his time has now passed. It is the task of a new generation to "respond to those who think they have a divine right to mess up our lives." But in truth, few have the wit, energy and wisdom of Soyinka to address such a problem in so convincing a style. Wole may be nearly 80, but he is certainly not done yet. Magnus Taylor is Editor of African Arguments -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Delegate - Problem With Nigeria Is Leadership By Chuks Okocha, 2 May 2014 Elder statesman and a delegate to the National Conference, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, has identified leadership as one of the major problems affecting Nigeria as a nation. He stated that unless it is addressed, Nigeria would continue to lag behind countries that it started with as a sovereign nation from independence. Yakassai in a memorandum he submitted to the conference Committee on Political Restructuring said central to the issue of governance is the role of leadership. According to the 87-year-old delegate from Kano State, "Leadership at any level is crucial because by definition, it is the driving force of a group or any organisation. In government, great leadership requires a great vision, which inspires the leader to inspire the nation and set it on the path of greatness. "A leader must have vision that would inspire and mobilise his people to achieve objectives of government. He must set great goals. One of the greatest elements of leadership is the ability to think big, dream great dreams and set high targets. For a leader to lead effectively, he must be visionary... have foresight into the future and above all, have the capacity to translate his vision into reality and achievements. And that is the crux of the matter. "The problem with governance in this country over the years, like all other problems that we have, in the words of late Chinua Achebe, is wholly and squarely a leadership problem. A great leader would inspire his people to think big and achieve greatness. "An incompetent leader on the other hand will reduce the size of government to the level of his ambition and his capacity. Former president of the United States of America, Richard Nixon, did a study of contemporary world leaders and came to the conclusion that most of the successful leaders of his acquaintance "have been highly intelligent, highly disciplined, hardworking, supremely self-confident, driven by a dream, driving others, all have looked beyond the horizon. Some have seen more clearly than others." He explained that these qualities were not circumscribed by geography, creed or colour, adding that issues of governance are basically the same all over the world, Nigeria cannot therefore be an exception. However, Yakassai explained that: "But with us, the exception has almost become the rule, especially since the return to the current democratic dispensation in 1999. Progressively, our country seems to have been afflicted by leadership deficiency. Ill-prepared, ill-equipped candidates get "elected" or rigged into offices using security agencies and the electoral umpire to conpose results. "Winners from such elections are immediately confronted with the issues of governance, for which they are ill prepared and unqualified. They spend almost the first term learning the rudiments of office. No real governance takes place. What we get is the symbol and appearance but not the substance. "The constitution provides spheres of influence for the three arms of government: executive, legislature and the judiciary. Unfortunately, those who should serve as check on the executive have today become appendages of the executive because that is the arm that holds the purse. Without checks and balances, there can be no guarantee of good governance. "In fact the absence of checks and balances breeds corruption and the culture of impunity that have today defined how we are governed." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Conference Secretariat - Why We Extended Sitting By Onyebuchi Ezigbo, 2 May 2014 The National Conference Secretariat has said the extension of the duration of the national dialogue by one week was to enable its committees to make up for the loss time caused by the break-off in their sitting days between May 5 and 8 in order to make way for the World Economic Forum. In a statement issued by the Assistant Secretary, Media and Communication, Mr. Akpanden James, the secretariat said the federal government did not extend the duration of the National Conference by six weeks. "If there is need for an extension, a request for that would emanate from the conference secretariat to the presidency, and as at the time of issuing this statement, no such request has been made to the presidency and the secretariat is not aware of any formal extension of the conference duration by the federal government," it said. The statement noted that as part of its engagement with the delegates, the leadership of the conference had a meeting with the chairmen, co-chairmen and deputy chairmen of the 20 standing committees to keep abreast with the activities of the committees and also find out if there are challenges that the intervention of the secretariat would be required. It explained that during the meeting, most of the committee chairmen had complained of the shortness of time for committee work, citing the heavy workload and relevant assistance they would require from external sources to do a thorough job. "It was then agreed that one extra week should be added to enable the committees tidy up their activities and present meaningful reports. "However, since the following week beginning from May 5 to 8 (sitting days), will see Abuja hosting the World Economic Forum, and because some delegates, and facilities used for the National Conference will be involved and engaged respectively for the economic forum, the week following from May 12 to 15 was consequently approved for the extension, for conclusion of committee work. "As a follow-up to that agreement, the conference Secretary, Mrs. Valerie-Janette Azinge, formally communicated the decision to all committee chairmen on April 30. "It must be emphasised that the conference secretariat lacks the power to extend the conference duration and has made that position very clear at every point the issue is raised. The Conference Chairman, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, had similarly told the committee leadership on Monday that if it "becomes absolutely necessary" to have an extension of time, a formal request would be made to the relevant authorities, and the secretariat will only act when express approval is granted," the statement added. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Confab - Standing Committees Resume Fireworks Today By Amina Alhassan Ahman, 28 April 2014 RelThe 20 Standing Committees of the National Conference will today resume fireworks on the thematic issues under the purview of their assignments as they are expected to wind up deliberations on Wednesday this week. The committees are deliberating on specific national issues after which they will make recommendations to the conference at plenary on Monday next week. A statement by the National Conference assistant secretary, media and communications, James Akpandem at the weekend, said the Committee on National Security headed by a former Inspector-General of Police, Muhammadu Gambo Jimeta, spent hours last week in closed session deliberating on a report submitted by Senator Bello Maitama Yusuf-led sub-committee on National Security. Deputy chairman of the Committee and former Director-General of the defunct Nigerian Security Organisation (NSO), Chief Albert Horsfall, was said to have described the report as a preliminary document that would enable the Committee come up with a blue-print which would in turn enable the security forces to perform better than they are doing now. "He expressed confidence that the report if adopted, would guide the operational commanders in carrying out their assignment successfully. "Horsfall went down memory lane on critical security challenges and linked them up with the existing security practice and architecture; he pointed out that what is available today can be restructured to meet today's present challenges. He cited situations that brought about security changes all over the world; and using the September 9, 2011 attack on the United States as an instance, said that attack changed the structure and approach to national security worldwide," Akpandem said. The secretariat said serious recommendations aimed at 'strategically dealing with the country's security problems' were put forward by the National Security sub-committee but such details and the position of the main Committee were not disclosed to the public. However, highlights of the sub-committee's recommendations touched on the need to set up a National Guard Force that would be responsible for border protection, internal conflict and special operations. It also, among others, recommended the creation of the Ministry of Homeland Security Services to replace the existing Ministry of Police Services. "One recommendation that would lead to further debate was that of the serious need for community policing. Some members believe if accepted, it would pave the way for creation of state police," Akpandem said. Meanwhile, in a Memorandum presented to the Committee on Law, Judiciary and Human Rights and Legal Reforms last week by Mr Femi Falana (SAN), he recalled that Sharia and Customary courts were not in the 1963 Republican Constitution. He therefore suggested that the courts be removed from the 1999 Constitution and should be legislated upon by State Governments. In reaction, a member referred to Section 6 of the Constitution and observed that the courts were listed as Courts of Record. He added that if Nigeria will allow full implementation of true Federalism, the Federating Units would eventually take over legislations on issues relating to Sharia and Customary Courts. However, after extensive deliberations, it was unanimously resolved that the status quo remains. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Confab - Insecurity, Devolution of Power, Regionalism, Others Top Agenda 22 April 2014 DELEGATES will today break into 20 standing committees on issues relating to national security, federalism, devolution of power, regionalism, indigeneship, state creation, roles for traditional rulers, minority rights, ethnic nationalities, revenue allocation, resource control, corruption and immunity clause, among others, expected to dominate at the national confab. Meanwhile, according to the Work Plan of the Conference, which was approved, last week, the committees' work will begin today and end on Wednesday, April 30. Deliberations on the various committee reports will resume on May 12 and last till May 15. Between May 19 to 29, the Conference Secretariat, working with the Report Drafting Committee, will put the report together and present such to the conference in plenary. The work plan states that consideration and adoption of draft reports by the conference in plenary will start on June 2 and end on June 12, after which the final report would be produced and signed between June 16 and 19. As delegates resume from Easter break today, the leadership of the conference through the Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications, Akpandem James, in a statement, yesterday, announced a change of venue for the committees from Sheraton Hotel and Towers to Nicon Luxury Hotel. The National Judicial Institute, NJI, will remain as one of the venues. Delegates had been urged to resume at the committees as they come back from Easter break. Akpandem James said: "National Conference Chairman and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Kutigi, GCON, has announced a change of venue for some of the standing committees, as deliberations at the committee level begin tomorrow, Tuesday, April 22, 2014. "While Committees 1 to 10 will hold their sessions at the NJI, Committees 11 to 20 hitherto scheduled to sit at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers will now hold their sessions at the NICON Luxury Hotel, near the International Conference Centre, Abuja. "The change in venue for the second set of committees became necessary when it was obvious that the venue announced earlier will not be available for the number of days envisaged. While apologising to the delegates for the sudden change, delegates were enjoined to go straight to their respective venues as they resume from the Easter break. Nigeria: Confab Delegates Protest C'ttees' Composition BY HENRY UMORU AND JOESPH ERUNKE, 17 APRIL 2014 Abuja — IT was a stormy session, yesterday, at the Andrews Otutu Obaseki Auditorium, venue of the ongoing National Conference, as delegates protested the composition of membership of the 20 standing committees, complaining that there was no fairness and equity in the appointment of chairmen and deputy chairmen of committees. Women delegates were also not left out as they protested against the chairmanship of committees, alleging that they were not justly treated and that only few women were appointed into chairmanship positions unlike their men counterparts. Since the commencement of the conference, delegates never had it this rowdy as their protests, at the end of the day, marred composition of committees released by the secretariat of the National Conference. Some delegates shouted and accused the conference Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, of giving preference to delegates he considered superior to others. At the resumed plenary yesterday, where the issue of committee composition was tabled for debate, majority of the delegates disagreed with the Conference Secretariat on the composition of committees. Shortly before taking complaints from delegates on the issue, the conference Chairman pleaded with delegates that since time was not on their side again, having spent a month out of the three months period required for the assignment to be completed, there was the need for work to be done and show something to Nigerians to justify why they were at the conference. "One month is already gone out of the three months we were given by the President for this assignment and we have to produce something for Nigeria to justify our stay here," he had pleaded. Delegates did not listen to his plea, as they started raising up their hands to protest over what they called the inability of the Conference Secretariat to allot them their preferred committees. It was at this point that Kutigi shouted at delegates, stressing the need for respect for one another. Apart from being denied their preferred committees, the delegates complained that most committees they considered more juicy were allotted to delegates considered superior to others. A delegate from Edo State, Charles Edosomwan (SAN), who observed that delegates were not chosen in their areas of professionalism, suggested that they should be asked to submit memoranda to committees they feel they were relevant so that their interests can still be considered. On his part, Mr. Abu Clifford, a delegate from the youth organisation, protested that 18 of those representing Nigerian youths were not spread across the 20 committees and demanded that they should be spread across the committees, else they would take a decision. Princess Rabiu Ibrahim, a delegate from women organisation, protested that gender issue was not taken into consideration as women were not properly placed as chairmen of committees like their men counterparts, saying such was not in line with the 35 percent affirmative action which the country was preaching. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Akpandem James reports ] – 1. Delegates focus on true federalism: The call for restructuring of Nigeria into true federalism with the different geo-political zones serving as federating units received further boosts on Wednesday as different delegates across different states harped on it. Presided over by the Conference Chairman, retired Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, GCON, the session was a continuation of the debate and comments on the speech presented on March 17 by President Goodluck Jonathan when he inaugurated the Conference. Former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, who advocated regionalism, openly prayed that Nigeria would not go the way of other countries of the world that started as one but had to split into parts along the way. Describing the President’s speech as epochal and momentous, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, said the President has set the tone for the Conference and that the burden was on the delegates to stop bickering and think Nigeria. Speaking on the issue of religion, he said: “I am of a Muslim family; my father and my mother were Muslims. In my house, we have as many Muslims as we have Christians and I send many of them to Mecca on the Hajji as one of the five pillars of Islam. We don’t discriminate. “I want to ask a question: why are we suddenly discriminating against ourselves. Religion is being used, as Karl Marx once said, as opium of the masses to oppress the people. It is by the elites of our people. “What is going on in the north east of Nigeria does not seem to concern many of us because we are in the comfort of our homes either in Abuja, or in Lagos, or in Port Harcourt or in Enugu….” Citing a portion of the Holy Quran, he said when the people of Mecca wanted Prophet Mohammed to worship their gods, he told them, “I worship not that which you worship nor do you worship that which I worship. Do not expect me to worship that which you worship nor should I expect you to worship that which I worship. To you your religion and to me my religion. “Let us be united, let us have true fiscal federalism and every other thing shall be added to us. Let us have true devolution of power and strip the federal government of too much power.” On the outcome of the conference, he said the decisions contained in the final report must be subjected to a referendum so that people would have a say on their constitution “because the process of the constitution is as important as the content of the constitution.” Professor Kimse Okoko, former national president of Ijaw National Congress, said the speech by Jonathan was consummate, patriotic and portrayed potential elements for change. While advocating fiscal federalism, Okoko said the 1999 Constitution was fraudulent in every aspect because with so much power being vested at the centre, it created rooms for avoidable wrong doings. Senator Anietie Okon in his comments said the Conference has the potentials to lay the foundation and building blocks towards resolving certain national and local contending issues. While advocating devolution of power with the zones serving as federating units, Okon said the reason for non-functionality of government is that the central government has become too unwieldy. He urged the Conference to do justice to the expectations of Nigerians. Senator Femi Okurounmu who had earlier chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Conference observed that for Nigeria to return to the path of growth and wholesome values, “we must wipe away all the negative imprints of military rule; we must return to federalism and a balanced federal structure. “The centre must devolve powers to the federating units which are large enough to effectively wield the powers which are to be devolved. The present six geo-political zones or the original 12 states created by Gown are ideal for this purpose.” He said if corruption is to be curbed and accountability restored to governance, “we must jettison the so-called presidential system and return to the parliamentary system under which our nation set the pace in growth and development even for today’s Asian Tigers.” Okurounmu advised the Conference not to clamp itself under constraints that were not imposed by the President; he advised against sending the outcome of deliberations must not be sent to the National Assembly. The delegate said to send it there will defeat the goal of building a new, just and equitable society “because the National Assembly itself is one of those institutions which, as presently constituted, is heavily skewed in favour of some sections of the country and against others.” For Ezinwa Okoroafor, the National Conference provides a sincere opportunity for inter-generational handshake; explaining that while the elders should provide leadership based on experience, the youth should provide the energy required to push the nation forward. Miliscent Okonkwo declared unequivocally: “we have to succeed this time,” adding that everyone must think beyond ethnic box and place Nigeria above everything else. A lawyer, Festus Okoye, informed the Conference of the need to analyse what happened in the past to be able to plan for today and today because as he put it, yesterday has a lot of bearing on what we plan today for tomorrow. He said some of the delegates at the Conference were internally displaced from their own states by insurgency and that the security problem facing the country today could be traced to the inability of policy makers to develop a comprehensive national security system. Citing President Jonathan as example, Gabriel Okoye said courage is what good leaders are made of and that the President has demonstrated courage both in his speech and in action. He said those of them in the Diaspora were desirous of voting in every election and suggested establishment of Diaspora Commission by the federal government would help in that regard. Okuniyi Olawale said the Conference, with the caliber of people in attendance, should be able to give Nigeria a direction and stability. Olawale said each delegate must be determined to maximize the opportunity provided by the Conference for the growth of the nation instead of getting distracted by pettiness. One of the women delegates, Bisi Olagbegi informed the Conference that Nigerian women have been treated with ignominy for too long and structured out of relevance. She pleaded that when issues are being discussed at the committee level, matters concerning women and the abuse and neglect of children should be given serious consideration. Okon Osung from Akwa Ibom State raised the issue of resource control and environmental pollution and demanded that both be accorded desired consideration during committee discussions. He painted realistic picture of environmental degradation caused by gas flaring and coastal erosion as a result of the unguarded activities of oil companies in the Niger Delta. Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, in his contribution, said the existence of Nigeria as a nation has been destroyed by past leaders, especially the military; adding, “We need to tell ourselves the home truth.” Retired Major General Paul Omu told the conference that the 1999 Constitution required some tinkering to enable it meet the desired needs of the people. He dismissed as untrue the notion that the military be held responsible for the backwardness of Nigeria explaining that for every military coup in Nigeria, politicians and civilians are always accomplices. President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Michael Olukoya lamented that 85% of the delegates who must have benefitted from public primary school education needed to be told what has happened to public schools in Nigeria. He said delegates must rise from the Conference with the determination to revamp public schools although, as he put it, most of the people no longer believe in public schools. Professor Akeem Oyebode described the federal system operated in Nigeria as caricature. He said the Conference must take steps to re-configure, re-invent and re-launch Nigeria. He said the question of federation remains critical to the country, “the military killed federation because federation and military are strange bedfellows.” ________________________________ 2. Journalists Challenged To Put the Nation First Journalists covering the on-going National Conference in Abuja have been advised to be sensitive to Nigeria’s diversity and idiosyncrasies as expressed at the Conference and aim towards building a truly united and cohesive country. Veteran journalist and a delegate to the Conference, Mr. Ray Ekpu, said in Abuja on Friday that journalists must first understand the purpose of the conference and report events with the understanding that Nigeria must come out of its present dilemma characterized ethnic and religious tension. Ekpu stated this at a one day media roundtable organized by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) for editors and correspondents covering the National Conference. He said, “I would like journalists to show extreme sensitivity about the tough issues that this Conference will have to deal with. “How they cover controversial issues such as ethnicity, religion, structure of government, resource control, fiscal federation, rotational presidency, devolution of powers, etc., will determine whether we want a united country or not.” Ekpu asked reporters to demonstrate patriotism, “show a little more sensitivity to the wrangling, the flashes of temper, the disputations and the partisan oratory that you may experience in the coverage of the Conference.” He said when this happens, “You will be contributing your own quota to the efforts that the Conference will be making to solidify the unity, cohesion and integration of the country.” Minister of Tourism and Culture, Chief Edem Duke described the Conference as the building block for the Nigeria of the future and that its success would no doubt reposition the country for accelerated growth and development. In this regard, he said the Nigerian media remain very critical in the effort in view of its proven capacity to inform, educate, mobilize and influence opinions; and that the Conference and what it stands for calls for a higher sense of patriotism and professionalism by the media. Duke said it must be understood that those calling for moderation in the coverage of the Conference are not calling for censorship. He explained, “The media has a professional responsibility to report all issues freely, fairly and objectively within the ambit and orbit of the law; however, what is paramount to all Nigerians in this Conference, is our national interest. “The issue of national interest is particularly germane to the coverage of proceedings of the National Conference because of the volatile and contentious issues at stake. “If arguments (on) the floor of the Conference are not carefully and professionally reported, they are capable of sending the wrong signals and igniting explosive reactions from members of the public. This will be a great disservice not only to the Conference but to the nation at large.” Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Mr. Mike Omeri said the media roundtable was put together to sensitise the media on the importance of their role as a veritable link between citizens and the National Conference. It was also meant, according to him, to re-emphasise the need for patriotic agenda-setting and promotion of national interest in media reportage of the Conference; and create a forum for exchange of ideas on the Conference between the media and officials of the Conference. He stated, “It is our firm belief at NOA that media coverage of the National Conference with objectivity and nationalism is the right thing to do, bearing in mind that posterity will judge us all by our contributions to nation-building at critical moments of our national history such as this.” Head of Media and Communication at the National Conference, Mr. Akpandem James, said the media roundtable was put together as a reminder to journalists that they have a role as a group and as a people entrusted with the responsibility of building a sound society. He appealed to journalists covering the Conference to do their job in such a manner that they are not harassed by people who may feel hurt by their reportage. He maintained that in such a large assembly of elders and young people, there would be incidents by the sides, “but I still appeal that we apply high sense of responsibility in what we do.” A traditional ruler, the Etsu Karu, Luka Panya Baba reminded journalists of their role as the mirror of the society and demanded that every report should be a fair and accurate representation of things that happened. “We see the media as the voice of the people. We depend significantly upon the media to be well informed about what is happening,” said the traditional ruler. Speaking on agenda-setting, Tunde Rahman, the managing editor of Western Post, said journalists at the Conference could force attention to certain issues in a systematic way by aggregating the views of the delegates on core issues. Such issues, he said include resource control, federalism, regional structure, devolution of powers, role of traditional rulers, among others; adding that journalists must be able to maintain a sense of balance between conflicting views and interests. He said unlike most of the delegates who have ulterior motives, “our interest as journalists, I think, must be the interest of the people, the survival of the nation. “I think that in the role of chroniclers of history and agenda setters, the media have assumed immense responsibilities for the next generation. This demands that we must be patriotic. We must eschew our prejudices about the Conference and keep an open mind.” Edith Ohaja of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said that journalists have a lot of latitude in Nigeria today to do what they consider to be morally justifiable and to publish what they consider important to the survival of the nation. She noted, “What they need is the willingness to act right, to see the desirability of pursuing higher goals in their work and to operate beyond the level of crass commercialism. “Journalists need to rekindle the nationalistic fervor through which the Nigerian press was birthed and nurtured and contribute to the emergence of a stronger, united and prosperous nation. “They cannot do this if they consistently promote the cause of rabble rousers and people seeking relevance and pretending to be mavericks and stirring endless controversies. “This is the time to make Nigerians proud of their journalists again as we were during the pursuit of independence and the fight by some media and activists to dismantle military dictatorship.” Another speaker at the roundtable, Joseph Ari said the media would create a lot of positive impact regarding the Conference if journalists paid attention to issues rather than personalities. He said most times, uncomplimentary utterances by delegates could be altered to change public opinion and to mobilize for national cohesion rather than divisive tendencies. Ari stated that although the Conference bears the main task of fostering national integration, peace and unity, “the configuration of a collective memory requires the involvement of the media to encourage consensus making.” ________________________________ 3. National Conference Ends Debate On President’s Speech Insecurity, corruption, women’s right and the rights of minorities took the centre-stage on Thursday as delegates to the 2014 National Conference rounded off debate and comments on President Goodluck Jonathan’s inaugural speech at the Conference. Also mentioned and debated was the call for the reintroduction of the on-shore and off-shore oil dichotomy which would deprived certain oil producing states of any revenue from oil exploration and exploitation carried out off-shore. However, Nsongurua Udombana, a professor of international law from Akwa Ibom State, shot down the suggestion on the grounds that no international law as cited by the speakers can dictate to a country what to do within its locality. He said instead, sections of the 1999 Constitution that vest authority on the central government with regard to the control of natural resources to the exclusion of the states where they are domesticated should be abrogated in the spirit of true federalism. Udombana stated that the problem of Nigeria was not lack of resources but inability of the leaders to successfully harness these resources for the benefit of the people. Mrs. Ramatu Bala Usman in her comments said the Conference must ensure that the 35% gender placement in public service and appointments in favour of women be enshrined in the Constitution so as to give it a legal backing. In addition, she asked for institutionalization of the roles of the spouse of the first citizen, either at the national or state level, whether man or woman, so that if a woman becomes the president of governor, the husband will have a constitutional role to play; and vice versa. Usman went ahead to demand a policy that would compel any new occupant of public office to ensure completion of projects and implementation of policies started by his predecessor before embarking on a new one. Maria Waziri from Kebbi state also spoke glowingly about the oneness of Nigeria and why women education should be given a priority by government at all levels. She said, “The oneness of this nation is absolutely beyond negotiation. I suggest strongly that we must not approach issues with suspicion. We must discuss freely in the overall national interest because Nigeria belongs to all of us. “I stand for oneness, for togetherness and for a stronger indivisible Nigeria which is at peace with its citizens based on mutual respect and understanding amongst our diverse people, irrespective of tribe, ethnic or religion. God has blessed Nigeria with great women; intelligent women; patriotic; determined and courageous women. We must give women more opportunities, collaborate with them and tap into their wonderful potentials. To do all these, women must be educated. “A widow in pains deserves consolation, not humiliation. The wicked act of throwing her out is ungodly, inhuman, outdated and wickedness. I condemn it with all my heart.” Professor Auwalu Yadudu took the delegates through memory lane on the issue of resource control and revenue allocation, debunking certain claims which he believes to be wrong. On his expectations, he said, “Conference must draw up a very clear road-map that spells out the necessary legal and institutional frameworks to guide the implementation of its resolutions. “All Conference resolutions requiring legal and constitutional expressions must be carried out in accordance with the 1999 Constitution and extant statutory provisions. “Conference must propose draft legislation for enactment and implementation by the National Assembly; policy proposals and options should go to the executive arm.” Tanko Yakassai expressed disappointment over non-effective implementation of the various laws against corruption and how corruption has been allowed to not only give the country a bad name, but create avenue for emergence of armed violence across the country. He said, “The fight against corruption has been largely unsuccessful due to the inability of bodies charged with that responsibility to ensure the judicial sanctioning or punishment of suspected offenders. “This has to an extent been due to the case glut in our judicial system thereby protracting corrupt-related cases.” Yakassai called for establishment of special courts for corrupt and other related offences; “This will provide the needed impetus to agencies charged with the responsibility of fighting this evil that has defied efforts geared towards eradicating its menace.” On the issue of true federalism and the return to regionalism, he proposed a reduction in the number of states from the present 36 to 12 adding that as things are now, “admittedly, this is a very difficult task to undertake…” Mr Achike Udenwa told the Conference that what would help the country in fighting corruption is for leaders to look back at the root cause of corruption and tackle it from there. He mentioned insecurity, social problems and greed as the causes of corruption. He said public officers steal because they want to create wealth to fall back on after leaving office and be able to pay their bills; they also steal because of social pressure and cited situations where they are made to buy unnecessary traditional titles and honorary degrees from tertiary institutions. Veteran journalist, Chief Onyeama Ugochukwu, challenged the delegates to discuss and make such recommendations that would create a better future for Nigeria by creating a true federalism out of the existing confusion. Ugochukwu said Jonathan has given the delegates the challenge of finding something new that would move the country forward and prayed that the conference would not be another effort in futility. Retired General Anthony Ukpo said he was skeptical about the purpose of the Conference at the beginning but that from what he has seen so far, his new challenge is to work hard and ensure that the result of the Conference would not be put on the shelf. Former President of the Senate, Adolf Wabara said the problem with Nigeria is traceable to ignorance of existing solutions to such problems; and most importantly, the lack of political will to apply existing laws to solve those problems. He challenged the delegates to know that the era of Lord Lugard was over and that the baton of leadership and the responsibility to solve Nigeria’s problems has been handed over to Nigerians of this generation. “I want to remind us here that Lord Lugard is not in this hallowed chamber. Lord Lugard built the house we lived in a hundred years ago, now it is our turn to either rebuild the house or to renovate the house. Our fate is strictly in our hands.” Senator Daisy Danjuma observed that the greatest legacy of the Conference would be to ensure obedience to the rule of law and separation of powers, enthronement of natural justice, equity and good conscience in the polity. She said the issue of insecurity must be taken seriously because as it is today, investors have been scared away; and even the tourism industry with the capacity to replace oil in revenue yielding is basically dead. Diette Spiff, a retired military officer and traditional ruler said the concept of the National Youth Service Corps should be extended to include every youth from the age of 18 and should include compulsory military training for such youth whether they are graduates or not. He drew attention of the Conference to the fact that no constitution is perfect; explaining that every constitution drafted under any military regime is usually done by civilian lawyers; therefore the military must not always be held responsible for any constitution that has flaws. The former military officer advised Nigerians to live in peace; “we should learn to tolerate each other and live as one big family.” For Goddy Unwazurike, fiscal federalism, state creation and rotational presidency must form part of the recommendations at the end of the Conference. He was emphatic that no tribe is greater than the other and as such political power must rotate while every geo-political zone must have equal number of states. Richard Uche described the President’s speech as a patriotic call for Nigerians to address issues that have slowed down the process of development. He called for devolution of power in order to make governance more cost-effective. The position of Jerseer Tsumba that the killings in the north central region was carried out by Fulani herdsmen drew a denial from Dr. Bello Mohammed who raised a point order to the effect that such assertion was a mere speculation as it lacked proof. His position was upheld. Signed: Akpandem James Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications National Conference 2014 nationalconfab2014@gmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Conference - Ex-Military Leaders Blame Civilians for Nigeria's Woes BY FESTUS OWETE, 14 APRIL 2014 Retired military generals attending the National Conference were up in arms against their civilian colleagues, who openly condemned past military governments that emerged through coup de'tats. Nigeria has had eight military regimes spanning about 30 years since its 54 years of independence. The regimes were headed by Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi (January-July 1966); Yakubu Gowon (1966-1975); Murtala Muhammed/Olusegun Obasanjo (1975-1979); Muhammadu Buhari (1983-1985); Ibrahim Babangida (1983-1993); Sani Abacha (1993-1998); and Abdulsalami Abubakar (1998-1999). There are about 25 former military officers, who served in those regimes, most of them retired generals, at the Conference. They include former military governor of old Imo state and Foreign Affairs Minister, Ike Nwachukwu; former governor of old Bendel State and former FCT Minister, Jeremiah Useni; former governor of the old Cross Rivers State; Paul Omu; former Internal Affairs Minister, Abdullahi Mamman; and former military governor of the old Rivers State, Zamani Lekwot. Others are former Chief of Army Staff, Alani Akinrinade; former governor of Lagos State, Raji Rasaki; former governor of the old Ondo State, Olabode Geroge; former governor of Kaduna State, Tanko Ayuba; and former governor of the old Rivers state, Anthony Ukpo. Geoffrey Ejiga, a retired General; Ahmadu Ali a retired Colonel and former Federal Commissioner for Education; Tony Nyiam, one of the April 22, 1990 coup plotters; Alex Mshiela; Idada Ikponmwen; a former governor of Bayelsa State and retired Air Force Officer, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha; and Muhammed Dan Ali are also members of the Conference. During the debate on President Goodluck Jonathan's inaugural address to the Conference, which ended last Thursday, some civilian delegates repeatedly blamed the military regimes for the country's woes. Some of civilian delegates also demanded that the former military administrators and coup plotters should not only apologise, but be barred from holding public offices. However, the retired military officers fired back, insisting that the civilians did not only benefit from the regimes, but also sponsored the military takeovers. Mr. George, a retired Navy Commodore and a delegate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, debunked the claim that the military caused the problems confronting the country today. He also stated that the advent of the military into the nation's political landscape followed an invitation from the First Republic political class. "I want to plead with our people that as we come here, when you are bringing out facts please do your research," Mr. George said. "The military incursion into politics is not the problem that we are facing today. Those facts have been half-truth. Let us tell the younger generation what happened. The problem that we had in the South West that was not controlled expanded beyond our control and engulfed this country. "It was the deputy chairman at the Senate at that time that invited the military. The military did not just wake up from their barracks and headed to take over the power. Let us tell ourselves the truth and prevent occurrence in the future." Mr. Akinrinade, a Federal Government delegate, said the military has no apology to Nigerians for the way it ruled the country for over three decades. According to him, many Nigerians supported the military only to claim to be democrats. He stressed, "All the constitutions made in Nigeria were supported by all of you. You all contributed. I think it is time to do away with current constitution. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Confab Delegates Call for State Creation 10 April 2014 Some delegates to the national conference have called for the creation of more states to address issues of marginalisation and minority in the country. They made the call in Abuja on Thursday while deliberating on President Goodluck Jonathan's speech on March 17. Mr Emmanuel Tsamdu, representing Former Local Government Chairmen, from North East, said creation of more states would help the marginalised groups or ethnic minorities to have a sense of belonging. "It may interest you to know that I am from one of the most marginalised part of this country. "Our past leader and hero, late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Saudana of Sokoto promised that we should be treated equally with other provinces, such as Borno, Adamawa and Bauchi but today it is only my province that is not a state. "I therefore call on Nigerians to look into this matter and create a state where the minorities will be put together not to be marginalised and this state will be called Amana State, from Adamawa state, " Tsamdu said. He also stressed the need for Nigerians to improve the security of the country especially the North East zone. Justice F. F. Tabai, a retired justice of the Supreme Court, representing the Judiciary also called for the creation of more states to carry along the marginalised group in the country. "I also support the call for the creation of state," Tabai said. Also Mr John Uko, a delegate representing North Central also called for state creation and power rotation at all levels of government. "The minority have been given attention in Mr President's speech as he emphasised on inclusion, consensus and harmony. "Let us support states creation and power rotation at all levels of government. In the way the Idoma and Igede minority of Benue State can dream big dreams," Uko said. (NAN) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Again, Delegates Trade Blame Over Sponsorship of Military Coups BY CHUKS OKOCHA AND ONYEBUCHI EZIGBO, 10 APRIL 2014 The issue of military incursion in governance in Nigeria reverberated at the National Conference Wednesday, as the delegates accused each other of being the real sponsor of coups that brought the military to power. Former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba first accused the military of being behind several coups that brought it into governance. "I disagree sir; only two coups were executed against the civilian government, the rest were military against the military and may have been sponsored by the military contractors, but definitely not the politicians. "I am here to preach that we should consider regionalisation of the country. People have been talking about governors being corrupt but they have failed to speak about the activities of the contractors and their role in fueling corruption," he said. Howerver, General Paul Omu retired from Delta State countered him by saying that: "All military coups are instigated by politicians and civilians before they are consummated, while most wars were hatched by civilians long before it is fought. "I also like to add that all wars that are fought by soldiers are started by politicians and civilians. General Akinrinade made a statement a few days ago and people tried to shout him down. In military regimes, civilians are 90 per cent participants in the running of the affairs of government. "In drafting the 1999 constitution, we did not have any military man as at that time who was a judge advocate or who was even a magistrate or a draftsman who could do legal drafting. Having said that I want to draw the attention of the delegates to the main issue why we are here. About 350 delegates have spoken since we started and the beauty of the speech of the President has been over-flogged," Omu said. He said that what the President wanted was simple: "that the constitution needs some remodeling. The centre, which is the federal government, is very heavy and needs unbundling and we have to help the government unbundle the centre". Senator Femi Okurounmu who blamed the ills of the country on the military said, "All these vices of today are the cumulative legacies of the misguided policies of successive military rulers and their civilian collaborators since 1966, starting from the abortion of federalism, through the sectionally skewed creation of multiplicity of states beyond the initially justifiable and balanced 12 states by General Yakubu Gowon, to the introduction of the so-called presidential system of government, which now enables a one-man ruler to personalise all state resources and loot the treasury with impunity: He said the youths are justified in blaming the elders for the problems of Nigeria. "It is useful for them to also know that Nigeria has not always been this uninspiring. Our country has not always harboured so many cheats and liars, cultists and ritual killers, rapists and kidnappers, money worshippers and religious bigots. "Our leaders have always been so generally perceived as habitual, violence-prone election riggers and self-serving treasury looters. If Nigeria is to return to the path of growth and wholesome values, we must wipe away all the negative imprints of military rule. We must return to federalism and a balanced federal structure. "The centre must devolve powers to the federating units, which are large enough to effectively wield the powers to be devolved. The present six geo-political zones, or the original 12 states created by Gowon, are ideal for this purpose. "Further more, if corruption is to be curbed and accountability restored to governance, we must jettison the so-called presidential system and return to the parliamentary system, under which our nation set the pace in growth and development even for today's Asian Tigers," he stressed. General Ike Nwachukwu (rtd) reacted to the allegation that he flogged a woman when he was military governor of Imo State, saying that he comes from a family where people don't raise their hands on women. The former military governor of Imo State said he also had a strong military background where officers and men don't raise their hands against women. Having occupied several positions in the Army, he argued that he has never raised his hands against any woman. He said he had given instructions to a commissioner to lock out latecomers but never took it beyond that. "I have never raised my hands on any woman and will never do that. This is to let all the women here and outside know that I am their very good friend and cannot do anything to hurt them. I just wanted to clear the air on the matter before the press blow it out of proportion." The founder and leader of the National Advanced Party (NAP), Tunji Braithwaite in his contribution on the floor of the conference, said that what the country is operating now is not true federalism but backward undefined According to him: "I cannot say that we have a proper federal system. I think government should stop giving recognition to all the former military men who came to power through coup. For instance, the so-called National Council of States (NCS), I will want it to be scraped or that all those who took over government through unconstitutional means should have no business at the Council of States meeting." On the calls for restructuring of the country, Braithwaite said he would demand a reconfiguration of the country, saying that those leaders insisting that the country is an indivisible entity are lying over the issue. "While one is not advocating secession, the majority of the people would like to run their lives in their own way by their own culture and system. He suggested the restructuring of the country into 10 regional units along the clusters of language and cultural linkages. Another delegate, Mr. Sylvester Okoh moved away from the controversy of sponsorship of military rule to education, where he called that the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme should be extended to senior secondary and not limited to the junior schools alone. This, he said was to enable children from the rural areas to get enrolled. He also suggested that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members be placed on level eight step one in the federal government salary scale to enable them save enough money to fund any entrepreneurial venture at the end of their service year. Mr. Ralph Osanaiye, a representative of retired police officers said insecurity began when government started giving security agencies obsolete equipment and tools, while blaming the political class for failing to fund security adequately, thereby openly creating opportunity to loot the country and cause instability. "Mr. Chairman, they went ahead to remove the intelligence arm of the police, the operations and went ahead to create the National Security Organisation (NSO). There is no Police Force that can perform well without a strong intelligence unit." The Chairman of the National Social Trust Fund (NSTF), Ngozi Olejeme, who is a federal government delegate called for the use of the conference to shape the destiny of Nigeria. Accordingly, she said: "We must consciously identify things that would engender productiveness. The role of women and youths in nation building cannot be over-emphasised. I see a future where Nigerian women will be elected the president and governors." Another delegate, Bede Opara said that the federal government has failed to pay the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) long after it said money had been released. He lamented that the situation was responsible why many workers under-declare their ages and would rather die in office. "Mr. Chairman, I want to say that if blue-blooded Nigerians are not punished for making the blood of other Nigerians red, we will continue to grapple with crisis," Opara said. Meanwhile, following a story that was published by Daily Sun yesterday over exchange of blows between an operative of the Department of State Service (DSS) and a policeman at the venue of the ongoing National Conference, a reporter, Mr Iheanacho Nwosu was detained yesterday afternoon. DSS operatives at about 2.00pm picked up Mr. Nwosu, one of the accredited journalists covering proceedings at the conference, yesterday. He was taken to their office within the National Judicial Institute (NJI), venue of the conference. Nwosu who was detained for over 30 minutes was eventually released after some journalists besieged the DSS office. Although the authenticity of the report could not be faulted, the operatives said they were embarrassed by the report after being queried by their superiors and the presidency over the ugly incidence, which occurred on Tuesday. Delegates condemned the action of DSS operatives. Niyi Akintola, who raised a point of order when plenary resumed after the break, said it was wrong for security operatives to infringe on the rights of a journalist who was carrying out his legitimate duties. Akintola further warned that the era of abuse of human rights must not be revisited. Other delegates condemned the DSS operatives' action. The Deputy Chairman of the Conference, Professor Bolaji Adeyemi warned security agencies to respect the rights of people who are going about carrying out their duties. Journalists covering the conference threatened to boycott the coverage of the conference yesterday until the operatives who unlawfully detained their colleague were brought to book. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Conference - Senate Bill Empowers Jonathan to Propose New Constitution BY TURAKI A. HASSAN, 3 APRIL 2014 The Senate yesterday began considering a bill which is seeking to give President Goodluck Jonathan powers to propose an entirely new constitution from the report of the ongoing National Conference. The bill is contained in the report of the Senate Constitution Review Committee, submitted by its chairman, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu. It seeks yet another amendment to section 9 of the 1999 Constitution to make a fresh provision for the introduction of an entirely new constitution by the President. But many senators who spoke during debate on the merits and general principles of the bill expressed stiff opposition to the new bill, describing it as a backdoor attempt to legalise the National Conference. They said the provisions of the bill are superfluous, unnecessary and ill-timed, and could spark public suspicion. Our correspondent reports that the Senate had in July last year amended section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, stipulating a new amendment procedure including a provision for a referendum to be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, that proposal is yet to be taken to the House of Representatives when Ekweremadu's committee came up with a new version yesterday. Whereas section 9 (3B) of the 1999 Constitution precludes the parliament from initiating a proposal for an entirely new constitution, the bill passed by the Senate last July altered that, and empowered only the National Assembly to propose a new constitution. The Ekweremadu committee yesterday recommended that clause 2 of the fourth amendment bill, which is still pending before the two Houses, be altered to empower the President to propose a new constitution, in anticipation of the outcome of the ongoing National Conference. Jonathan had said that the outcome of the National Conference would be forwarded to the National Assembly for consideration. "The National Assembly or the President may propose a new constitution for the Federation," the new clause being proposed said. "The aim of this insertion is to make provision for the President in addition to the National Assembly to initiate the process of a new constitution," Senator Ekweremadu explained. 'Surreptitious' But many senators contended that the move is a dangerous one which is "surreptitiously" aimed at giving legitimacy to the ongoing conference. Senator Odion Ugbesia (PDP, Edo) said: "The National Conference wants to draft a new constitution for us. I don't see the need for new constitution. At what point do you want to throw this constitution away and bring in a new one? This proposal is superfluous because there is adequate provision." Senator Solomon Ewuga (PDP, Nasarawa) said, "This presidential fiat to initiate a process for a new constitution must be jettisoned." Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North) said approving such proposal by the Senate will amount to the National Assembly relinquishing its most fundamental constitutional role of lawmaking. "We must not dilute the functions of the executive nor that of the legislature," he said. "I can concede that any president can send request, and that is provided in the Constitution. But when we say initiate, it is now taking some functions of the National Assembly away. "Because of that I oppose this proposal that we maintain the sanctity, the purity of the functions of the executive and that of the legislature in such a way that there is no lacuna and no confusion. "This is necessary so that in the nearest future we don't run into a constitutional crisis where the constitution amendment process will become neither here nor there." Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa (APC, Zamfara) also stoutly opposed the bill, and cautioned his colleagues to be careful of the kind of laws they passed as they risk ceding their powers to the President. "We passed the CBN Act which made us cede our powers of appropriation to the board of the CBN that is why we could not scrutinise their budget. Today there is a lot of mistrust in Nigeria and the buck stops at this Senate," he said. "It all borders around the ongoing National Conference. Some people are trying to create a window so that the report will find its way as our new constitution," Marafa said. "Why are we bringing any window now for any document? We are trying to make ourselves irrelevant. Most people don't believe in the confab and we will be ceding our powers." Senator Ganiyu Solomon (APC, Lagos) contended that if window must be created for the President to initiate a new constitution, it must then be made widely open for all Nigerians to be able to do so. Opposing the bill, Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano) said under the exiting provisions in the constitution the President can bring a bill for alteration of any section. "Why do we let us go into an area that we will have problem with Nigerians?" Gaya queried. But Senator Heineken Lokpobiri (PDP, Bayelsa) countered Gaya, saying that the new proposal is only seeking for an evolution of a new constitution by allowing the President to also be able to initiate a new constitution like the National Assembly. Deputy Senate Leader Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi), who is a member of the Ekweremadu committee, told his colleagues that they should not be captives of their fears because of "our past history". He said attempts by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to elongate his tenure in 2005 when he organised similar conference were rejected by the National Assembly but the recommendation was informed by the totality of opinions collated during public hearings. Ningi, who described the National Conference as "so-called", said he does not believe in it but that the amendment is beyond President Jonathan. He said the committee was looking at the future and that "we don't have monopoly of wisdom, other key actors should be allowed to contribute." But Senator Bello Tukur (PDP, Adamawa) said the timing of the amendment will bring suspicion and doubt in the minds of the people because of the ongoing National Conference saying, "because of what is happening today people are thinking that we are creating a window for that." Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba countered the argument, saying the proposal was conceived in August 2013 by Senate President David Mark when he presented a paper at the Nigerian Bar Association conference. The Senate Leader said already the committee has two proposals for a new constitution before it submitted by Professor Ben Nwabueze and former NBA President Olisa Agbakoba. Senate President Mark said senators should get ready to vote on the bill on Wednesday and that it can only scale through if 73 senators vote in support. But he expressed some reservations over the new proposal. "Is the constitution going to be new entirely in nomenclature or content? If you have one section carrying from this present one, then it is not new. When we come to vote next week Wednesday everybody will answer his father' snake on that day," Mark said. ######################################################################################## Nigeria: National Confab Proceedings of April 2, 2014; Corruption, insecurity, religion and ethnic issues top debate As the debate on President Goodluck Jonathan’s speech entered its third day on Wednesday, focus started shifting from issues raised in the speech to matters central to the National Conference and what to make of them. Opinions and counter-opinions flowed as delegates deliberated on issues of corruption, security, economic development or the lack of it, religion, and ethnic nationality with focus on the minority and majority question. While some of the speakers suggested that corrupt officers, especially those in public service, should face death sentence, others agreed that economic development with the practical consequence of job creation will check the issue of insecurity nationwide. Former Secretary to Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae said Nigeria’s problem started when the military, in 1966, murdered regional government which had served as a tonic for development of zones across the country. He also stated that abolition of Parliamentary system of government where power was with the entire cabinet and replacement with Presidential system where powers lie with an individual had caused serious political crises in the country. Femi Falana, SAN, in a moving contribution, said the Conference, though not sovereign, has provided Nigerians with a window of opportunity “to find out why we are poor in the midst of plenty while a microscopic minority of the population is rich and smiling to the bank.” He said corruption has endangered the corporate existence of Nigeria, and advocated political justice, social justice and environmental justice. On the issue of ethnic minority and majority, Chief Edwin Clark pleaded with delegates to give it priority during committee discussions so that at the end of the Conference, existing controversies arising from it would become a thing of the past. He said the natural solution to the problem remains the realization that no tribe is greater than the other, “no one is a first class citizen, and no one is a second class citizen. Everyone is qualified to rule this country.” It was his view that in the absence of tolerance, the dream of nationhood would be difficult to achieve; “if you are a southerner and the other person is a northerner, if you cannot live together, then there will be no Nigeria.” Dalhatu Bashir from Jigawa State noted that at creation, Nigeria came with a promise and it was that promise that moved the country in the right direction. For instance, he said the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, an Igbo man was born in Zungeru in northern Nigeria, grew up in Igboland but went ahead to win election in the heart of Yorubaland. It was his view that if at the end, the outcome of the National Conference makes it possible for any Nigerian living anywhere in Nigeria to have equal rights of citizenship, then it would justify the reasons it was convened. Describing the President’s speech as stimulating, comprehensive and forthright, Ibrahim Bunu said delegates should not fail to negotiate and should not negotiate out of fear since Nigeria belongs to everyone. On security, Abubakar Chika Adamu from Niger State said, “Nigeria is at war with itself. Security remains our greatest challenge. We must stop playing politics with it. We here must do what we ought to do and leave the President to do what he has to do to solve this problem. On corruption, he observed that Nigerians have moved from mere stealing to looting and have graduated from looting to mass looting. His suggestion was that a soft-landing should be created for those who stole public funds to return them without being prosecuted. “We must be serious about fighting corruption,” said Magayi Dambatta; adding that for Nigeria to succeed in this, there was need to reorganize the anti-corruption agencies followed by diligent prosecution. A representative of Nigerian youth, Ben Dontoye demanded legal backing to the adoption of capital punishment against corruption. He believed this would be the only way to drive fear into people who have taken to corrupt practices as a trade. Former Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Coomasie cited the absence of sincere leadership at different tiers of governance as one problem that Nigerians are worried about. Added to this, he said, was the intolerable level of insecurity in the country. He suggested that agencies constitutionally charged with maintenance of security in the country should be restructured and funded. Retired General Muhammed Mansur Dan Ali informed the Conference that out of the 36 states of Nigeria, 33, if not more have soldiers deployed to the streets. He said the National Conference should recommend complete restructuring of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies for effective performance of their duties. Senator Seidu Dansadau made one appeal in his comment: that Jonathan should ensure that the recommendations of the Conference are implemented and not allowed to go the way of other recommendations in the past. He said it was time for delegates to strip themselves naked, “not just to say that we believe in the indivisibility of Nigeria but to practically demonstrate it.” His position was supported by Professor Godini Dara who insisted that the lofty ideas and recommendations expected at the end of the Conference must be implemented to free Nigeria from the grips of economic apartheid. On corruption, he said there was need to establish ethical standards; and on the economy, Dara strongly urged the President to free Nigeria from what he called the witchcraft of the World Bank while industrialization should take the front seat both in budgeting and planning. Both Illiya Danga and Burus Daleng remarked on the courageous decision of the President to go ahead with the Conference in spite of oppositions and wished that with the same courage, the President would implement the decisions of the Conference without fear or favour. Sale Dauda from Bauchi State attributed insurgency in every part of the country to the failure of states and local government who he said were totally dependent on what the federal government would do instead rising to their responsibilities of providing leadership and governance. He said in some parts of the country, it has become difficult and even impossible to buy a piece of land for the purpose of building a church for worship and that those responsible for such prohibition were the elite. Francis Doukpolagha from Bayelsa State told the Conference that the failure of the Nigerian State stemmed from the fact that democracy has become government of the people by the people but not for the people. Ignatius Kevin Edet lamented what he called inequality and imbalance in the creation of local government areas in the country and urged the Conference to use the opportunity of the dialogue to correct the anomaly. He suggested the application of capital punishment as a check against corrupt practices by public office holders, a position enormously canvassed for by other speakers. Correct census as a basis for revenue sharing and infrastructural development was suggested by Charles Edosomwan, SAN, from Edo State who also emphasized that “we need to put power in the strata of government that is close to the people.” Veteran journalist, Ray Ekpu, said the President’s speech constituted a new thesis for the reconstruction of Nigeria and that Nigeria as it is today requires a new architecture. Ekpu noted that Jonathan seemed like someone who does not want “this house to fall,” still he said the house called Nigeria was too rickety and weather-beaten to be left on the wish list of a permanent structures. Ekpu said for a country that has had 14 different administrations in 53 years, “that is cyclical stability. There is no way a country can grow in this manner.” For Chief Chris Eluemunoh from Anambra State, “the Igbos have no other country than Nigeria; therefore the unity of this country is paramount to us. This unity must be anchored on equity and justice.” Dr Osahon Enabulele of the Nigerian Medical Association proposed a massive national health policy that would cater for the health needs of the rural dwellers. In addition, the NMA chief suggested that “a time has come for us to look at the mental and medical fitness of our political leaders,” as a way of ensuring that they are fit and proper to occupy public offices. Dr Silas Eneyo from Rivers State likened Nigeria to a building with collapsed pillars and advised: “Let us not pretend to be painting a building whose pillars are collapsing.” It was his view that the pillars of any federation lie in its justice and equity system and that the Conference has provided the delegates opportunity to rebuild the house with sound ideas and recommendations. Gary Enwo Igariwe said Nigeria has been bleeding for sometime, has gone on its knees and though it wants to stand, it was actually going down. He urged delegates to identify reasons for conflicts and address them. He cautioned against selective solution, “when you solve a problem in a particular area and ignore the ones in another area, you have not done anything; you are merely relocating the problem.” He said most of the problems can be easily resolved through restructuring of the country; advising that delegates should leave their ethnic standards and discuss Nigeria. Professor Eddy Erhagbe told the delegates that for Nigeria to move ahead, the bottom-line remains good governance because “corruption is not regional, it is not ethnic; corruption is an elite conspiracy.” Signed. Akpandem James Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications National Conference 2014 nationalconfab2014@gmail.com $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Nigeria: National Confab Proceedings of April 1, 2014; President's speech sets agenda for conference - Delegates Debate, comments and opinions on the Presidential speech as a footpath to issues and decisions continued on Tuesday at the on-going National Conference holding at the National Judicial Institute in Abuja. Moderated by the Conference Deputy Chairman, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, most of the delegates described the President’s speech on March 17 at the inauguration of the Conference as agenda-setting on issues to be discussed and the outcome Conference. For instance, former President of the Senate, Dr. Iyorcha Ayu said: “I stand not to praise nor vilify the President’s speech. It is the speech of a leader who is worried about his country. It is the speech of great expectation, and the whole country expects a lot from all gathered here.” Delegates however observed that beyond the letters of the elegant speech lies the responsibility of translating the words into action for the benefit of Nigerians so that the report of the current Conference will not go the ways of others. Some of them said the timing of the Conference was apt; coming on the heels of Nigeria’s centenary as a country because it would create opportunity to reflect on the last 100 years while planning for the next. Mrs. Temitope Ajayi described the Conference as historic, “coming as Nigeria celebrates one hundred years of existence as one entity. The courage exhibited by Jonathan in convening the Conference despite stiff opposition and criticisms by political opponents also formed a part of the comments made by delegates on Tuesday. Dr. Amos Akingba said delegates must justify such show of courage by the President by ensuring that issues that would stabilize Nigeria occupy everybody’s mind and not ethnic interest. A retired civil servant, Akin Arikawe, said the convocation of the National Conference by Jonathan despite threats and warnings by certain Nigerians was a demonstration of the President’s confidence in the outcome of the Conference and urged delegates not to frustrate that hope. Former Information Minister, Professor Dora Akunyili, observed that it has taken more than political will for Jonathan to convene the conference which she said Nigerians have long clamoured for. She said the Conference was a centenary gift to Nigerians. Elder statesman, Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN, described Nigeria as the leading country in Africa and asked Nigerians to “stop being demolition contractors, let us be building contractors” so that Nigeria can become “the greatest republic in Africa.” Former Minister of Petroleum, Professor Jubril Aminu, said based on issues identified by the President for discussion, he hoped the 2014 National Conference would be the last of such conferences because it would help strengthen the constitution and make it better. Mrs. Brenda Akpan, a journalist, said the centre-piece of the speech was that of inclusion as against the practice of exclusion and current discrimination against women, children and the disabled. She said the Conference must ensure that every Nigerian has a sense of citizenship, demanding that “we must create space for their participation in governance.” While some delegates hammered on the issue of drafting a new Constitution for the country, others said the Conference lacked any legal backing to embark on such an enterprise; and that only President Goodluck Jonathan who convened the Conference will decide on what to do with the report. Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, in his contribution, said Jonathan’s speech clearly identified the problems with Nigeria and the challenges before the Conference not only in discussing the problems but in proffering functional solutions to such problems. He said for so long, Nigerians have imprisoned themselves in the north-south divide explaining that these differences and disparities have always been there, adding: “we may not be able to remove them, but we can make them irrelevant and ineffective.” Robert Audu said it was time for Nigerians to stop “blaming our leaders for our woes, rather, we should now find solutions to these problems,” explaining that it was for such reasons that the Conference was convened. Some of the delegates, like Chief Sergeant Awuse, said Nigeria as a country has no insurmountable problems but that the system it operates has not allowed ideas to become realities. He said, “I don’t think there is anything wrong with Nigeria. I think there is something wrong with the system. If we look at the system we are running now and we think it is not good enough, we can jettison it and adopt another system. This Conference has given us the opportunity to do that.” Bishop Felix Ajakaiye said the problem of Nigeria was not for lack of ideas towards solution but the lack of political will to implement such ideas. He urged the delegates to use their God-given talents to redeem the country by making the best out of the Conference. Isa Ajiya told the delegates that the beauty of the President’s speech would only achieve its purpose if they reason together as Nigerians, not as northerners or southerners, not as Muslims or Christians, adding “at the end, Nigeria will shine again.” Describing the speech as a summary of impediments that must be cleared for Nigeria to grow and “delivered confidently and convincingly” Olaniwun Ajayi said Nigeria has remained a country blessed with talents but “where the best is yet to happen.” Nike Akande in her comments said she was more concerned about Nigeria’s march towards rapid development; a situation she said would justify Jonathan’s expectation in the Conference which she described as a “landmark journey that will make us proud as a nation.” In the same vein, Chief Femi Akande said with the elegant speech “full of candour” it was possible to see a stronger and more stable Nigeria arising from the Conference if the delegates remain committed and focused. Olusola Akanmode demanded of the Conference to make suggestions for inclusion in the constitution regarding the need for timeline on deadlines for submission of budgets by the executive and passage by the lawmakers at all levels of governance. Based on the President's speech, retired Justice Peter Akere said delegates must thoroughly examine why institutions worked effectively in the past, even under colonial administration, particularly in the areas of anti-corruption, revenue and infrastructural development but collapsed thereafter. Felix Akhabue was of the opinion that the outcome of the Conference must clear the polity of mindsets of the past so that the country can move forward; adding that a deliberate decision by Nigerians to accommodate each other beyond ethnic lines would serve as the starting point to the greatness of Nigeria. Former Police Chief, Bashiru Albasu, lamented the poor security situation in Nigeria from the far north to the deep south and urged delegates to view it as a matter of urgent national importance. Former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, said the speech delivered by the President should serve as a guiding principle to the Conference; he described it as a speech from the heart of someone who loves Nigeria. Ambassador Adamu Aliyu told the delegates that Jonathan’s speech was monumental and indicated no hidden agenda. Esther Andrew, a delegate living with disability, pulled the crowd to applause when she called for special attention to the plight of the disabled in the country and thanked the President for making them a part of the Conference. She said the negative attitude of the society towards the disabled was not in the nation’s interest, adding: “we don’t need sympathy, we need empathy, we need support, we want to go to school,” although she said most of the educational institutions in Nigeria are not disabled-friendly. When the Conference resumed in the afternoon, the issue of religion surfaced as two Christian leaders, Bishop Joseph Bagobiri and Pastor Emmanuel Bosun painted pictures of constitutional issues that have created the impression that Nigeria has a state religion. In conclusion, Bagobiri said the conference must right what is wrong about the 1999 Constitution and that except the inconsistencies smuggled into the constitution were addressed, “then what we are doing here will not bring equity to all Nigerians. We should respect the sanctity of the secularity of the country.” Bosun, whose contribution attracted a Point of Order which was over-ruled, said Nigeria was daily producing widows and orphans in their thousands because religion has become a manipulative tool used to cause destruction and that there was need for the Conference to take a critical look at the 1999 Constitution. An environmental activist, Nnimmo Bassey, said Jonathan’s speech was a call for the delegates to remember they are in a conference to reconstruct Nigeria and that delegates need to bury their pettiness and look at issues that would make life better for the citizens. Tunde Bakare said, “The President has made plain his expected outcome of this Conference. If our expectations are different from his, then we are in a jamboree. It appears Mr. President knew his onions and laid them bare that the greatest problem facing Nigeria today is the issue of governance.” Former Governor of Bayelsa State, DSP Alamiyeseigha, described the President’s speech as revolutionary and statesmanlike because it captured issues that have bedeviled the country since its amalgamation in 1914. For Mariam Jummai Bello, the problem of Nigeria lies with the women who have refused to bring up their children in a manner that would ensure respect for the law and focus on character development. Although Conference Chairman and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi had placed embargo on clapping, Bello’s contribution was heavily applauded when she accused women of pushing their husbands to engage in corrupt act as a short cut to luxurious living. Akpandem James Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications National Conference 2014 nationalconfab2014@gmail.com ************************************************************************************** Nigeria: National Conference Committee Agrees On 70 Percent Voting Pattern BY CHUKS OKOCHA, ONYEBUCHI EZIGBO AND MUHAMMAD BELLO AND JOHN SHIKLAM, 28 MARCH 2014 Ahead of a meeting President Goodluck Jonathan is billed to hold with some delegates over the impasse on the voting format at the National Conference, the ad hoc committee set up to broker a truce over the issue has reached a compromise, THISDAY learnt Thursday. It was learnt that the 50-member committee, tagged The Consensus Group, which was set up on Wednesday to resolve the logjam over whether the conference should adopt the three-quarters voting system or the two-third version, agreed on 70 per cent at the meeting of the group on the second day. The agreement, which will be passed to other delegates for ratification, was regarded as a strategic move to produce a win-win situation in the voting pattern crisis that has pitted northern delegates against their southern counterparts. During the two-day debate on the voting pattern that produced a deadlock on Tuesday, the northern delegates had refused to give ground on their demand for the National Conference to adopt three-quarters of the votes for ratifying resolutions of the 492-member gathering. On their part, the southern delegates had insisted on the adoption of a two-thirds majority. The row over the voting format forced the conference to adjourn sitting on Wednesday until Monday to enable the 50-member interim committee work out a consensus on the issue. But THISDAY gathered that despite the compromise reached on the format, the president will still meet with some delegates between now and Sunday. However, the House of Representatives has warned that the conference may end up a wasted effort except the 1999 Constitution is amended to provide for the conduct of referendum in ratifying the report of the national discourse. Giving THISDAY an update on the deadlock over the voting pattern at the conference, a source said: "We agree that there must be consensus on all issues to be discussed, but where it fails, then the voting pattern must be 70 per cent of the 492 delegates. "But first, the delegates must first go out to negotiate and if it fails, the plenary shall be adjourned for a second time for negotiations and it fails, the conference shall at the third time vote and the voting shall be by a consensus of 70 per cent. This is give and take; no winner, no vanquished." It was gathered that in the new spirit of the agreement, the southern delegates would no longer insist on the two-thirds majority vote and their northern counterparts would give ground from the 75 per cent to accept the recommended version. With the resolution of the controversy over the voting format, it was learnt that the leadership would on Monday announce membership of the 22 committees of the conference. By the approved rules of the conference, the secretariat will place delegates in the various committees, while the delegates will choose their leaders by themselves. Irrespective of the consensus reached by the National Conference interim committee to adopt the 70 per cent voting format, Jonathan will between today and Sunday meet with some delegates over the controversy on the issue. It was also gathered that the decision of the northern delegates to stick to the three-quarters majority vote was the outcome of a meeting the president had with the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa'ad Abubakar III and some Muslim leaders to guarantee the participation of the north and Muslims in the conference. THISDAY gathered that during the meeting between the president, the sultan and other Muslim clerics, it was agreed that the only way to ensure parity between northern and southern delegates on all issues was to ensure a level of inclusiveness of all delegates was reached, so that the outcome of the conference would be acceptable to Nigerians. A source told reporters yesterday that "the three-quarters voting pattern was indeed a compromise made by the president to ensure that everyone is carried along and to ensure that when the issue of a referendum is on the table, everyone will have a sense of belonging. "It is not about a winner taking it all as obtains in the two-thirds majority vote, which is 24 states. But in an inclusive consensus where the decision of three-quarters of the delegates, translating to 27 states, this means that only nine states would be in the minority. "This is why the matter of three-quarters is made much easier, in the event that the outcome of the conference is subjected to a referendum". He explained that the northern delegates were initially sceptical of the conference, "but with the assurances of the president and the dangling of the three-quarters voting format as the basis for reaching decisions, that made the north buy into the idea of the conference. "Some of us thought that the president had a hidden agenda, but with the assurances of the three-quarters majority vote, it helped to ease the doubts that the president had a hidden agenda. So, the three-quarters is President Jonathan's brain child." The source said it was for this reason that Jonathan had agreed to meet some delegates from the South to explain the circumstances that led to the suggestion of the three-quarters voting pattern. "It was an agreement reached and it is the reason why the president will be meeting with them to explain issues and let the conference go ahead as planned," the source added. Speaking further on the meeting between the president and the Muslim delegation, the source explained that it was meant to address the imbalance between Muslims and Christians in the composition of the delegates. "The main point is that the Christians and southerners are more in number and there is the fear that the conference will alter many fundamental issues in the country. It is easier to reach a two-thirds consensus in favour of southerners and Christians than with the Muslims and northerners. "If the two-thirds voting pattern is to be accepted, then there should be a recomposition of the delegates to ensure a parity between the North and the South. That is the essence of the meeting between the president and the group led by the Sultan of Sokoto," the source said. But a representative of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to the National Conference, Mr. John Achimugu, dismissed allegations of lopsidedness in the composition of the delegates against Muslims. Achimugu, in an interview with THISDAY in Kaduna yesterday, described the allegations by the Jama'atu Nasril Islam (JNI) as unfounded and being peddled by those who do not mean well for the country. According to him, those behind the allegation are out to ensure that the conference does not hold so that the status quo could be maintained. "Anybody who saw the list of the federal government delegates which was published would know that Christians are represented by six delegates, Muslims are equally represented by six delegates. I do not see the lopsidedness in the six-six representation. "People came from various shades of life, representing various shades of interests, professional bodies, NGOs and the likes. There is no parameter set for the conference that such people, in the process of their nomination to represent their group interests, must be nominated on the parameter of religion," he said. Besides, Achimugu who was also a delegate to the conference organised by the Obasanjo administration in 2005, faulted claims by the JNI that Muslims are in the majority in Nigeria, saying there has never been any census in Nigeria to determine the population of Muslims and Christians. Also speaking on the conference, the Chairman, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri, who is also a delegate, has described the essence of achieving consensus at the conference as a way of "achieving inclusiveness to the extent that all delegates must be seen to be carried along". He urged his colleagues to let the interest of the unity of Nigeria guide their discussions at the conference, calling on the delegates to ensure that the outcome of the conference adds value to the welfare of Nigerians and promotes the oneness of the country. He said: "National unity is upheld when a decision is reached and both the North and South are happy with such a decision. This is what I described as inclusiveness, let us come together and agree on the way forward and how we can create a new Nigeria of our dream. The controversy over the voting pattern is healthy because it will bring out the unity in us. "The all-inclusive voting pattern is such that will bring the unity of all Nigerians and not one that would divide us and promote disunity in the country." Also human rights activist and lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), said the delegates should be allowed to break into committees to familiarise themselves better with the tasks ahead before going into plenary sessions. "After meeting ourselves at the committee level, and coming out to the larger house (plenary), we are likely to have known ourselves better and be availed of superior reason. "From the way we are handling it now, the fears of some people were borne out of a misconceived notion and that is why it is a bit problematic. From the report at my disposal, the consensus committee that is consulting with the chairman is likely to have arrived at a decision that will be acceptable to all delegates," he added. Meanwhile, the House has warned that unless the 1999 Constitution is further amended to allow for a referendum to ratify the outcome of the ongoing National Conference, the delegates might end up wasting their time. Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon. Victor Ogene (APGA, Anambra), at a press briefing in Abuja, said no portion of the constitution provides for a referendum. According to him, the only document that the legislators are duty bound to invoke and act upon is the constitution. "For any section to be altered, you need a two-thirds of both chambers of the National Assembly and two-thirds of the state assemblies," he added. He explained that unless this was done, the issue of a referendum would not sail through, as there is "nothing on a referendum before the House". On the delay in passing the 2014 budget, he blamed some ministers for contributing to the situation. Ogene said: "Often times, a minister defending his/her ministry's budget estimates may write to seek for the re-scheduling of an appearance, thereby taking the committees back several days." Responding to the perception that the House Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, also flies with chartered executive jets for his trips and should be probed just as the House has decided to investigate the Minster of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, Ogene asked: "Is there any allegation that any money is missing in the coffers of the National Assembly? If not, there is no need to worry." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Conference Amends 'Offensive' Rule Against Media BY SANI TUKUR AND IBANGA ISINE, 25 MARCH 2014 The National Conference, on Tuesday, amended a controversial section of its draft rules, which would have empowered its leadership to expel any journalist covering its proceedings for writing offensive reports. The amendment was sequel to a complaint by the publisher of ThisDay Newspaper, Nduka Obaigbena, during the conference's debate on its Draft Rules. Mr. Obaigbena is the chairman of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN, and he is one of its two delegates to the confab. PREMIUM TIMES had exclusively reported that journalists whose reports were considered offensive and unfair to the leadership of the 492-member Conference would be kicked out. The report was based on Order 14 (7) of the National Conference Procedure Rules, 2014, which was distributed to delegates on Thursday, but which this newspaper obtained exclusively. The controversial rule read, "The Conference may grant approval to the representative of any media to attend the sitting of the Conference provided that if the media publishes a report of the proceedings which the Conference considers unfair, offensive and not a true reflection of what transpired, such permission may be revoked." The provision was interpreted by many to be a subtle attempt to gag the press and prevent Nigerians from knowing what happens inside the plenary and committee seasons of the Conference. Since the document did not properly define what constituted an unfair and offensive report, it was also surmised that journalists may be barred from the Conference on frivolous grounds. The rule is also believed to violate the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which empowers the media to hold government accountable to the people. Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria states, "The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people." Mr. Obaigbena, who spoke on the floor of the Conference for the first time, drew the attention of the delegates to the section and called for it to be expunged. "I hereby move that Order 14 (7) that empowers the leadership to chase out journalists who write unfair reports from the Conference be expunged," he said. He argued that the Rule violated the 1999 Constitution and should not be allowed to remain in the Conference books. The delegate, who said the current conference was the third he would be attending, reminded his colleagues that a conference was as good as its report. He reminded the conference that it was not every decision reached that would eventually be incorporated into the constitution. Although, no action was immediately taken on the issue, another delegate, Festus Okoye, brought it back and demanded that the section be amended by removing the offensive proviso. Mr. Okoye, a lawyer who was nominated in the category of the Civil Society Organisations, asked the conference to expunge the clause: "... provided that if the media publishes a report of the proceedings which the Conference considers unfair, offensive and not a true reflection of what transpired, such permission may be revoked." The delegates agreed to the suggestion through voice vote when the Conference Chairman, Idris Kutigi, put it to question. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Debate On Voting Pattern On National Conference Resolutions Ends in Deadlock BY CHUKS OKOCHA AND ONYEBUCHI EZIGBO, 26 MARCH 2014 The inability of National Conference delegates, for two consecutive days, to reach a consensus on whether votes by three-quarters or two-thirds of participants should pass the resolutions of the conference yesterday led to the suspension of further debate on it till next week. The suspension would give room for further consultations on the issue and for the secretariat to meet with leaders of various groups at the conference. During a debate on the issue on Monday, the delegates had argued along regional lines, with those from the North calling for the adoption of three-quarters of the votes for any resolution, while their counterparts from the South pushed for two-thirds. Another issue that divided the delegates yesterday was whether or not there was any need for a referendum to ratify the report of the National Conference. Though the conference adjourned at 5.28 pm, its Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, said the adjournment was necessary for tempers to cool down. As at the close of proceedings yesterday, the conference was still unable to adopt and approve the sets of rules that will guide its deliberations. In adjourning the conference until today, Kutigi said the delegates would go ahead to discuss the work plan and no longer the rules. The delegates, before lunch break, had continued debate on the voting pattern, with Senator Ita Giwa from Cross River State, giving indication that the consensus debate would be revisited after the break. When the delegates resumed from their lunch, the chairman called for a motion to pass the rules. He asked a delegate, Mr. Orok Etuk Duke from Cross River State, to move the motion for the adoption of the rules, but Chief Mike Ozoekhome (SAN) from Edo State moved a counter-motion that the rules could not be adopted without the resolution on the two-thirds and three-quarters consensus controversy. In his contribution, Chief Edwin Clark argued that since only the chairman and his team had proposed the three-quarters voting pattern, a majority of the delegates has the right to adopt the two-thirds option, if they so desired. He wanted to know: "If we are here to build a strong Nigeria, and in that regard whatever we are doing here, we should reflect one Nigeria. Though we have agreed that consensus should be the order of the day, where we disagree, what do we do? Are we going to close this meeting? "We have all come here to discuss very serious issues. We all listened to Mr. President's address, he talked about so many things; he talked about a new Nigeria. We should not allow the rules or orders to prevent us from taking those decisions. "There would have been no reason for us to come here if there were no problems with Nigeria. We are here to address these problems but if we cannot agree on a voting arrangement, then there is a problem. All over the world, the two-thirds majority is invoked." Other speakers who canvassed for the two-thirds voting pattern included Air Commodore Indongesit Nkana; Jerry Okwuonu, representing security groups; and Dan Nwanyanwu, representing the Labour Party (LP). But Dr. Mohammed Bello from Kebbi State countered them, saying that voting at this moment on the two-thirds vote will divide the country. He urged his colleagues to eschew sentiments and vote for issues that would unite Nigeria. Al-Bashir Albasu from Kano State and Musa Elayo from Nasarawa State also insisted on arriving on a consensus based on the three-quarters voting pattern. At this stage, Justice Kutigi adjourned the debate until next week, but most delegates refused to vacate the plenary after his ruling. Okon Osu from Cross River State said it was not necessary to adjourn the House until the issue was resolved. At this stage, Senator Saidu Dansadu reminded the chairman that he had ruled for an adjournment. But the chairman ignored his contribution and called on Mr. Fola Adeola from Ogun State to address the issue at stake. Adeola urged leaders of the delegates from the zones to discuss the controversy in order to resolve it. He was supported by Atedo Peterside who urged the conference to concentrate on issues that will unite Nigerians and cautioned against killing ideas that would move the country forward. At this stage, the conference deputy chairman, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, urged the delegates to ponder on what Adeola and Peterside had said by allowing the chairman to discuss with the various leaders of the delegates. Based on the various submissions, Justice Kutigi adjourned sitting until today to commence discussions on the work plan. Earlier, the delegates had also squabbled over whether the conference report should be subjected to a referendum as suggested by President Goodluck Jonathan in his speech at the inauguration of the national discourse. Also moves by some delegates to gag the media and introduced "executive or closed-door" sessions failed as the conference ruled that the media should be given unfettered access in the coverage of the proceedings. Meanwhile, the delegates have begun lobby for membership of what some have considered first grade committees, as the secretariat of the conference prepares to announce membership of the 22 committees tomorrow. Chief Olaniwun Ajayi from the South-west during the second day of debate on the National Conference Procedures Order 13 Rules 3, had asked that the conference should take a categorical stand on the outcome of the discourse. He said delegates should decide whether the report should be subjected to a referendum for ratification and not to the whims and caprices of the National Assembly. According to him, "The outcome of the National Conference should be tagged 'We the people of Nigeria', and therefore subjected to the people to decide through a referendum." He therefore called for the retention of Order 13 Rules 3 which says, inter alia, "The conference shall in consultation with the six principal officers of the conference advise the government on the legal framework, legal procedures and options for integrating the decisions and outcomes of the National Conference into the constitution and laws of the country." Other delegates who backed his arguments were Joe Okei-Odumakin, representing civil society group, and Joe Nwogu, representing the South-east. But Senator Ken Nnamani called for caution and drew the attention of the delegates to the president's speech where he appealed to the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of a bill on the proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution that will allow the conference recommendations to undergo a referendum. He explained that the conference, as it is presently constituted, does not have the legal backing to amend the constitution and as such should not get into any contest with the National Assembly. In his contribution, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, representing the Newspapers Proprietors' Association of Nigeria (NPAN), told his colleagues that any conference "is as good as its report and the ideas that come with it". "Not every report of a conference of this kind goes to become a part of the constitution. Let us be guided by strong ideas because when we have strong ideas and the acceptance of the people, no National Assembly can stop it," he said. He added that there were recommendations of the 1994 conference, which though were not automatically made part of the constitution, but were adopted in the operations of governance. He gave the example of the six geopolitical zone structure and power rotation as some of the outcomes of the previous conference that have now become an integral part of national life. Also, the former Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa'i, said the conference should concentrate on the powers given to it and submit its recommendations to the president to decide what to do with it. At this stage, Justice Kutigi stepped in and directed that the matter be stepped down for debate another day. On the attempt to restrict the coverage of the conference to the media, Obaigbena and Festus Okoye cautioned against it. Okoye said some people came to the conference with preconceived perceptions without considering that all the delegates were at the conference to chart a new future for Nigeria. Justice Kutigi, after the debate, ruled that the provision of Rule 7 be deleted. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Confab - Delegates Get Biweekly Allowance Payment BY AMINA ALHASSAN AND JOE DUDUN, 26 MARCH 2014 Delegates of the ongoing National Conference are to receive their allowances every two weeks and to that effect, the first biweekly allowances have been deposited in their bank accounts save for those with wrong account details. At a resumed plenary yesterday, the assistant secretary for finance and administration, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the disclosure immediately after the session commenced. Conference chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, had asked Yakubu to make the announcements after delegates had recited the national prayer. He announced that delegates will henceforth receive their allowances fortnightly and a pay slip will be issued to them in order to know what is being paid for. Yakubu also disclosed that save for the secretariat's painstaking verification exercise, some persons that are not delegates also filled and submitted same forms the actual delegate filled for payment of allowances. Yakubu also told the delegates that they are now at liberty to forward the name of one driver and one aide to the secretariat for accreditation. Meanwhile, the conference commended the media reportage of delegates who were caught sleeping during proceedings at the plenary on Monday. The commendation came on the heels of an observation by a delegate, Aminu Mahmud, representing Public Interests Lawyers League (PILL), who had called the attention of the plenary to what he termed "slanted" reportage of conference proceedings by the media. He particularly drew the attention of delegates to the publication of photographs of sleeping delegates on page six of LEADERSHIP Newspaper edition of yesterday. "Today on page six of LEADERSHIP Newspaper, you will see pictures of some delegates published by the paper. I think the media should be called to order. "Some of us have observed slanted reports of the conference by the media and we call on the press to be responsible in their reports," Mahmud said. The observation was discarded by most of the delegates, who said that the media had the right to report the proceedings of the conference to the public in its entirety. Comrade Yinka Odumakin, warned against attempt to gag the media in its reportage of the conference. "Mr Chairman, in as much as we are trying to ensure that the media reports accurately what is happening here, I think there should be no attempt to gag the media. I've seen the item he is talking about, we have not been sent here to come and sleep," he said. Speaking in the same vein, the national chairman of Labour Party, Dan Nwayanwu, said "Mr Chairman, they have just said the truth, they are not lying. We are here for serious business, anybody who has to sleep may take an excuse and climb the isles out to take a nap." "The press must report what they have seen and they are not lying by what is on page six of LEADERSHIP," Nwayanwu said. During the resumed debate on the draft Rules of Procedure as contained in the Order Paper, which started on Monday, there were hot arguments for and against the provision of Order 13 Rule 3 of the draft Rules of Procedure, which stipulated that the final outcome of the Conference is to be submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan. Some delegates opposed the rule which others in favour of it warned against arrogating the powers of the National Assembly to the conference. Delegates, who spoke against the Rule argued that the gathering is representing Nigerians and could even amend the Constitution or draft a fresh new one. Other delegates kicked against any move to subject the report of the Conference to the scrutiny of the National Assembly, arguing that the legislature has always killed previous reports. Responding to the arguments, the Conference Secretary, Valerie Azinge, emphasised that the assembly was a National Conference and not a political conference or constitution amendment conference. After heated arguments for and against, delegated voted in favour of the provision to send its final and assented report to the President for consideration. Also, the resumed debate on how to take final decisions at plenary sharply divided the delegates along regional lines of North and South. While all northern delegates that spoke supported the provision of Order 11 Rules 1 and 2, which emphasized consensus and alternatively 75% majority votes respectively, the southern delegates agreed with provision of Rule 1 and opposed the provision of Rule 2 instead opting for two-third majority votes as determinant of decisions. The debates dragged for a long after which the chairman suspended the matter "till further notice" and on that note the session adjourned. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Conference Opens Amid Many Challenges By James Butty, 18 March 2014 President Goodluck Jonathan Nigeria's Long awaited National Conference opened Monday in the capital, Abuja aimed at solutions to an Islamist insurgency, corruption and oil revenue-sharing. In opening the conference, President Goodluck Jonathan told the 500 delegates to put partisan politics aside and focus on the agenda of the country. Presidential spokesman Reuben Abati said Jonathan also urged the delegates to strive toward building a stronger and more united Nigeria. "The president made a number of points. He made it very clear that he has no personal agenda to pursue through this conference. He made very clear that what is important is the national interest, and he enjoined all the delegates to put Nigeria first, not to use the platform of the conference for the pursuit of divisive politics or ethnic jingoism," he said. Abati said Jonathan also told the delegates to use the conference to further strengthen the bond that ties all Nigerians together, including national unity and patriotism. With raging violence blamed on the Islamist insurgency of Boko Haram in the north and political divisions within the ruling People's Democratic Party, some commentators say Nigeria is become more divided. Abati said Nigeria's unity is not threatened. "A few weeks ago, we celebrated 100 years of Nigeria's existence as a nation. And, in the speech that President Jonathan delivered, he stressed that the amalgamation was not a mistake, that we are a country of ethnic diversity, of linguistic diversity, and that our unity, the beauty of our country, lies, in fact, in that diversity," Abati said. He said Jonathan's speech did not dictate the agenda of the conference. "The issues that he referred to in the speech, these are the issues that have been out there in the public domain. It doesn't amount to the president setting an agenda," Abati said. The ruling PDP was recently beset by defections due in part to Jonathan's decision to seek re-election. Abati says Jonathan told the delegates that they should make the conference one about Nigeria the country and not about political ambitions. "President Jonathan made it clear that the conference is a conference of the Nigerian people. It's not a conference about partisan politics. And, if you look at the composition of that conference, you will see that it is not constructed along political lines. It is a conference about the future of Nigeria. It is a conference about the politics of Nigeria itself," Abati said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Conference Outcome May Be Subjected to Referendum, President Jonathan Says By Ibanga Isine, 17 March 2014 President Goodluck Jonathan President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday assured Nigerians that he has no personal agenda for convening the National Conference. Mr. Jonathan, gave the assurance while declaring open the 492-member national dialogue at Andros Otutu Obaseki Auditorium of the National Judicial Institute, Abuja. Before delivering his inaugural address, the President called for a one-minutes silence for the over 20 job seekers who died during the recruitment exercise conducted by the Nigerian Immigration Service on Saturday. He described the death of the unemployed youths as regrettable, saying his government would address the matter at the appropriate time. Mr. Jonathan, however, said the conference is borne out of patriotic desire to build a better and greater nation and urged the delegates not to do anything to undermine unity and development of the country. He noted that there was a possibility that the outcome of the National Conference would be subjected through a referendum, based on the ongoing constitutional amendment which he says is seeking to open the space for public participation in governance. For many years, Mr. Jonathan said, Nigerians have discussed and argued over various issues bedeviling the country through the mass media and recently through the social media. He insisted that Nigerians must assume responsibility for ensuring that the long-running national debate on continued existence of the country cannot be in vain. Mr. Jonathan argued that some of the strongest nations in the world went through formative stages which spanned decades and centuries and called on Nigerians to realize that nationhood does not happen overnight. Mr. Jonathan said, "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 most compelling task before us, as we move ahead and contemplate what our nation will be at the end of it second century, is to lay a much stronger foundation for faster development by building a more inclusive national consensus on the structure and guiding principles of state that will guarantee our emergence as a more united, progressive and prosperous nation." He said the conference would afford the delegates an opportunity to engage in intense introspection about political and socio-economic challenges confronting the nation and to chart the best way to resolve them. "We cannot continue to fold our arms and assume that thing will straighten themselves out in due course, instead of taking practical steps to overcome impediments on our path to true nationhood, rapid development and national prosperity. "In inaugurating this national conference today, we are not unmindful of the argument of those who say that we do not need such a conference since we already have an elected parliament and government in place. "As cogent as that argument may sound, I have chosen to act on the sincere conviction that in the truly democratic nation we are striving to build, we must never ignore the loudly expressed views of the majority of ordinary Nigerians. "I have heard that majority say that we need to rebuild trust by involving them in the process of developing a guiding document of our national relationships which is more acceptable to all sections of the country. "The 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." Mr. Jonathan, however, explained that the conference delegates were not usurping the roles of the National Assembly or the executive arm of government but complementing these arms of government towards building a stronger union. Over the years, he noted that well-meaning Nigerians have drawn attention to the inadequacies of the 1999 Constitution and the fact that it does not take into account the genuine desires of the people. Continuing, he said, "It is a strong and compelling statement in a world much afflicted by strife and violence. We must sustain it. We must not allow antagonists of unity and togetherness to prevail. We must work ceaselessly to remain one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity, as our National Assembly says." While many have argued that the nation has held several conferences in the past and did not need for a fresh conference, Mr. Jonathan said he was averse to such argument. He, therefore, held that the challenges the nation faces during past national conferences were different. "The challenges of 1956 are certainly not the challenges of the 2014, and definitely no 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 prefer yesterday's solutions for today's problems." "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 creation, state police and fiscal federalism, to indegenship, gender equality and children's rights, among others." He, however, advised delegates not to approach the issues with suspicion and antagonism but to be open-minded and work together to achieve the best for the country. He challenged the delegates to prove skeptics wrong by reshaping the destiny of the country for the benefit of posterity. Mr. Jonathan also said that in the 60s, Nigeria was ranked alongside India, Malaysia and South Korea but noted that the Asian countries have long moved ahead in many areas. "We must seize this opportunity to cement the cleavages and fault lines that separate us. We must re-launch our country," the president said. He said Nigeria would be the ultimate winner if delegates do what is right especially when they are confronted with strong, complex and emotive views from opposing sides. Mr. Jonathan also used the occasion to appeal to the National Assembly and state houses of assembly to hasten work on the amendment of the 1999 Constitution with a view to accommodating the outcome of the conference. "I am confident that we are embarking on a landmark journey that will make us stronger as a nation if we undertake it (conference) with all sense of purpose and sincerity. Let us do that which is selfless, purposeful and patriotic so that history will remember us for having served our nation well," Mr. Jonathan said. Responding, the Conference Chairman, Idris Kutigi thanked Mr. Jonathan for inaugurating the conference, saying it was "A significant step in the drive towards building a stable nation." Justice Kutigi assured that the conference would leave up to the expectation of Nigerians in addressing some of the nation's challenges. Earlier in an opening address, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, had told the President that 492 delegates to the conference have confirmed attendance. He said the delegates were men and women of integrity and wisdom, adding that they were selected from based on the recommendation and structure proposed by the Presidential Advisory Committee on the National Conference. But PREMIUM TIMES checks showed that not all the delegates turned up for the conference. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Confab - Jonathan Releases List of 492 Delegates BY IGHO OYOYO, 7 MARCH 2014 President Goodluck Jonathan has released the list of 492 delegates that will participate at the National Conference. The president also approved the appointments of three assistant secretaries to serve in the National Conference Secretariat. In a statement signed by the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, Dr Akilu Ndabawa has been appointed as assistant secretary, conference proceedings; Prof Mahmood Yakubu as assistant secretary, finance and administration and Mr James Akpandem as assistant secretary, media and communications. It further stated that the National Conference would be inaugurated on Monday, March 17, 2014, at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja, at 11am and all delegates are expected to attend the inauguration. Full List Of 492 Delegates ELDER STATESMEN 1. Dr. Tunji Braithwaite 2. Chief Ayo Adebanjo 3. Chief Richard Akinjide 4. Chief Olu Falae 5. Erelu Olusola Obada 6. Chief Afe Babalola, SAN 7. General Ike Nwachukwu 8. Iyom Josephine Anenih 9. Senator Jim Nwobodo 10. Chief Mike Ahamba, SAN 11. Senator Azu Agboti 12. Chief Peter Odili 13. King Alfred Diete Spiff 14. Edwin K. Clark 15. Daisy Danjuma 16. Prof. Evara Ejemot Esu, OFR 17. Chief Nduese Esiene 18. Prof. Ambrose Okwoli 19. Alhaji Abdulahi Ohoimah 20. Prof. Ibrahim Gambari 21. Mr. Dogara Mark Ogbole 22. Prof. Jerry Gana 23. Gen. Jonathan Temlong 24. Prof. Jubril Aminu 25. Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Muazu 26. Arc. Ibrahim Bunu 27. Amb. Yerima Abdullahi 28. Mr. John Mamman 29. Alhaji Adamu Waziri 30. Alhaji Umaru Musa Zandan 31. Prof. Mohammed Jumari 32. Mallam Tanko Yakassai 33. Senator Ibrahim Idah 34. Hon. Justice Usman Mohammed Argungu 35. Prof. Sambo Jinadu 36. Ishia Aliyu Gusau 37. General A. B. Mamman RETIRED MILITARY AND SECURITY PERSONNEL RETIRED ARMY, NAVY & AIR FORCE OFFICERS (RANAO) ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (ARPON) 1. Gen. Zamani Lekwot 2. Maj. Gen. Alex Mshelbwala 3. Rear Adm CS Ehanmo 4. Brig. Gen. (Barr.) DO Idada-Ikponmwen 5. Group Capt Ohadomere 6. Gen. Raji Rasaki ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED POLICE OFFICERS OF NIGERIA (ARPON) 1. R. O. Osanaiye, AIG (rtd) 2. Alh. (Barr.) Mamman Misau, AIG (rtd) 3. Alhaji Bashiru Albasu, AIG (rtd.) 4. Chief (Barr.) Nicholas Duru Nkemdeme, CP (rtd) 5. Barr. J. I. Ebinum, DCP (rtd) 6. Barr. Samuel Adetuyi, CP (rtd) RETIRED STATE SECURITY AND NIA OFFICERS 1. Chief Jeremiah Okwuonu 2. A. K. Horsfall 3. Mr. Iliya Danga 4. Chief Babatunde Ala 5. Amb. B. M. Sani 6. Amb. J. K. Shinkaiye TRADITIONAL RULERS 1. His Royal Highness, Alh. Dr. Zayyanu Abdullahi, Emir of Yauri 2. His Royal Highness, Alh. (Dr.) Nuhu Mohammed Sanusi, Emir of Dutse 3. His Royal Highness, Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha, CFR, Lamido of Adamawa 4. His Royal Highness, Alh. Abdullahi Ibn Muhammad Askirama III, Emir of Askira 5. His Royal Highness, Alh. Sulu Gambari, CFR, Emir of Ilorin 6. His Royal Highness, Elder Jacob Gyang Buba, Gbong Gwom Jos 7. His Royal Majesty, Oba Michael Gbadebo Adedeji, JP, CON, Ariyowonye Lim Owaoye of Okemesi 8. His Royal Majesty, Oba Arc. Aderemi A. Adedapo, Alayemore of Ido Osun, Coordinator 9. His Royal Highness, Eze (Dr) Cletus I. Illomuanya, Obi of Obinugwu 10. His Royal Highness, Eze Elder Agom Eze, OON 11. His Royal Highness, Dr. Edmund Daukuro, FNSE, Amanyanabo of Nembe Kingdom 12. His Royal Highness, Chief Nosakhare Isekhure, Chief Priest of Benin Kingdom 13. HRM Ismail Danlami Mohammed, Sarki of Karshi RETIRED CIVIL SERVANTS 1. Engr. Ebele O. Okeke 2. Dr. Edet A. Ekerendu 3. Mr. Akin Arikawe 4. Chief Robert Audu 5. Ammuna Lawan Ali 6. Dr. H. U. Sanusi LABOUR REPRESENTATIVES NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS 1. Abdulwahed Ibrahim Omar 2. Chris Uyot 3. Kiri Mohammed Shaibu 4. Joe Ajaero 5. Promise Adewusi 6. Issa Aremu 7. Lucy Offiong 8. Ayuba Wabba 9. Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson 10. Emma Ugboaja 11. Ibrahim Khaleel 12. Michael Olukoya TRADE UNION CONGRESS OF NIGERIA 1. Bobboi Bala Kaigama 2. Barrister Musa Lawal 3. Mrs. Dinatu Asibi Assani 4. Olasanye Oyinkan 5. Sunday Olusoji Salako 6. Olakunle Olanrewaju Olaitan 7. Peter Esele 8. Augustine Etafo 9. Maryam Jummai Bello 10. Hassan Salihu Anka 11. Bede Opara 12. Aliyu Musa ORGANISED PRIVATE SECTOR NIGERIA EMPLOYERS' CONSULTATIVE ASSOCIATION (NECA) 1. Chief R. U. Uche 2. Mallam Mahmud Othman MANUFACTURERS ASSOCATION OF NIGERIA (MAN) 1. Chief Kola Jamodu, OFR 2. Alhaji Ali Madugu, mni NIGERIA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, INDUSTRY AND MANUFACTURERS ASSOCATION (NACCIMA) 1. Alhaji Mohammed B. Abubakar, MON 2. Chief Bassey E. O. Edem, MFR NIGERIAN ECONOMIC SUMMIT GROUP (NESG) 1. Mr. Bukar Kyari 2. Mr. Frank Nweke II NIGERIA YOUTHS ORGANISATIONS NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL OF NIGERIA 1. Comrade Henry Nwabueze 2. Ajani James Olawale 3. Abdullahi Abdulmajeed 4. Mallam Hamma Bello Bilkindo 5. Charles Ibiang 6. Ben Duntoye NATIONAL ASSOCATION OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS (NANS) 1. Yinka Gbadebo, GCNS 2. Sylvester Okoh 3. Abdullahi Ali-Kano 4. Chinonso Obasi 5. Clifford Abur 6. Olayinka Dada (JP) OTHER YOUTH ORGANISATIONS 1. Hassan Rilwan 2. Yadomah Bukar Mandara 3. Yakubu Shendam 4. Kasim Akande 5. Mosunmola Umoru 6. Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu WOMEN GROUPS NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN'S SOCIETIES (NCWS) 1. Chief (Mrs.) Nkechi Okemini Mba 2. Mrs. Love Ezema 3. Mrs. Remi Kuku 4. Dr. (Mrs.) Patricia Ogbonnaya 5. Chief (Mrs.) Anthonia Balogun 6. Chief (Mrs.) Temitope Ajayi 7. Hajiya Ramatu Usman, mni 8. Chief (Mrs) Hannatu Lohor 9. Mrs. Princess Rabi Ibrahim 10. Mrs. Safiya Ibrahim Ogo 11. Hajiya Miriam S. Mohammed 12. Mrs. Princess Hadiza Ibrahim MARKET WOMEN ASSOCIATIONS 1. Mrs. Sheila Tamuno Abiye 2. Hajiya Alina Usuma 3. Hajiya Marvyatu Iliasu 4. Mrs. Sarah Benjamin 5. Mrs. Felicia Sanni 6. Mrs. Ifeayinwa Ezenwa INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN LAWYERS (FIDA) 1. Ms. Hauwa Evelyn Shekarau 2. Mrs. Ezinwa Okoroafor NIGERIAN ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN JOURNALISTS (NAWOJ) 1. Asabe Baba Nahaya, JP 2. Brenda Akpan WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS AND PUBLIC SERVICES (WINBIZ) 1. Mrs. Ifeoma Idigbe 2. Hajiya Bola Shagaya POLITICAL PARTIES ALL PROGRESSIVES GRAND ALLIANCE (APGA) 1. Chief Chris Ejike Uche 2. Dr. Sagir Auwal Maidoya ACCORD PARTY 1. Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja 2. Hon. Muhammad Lawal Nalado LABOUR PARTY 1. Chief (Barr.) Dan Nwanyanwu, mni 2. Comrade A. A. Salam (Baraden Paiko) PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) 1. Dr. Ahmadu Ali 2. Commodore Olabode George (rtd.) ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS (APC) 1. Yet to forward nominations 2. MUSLIM LEADERS 1. Prof. Muhammad Nur Alkali 2. Prof. Is-haq O. Oloyede 3. Hajia Amina B. Omoti 4. Mal. Muzzammil Sani Hanga 5. Alh. Nurudeen Lemu 6. Nomination yet to be completed CHRISTIAN LEADERS 1. Bishop Joseph D. Bagobiri 2. Prof. Andrew Haruna 3. Elder Barr. John A. Achimugu 4. Pastor Emmanuel Bosun 5. Dr. Mrs. Kate Okpareke 6. Barr. Godswill Iyoha Iyoke CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS STATE/ZONE 1. Rev. Nnimmo Bassey Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) 2. Mahmood Aminu Public Interest Lawyers League 3. Dr. Isaac Osuoka Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action) & Pan Niger Delta Conference (PNDC) 4. Joe Okei-Odumakin Women Arise for Change Initiative & Campaign for Democracy 5. Ezenwa Nwagwu Partners for Electoral Reform 6. Festus Okoye Human Right Monitors 7. Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN Leader, Civil Society Organization 8. Ebuchukwu Ezike Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) 9. Femi Falana, SAN Leader, Civil Society Organizations 10. Dr. Abiola Akiyode Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre 11. Wale Okuniyi PRONACO 12. Bisi Olateru Olagbegi Women Consortium of Nigeria 13. Kyauta Giwa Community Action for Popular Participation (CAPP) 14. Steve Aluko Civil Liberties Organization 15. Jaye Gaskiya United Action for Democracy 16. Rommy Mom Lawyers' Alert 17. Auwal Musa Rafsanjani Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre 18. Mallam Naseer Kura Basic Rights Action - Kano 19. Dr. Emma Shehu International Institute of Journalism 20. Dr. Maryam Abdullah Women for Peace in Nigeria 21. Hajia Shetu Alfa FOMWAN 22. Y. Z. Ya'u Centre for Information Technology & Development 23. Abubakar Saidiq Ibrahim Campaign for Democracy & Development 24. Dudu Paloma Responsible Citizenship NIGERIANS IN DIASPORA EUROPE 1. Adebayo Oladimeji 2. Christian Chukwudozie Udechukwu AMERICA 1. Mr. Gabriel Okoye 2. Hon George Anibowel AFRICA 1. Abdulahi Abubakar 2. Amb. Vincent Okobi ASIA 1. Dr. Jonathan Obaje 2. Dr. Balarabe Yushau PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES 1. Dandeson Hart 2. Barr. Ayodele Adekanmbi 3. Ms. Ekaete Judith Umoh 4. Kenan Mamman 5. Esther Andrew 6. Zainabi Argungu NEWSPAPER PROPRIETORS ASOCIATION OF NIGERIA 1. Mr. Nduka Obaigbena 2. Mal. Kabir Yusuf NIGERIA GUILD OF EDITORS 1. Isaac Ighure 2. Is'haq Modibo Kawu NIGERIA UNION OF JOURNALISTS 1. Alhaji Mohammed Sani Zoro 2. Mr. Lanre Ogundipe BROADCASTING ORGANISATION OF NIGERIA 1. Abubakar B. Jijiwa, MFR 2. High Chief (Dr.) Aleogho Raymond Dokpesi, PhD, OFR SOCIO-POLITICAL/CULTURAL AND ETHNIC NATIONALITY GROUPS SOUTH SOUTH GEO-POLITICAL ZONE 1. Okon Osung 2. Idongest Nkangha 3. Ray Ekpu 4. Amb. (Prof.) Lawrence Ekpebu, OFR 5. Prof. Kimse Okoko 6. Sen. Musa Adede 7. Ntufam (Dr.) Josephat Okey 8. Hon. Orok Out Duke 9. Chief Joshua B. Fomudo 10. Gen. Paul Omu 11. Chief Paul Enebeli 12. Sen. Yisa Braimah 13. Barr. Chris Agbonmwanegbe 14. Chief Sergeant Awuse 15. Dr. Silas Eneyo SOUTH WEST GEO-POLITICAL ZONE 1. Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele 2. Supo Sonibare 3. Sir Olaniwun Ajayi 4. Dr. Adetokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu 5. Chief Ajibola Ogunsola 6. Barr. Niyi Akintola, SAN 7. Mr. Yinka Odumakin 8. Senator Anthony Adefuye 9. Senator Femi Okunrounmu 10. Hon. Salvador Adegoke Moshood 11. Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa 12. Dr. Amos Akingba 13. Chief Gani Adams 14. Dr. Femi Obayori 15. Pastor Tunde Bakare SOUTH EAST GEO-POLITICAL ZONE 1. Gary Enwo-Igariwey 2. Chief Onyema Ugochukwu 3. Chief Chukwu Wachukwu 4. Prof. I. C. Madubuike 5. HRH Igwe (Amb) L. O. C. Agubuzu 6. His Excellency, Amb. Fidel Ayogu 7. Chief Goddy Uwazurike 8. Dr. Dozie Ikedife 9. Chief Chris Eluemunoh 10. Chief Uzoma Nwosu Iheme 11. Prof. Chinedu Nwajiuba 12. Dr. Joe Nwaogu 13. Dr. Sam Egwu 14. Dr. Clement Mgbada 15. Prof. Nnenna Oti NORTH EAST GEO-POLITICAL ZONE 1. Mallam Mohammed Ibrahim 2. Hon. Mohammed Umara Kumalia 3. Mr. Paul Bassi 4. Amb. Ibrahim Mai Sule 5. Dr. Abdu Bulama 6. Mr. Bar Abubakar Samo 7. Amb. Adamu Aliyu 8. Dr. Sale Dauda 9. Dr. Daniel Madu 10. Sen. Saidu Kumo 11. Amb. Hassan Adamu 12. Kashim Ndjida 13. Chief B. Leonard 14. Barrister Chris Abongaby 15. Alhaji Isa Mafindi NORTH WEST GEO-POLITICAL ZONE 1. IGP Ibrahim Coomassie (rtd) 2. Amb. Yaro Yusuf Mamman 3. Prof. Auwalu Yadudu 4. Alhaji Magaji Danbatta 5. AVM Mutari Mohammed 6. Sen. Bello Maitama Yusuf 7. Ms. Fati Eunice Ibrahim 8. Sen. Mohammed Kabiru Jibrin 9. Sen. Saidu Musa Dansadau 10. Col. Bala Mande 11. Gen. Tanko Ayuba 12. Hajiya Maria Waziri 13. Bilkisu Magoro 14. Hajiya Laraba Dattijo 15. Sen. Ladan Shuni NORTH CENTRAL GEO-POLITICAL ZONE 1. Elder Bulus Dareng 2. Lt. Gen. J. T. Useni 3. Sen. Ibrahim Mantu 4. Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma 5. Mr. Anthony Sani 6. Prof. Onje Gewyedo 7. Prof. Iyorchia Ayu 8. Prof. John Uko 9. Dr. Philip O. Salawu 10. Bayo Ojo 11. Prof. (Mrs.) Mariatu Tunuche 12. Dr. Shem Nuhu Zagbayi 13. Engr. Mustapha Bello 14. Sen. Gbemi Saraki 15. Mr. John Dara PROFESSIONAL BODIES 1. Okey Wali, SAN Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) 2. Engr. (Senator) Adefemi Kila, FNSE The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) 3. Dr. Segun Aina, OFR Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIB) 4. Dr. Osahon Enabulele Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) 5. Dr. Nelson U. O. Uwaga, mni, FNIM Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) 6. Arc. Waheed Niyi Brimmo, fnia, pnia Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) 7. Senator (Chief) Felix Kolawole Bajomo, FCA Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) 8. Mr. Johnson Oludeinde Oluata, FCNA Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) 9. Dr. Rotimi Oladele, FNIPR Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) 10. Mrs. Bunmi Oke, frpa Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAPN) 11. Mr. Emeka D. Eleh The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) 12. Engr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu Nigerian Environmental Society 13. Prof. Olu Ajakaiye Nigeria Economic Society 14. Prof. Yakubu A. Ochefu Historical Society of Nigeria 15. Alhaji Musa Isiwele Road Transport Employers Assocation (RTEAN) NATIONAL ACADEMIES THE NIGERIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 1. Prof. Oyewale Tomori, FAS, NNOM ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING 1. Engr. V. I. Maduka, OFR THE NIGERIAN ACADEMY OF EDUCATION 1. Prof. U. M. O. Ivowi NIGERIAN ACADEMY OF LETTERS 1. Prof. Munzali Jibril ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES 1. Yet to be nominated JUDICIARY 1. Hon. Justice G. A. Oguntade 2. Hon. Justice F. F. Tabai 3. Hon. Justice Abdulahi Mustapha 4. Hon. Justice Adamu Bello 5. Hon. Justice Veronica Ngozi Ume 6. Hon. Justice Baba Alkali Ba'aba FORMER POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS FORMER GOVERNORS 1. Chief Achike Udenwa 2. Chief Olusegun Osoba 3. Obong Victor Attah 4. Alh. Saidu Barda 5. Amb. Fidelis Tapgun 6. Nomination not completed SENATORS FORUM 1. Senator Khairat Abdulrazaq Gwadabe 2. Senator Abdullahi Bala Adamu 3. Senator Muhammed Ibrahim 4. Senator Nnamdi Eriobuna 5. Senator John K. Brambaifa 6. Senator Iyabo Anisunlowo HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FORUM 1. Hon. Ghali Umar Na'Abba, CFR 2. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, CON 3. Hon. (Chief) Obi Anoliofo 4. Hon. Umar Kareto Lawan 5. Hon. Musa Elayo Abdullahi 6. Hon. Sheik M. Sekoni ASSOCIATION OF FORMER SPEAKERS 1. Rt. Hon. (Chief) Anayo Nnebe 2. Rt. Hon. Abudssalam Taofig Olawale 3. Rt. Hon. Ignatius Kevin Edet 4. Rt. Hon. Habu Isa Ajiya 5. Rt. Hon. Mohammed Yaro 6. Rt. Hon. Terseer Tsumba FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA 1. General Alani Akinrinade (rtd) 2. Prof. Olawale Albert 3. Prof. Anya O. Anya 4. Dr. (Mrs.) Virginia A. Anohu 5. Annkio Briggs 6. Col. Tony Nyiam 7. His Excellency, Engr. A. A. Kure 8. Group Capt. Jeo Orji 9. Ibrahim D. Waziri 10. Mrs. Binta Ibrahim Musa 11. Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar 12. His Excellency, Adamu Aliero 13. Hajiya Hauwa Bukar 14. Senator Mimibariya Amange 15. Dame Virgi Etiaba 16. Chief Asara A. Asara 17. Mrs. Eunice Igwe 18. Damian Dodo, SAN 19. Mrs. Ngozi Olejeme 20. Atedo Peterside STATE GOVERNMENTS AND FCT ABIA STATE 1. Senator Adolphus Wabara 2. Prof. J. C. Ogbonnaya 3. Mrs. Victoria Akanwa ADAMAWA STATE 1. Alhaji Mohammed Gambo Jimeta 2. Mrs. Binta Massi Garba 3. Mr. Moses Ngbale AKWA IBOM STATE 1. Senator Anietie Okon 2. Prof. Nsongurua J. Udombana 3. Her Excellency (Mrs.) Atim Etim Okpoyo ANAMBRA STATE 1. Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife 2. Prof. A. B. C. Nwosu 3. Prof. Dora Akunyili BAUCHI STATE 1. Dr. Garba Ibrahim 2. Prof. Isa B. Mohammed 3. Prof. Gambo Laraba Abdullahi BAYELSA STATE 1. Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha 2. Chief Francis Doukpolagha 3. Dr. (Mrs.) Ngieriwagha BENUE STATE 1. Senator Jack Tilley Gyado 2. Dr. Magdalene Mba Dura 3. Maj-Gen. Geoffrey Ejiga BORNO STATE 1. Kashim Ibrahim Imam 2. Hajiya Fati (Dongonyaro) Ali Monguno 3. Hon. Dr. Haruna Yerima CROSS RIVER STATE 1. Gen. Anthony Ukpo (Rtd.) 2. Dr. Pius Tawo 3. Senator Florence Ita-Giwa DELTA STATE 1. Prof. Godini G. Darah 2. Chief Benjamin S. C. Elue 3. Female nominee expected EBONYI STATE 1. Dr. (Mrs.) Adaeze Nwuzor 2. Senator (Dr.) Offia Nwali 3. Prof. Chigozie Ogbu EDO STATE 1. Mr. Charles Edosomwan, SAN 2. Prof. Sylvanus Oboh 3. Female nominee expected EKITI STATE 1. Prof. Akin Oyebode 2. Prof. (Mrs.) Bisi Aina 3. Bishop Felix Ajakaye ENUGU STATE 1. H.E. Ken Nnamani 2. Prof. Mrs. Rose Onah 3. Monsignor Obiora Ike GOMBE STATE 1. Alhaji Usman Faruk, NPM, CON 2. Barr. Zubairu Mohammed Umar 3. Mrs. Hannatu Ibrahim, MFR IMO STATE 1. Engr. Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu 2. Chief Bob Njemance 3. Chief (Mrs.) Chidinma Uwajumogu JIGAWA STATE 1. Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu 2. Umaru Mohammed Hadejia 3. Prof. Rukayyatu Ahmed Rufa'l KADUNA STATE 1. Prof. Yusuf Turaki 2. Senator Ahmed Mohammed Aruwa 3. Hajia Nafisatu Babajo KANO STATE 1. Alhaji Sule Yahya Hamma 2. Dr. Junaid Muhammed 3. Hajiya Aishatu Isma'il KATSINA STATE 1. Justice Mamman Nasir (Rtd) GCON 2. Dr. Abubakar Saddique Mohammed 3. Hajiya Talatu Nasir KEBBI STATE 1. Dr. Bello Haliru Muhammad 2. Amb. Isah Muhammed Argungu 3. Dr. Fati Lami Adamu KOGI STATE 1. Prof. Sam Egwu 2. Hajia Ladi Ibrahim 3. Chief Olusola Akanmode KWARA STATE 1. Alhaji Yusuf Kawu Daibu 2. Senator Ahmed Mohammed 3. Mrs. Wosilat Marcarthy LAGOS STATE 1. Mr. Supo Sasore, SAN 2. Prof. Tunde Samuel 3. Olufunmilayo Osinowo-Bashorun NASARAWA STATE 1. Dr. Mohammed Hassan Lawal 2. Alhaji Muhammed Othman 3. Mrs. Lydia J. Viko NIGER STATE 1. Hajiya Dije Bala (F) 2. Abubakar Adamu Chika 3. Barr. Halidu Ibrahim (Ph.D) OGUN STATE 1. Mr. Fola Adeola 2. Barrister Bisi Adegbuyi 3. Prof. (Mrs.) Titi Filani ONDO STATE 1. Dr. (Mrs.) Yemi Mahmud-Fasominu 2. Prof. N. Oluwafemi Mimiko 3. Barr. Remi Olatubora OSUN STATE 1. Chief Gbadegesin Adedeji 2. Chief Femi Akande 3. Mrs. Bola Ogunrimade (mni) OYO STATE 1. Chief Adeniyi Akintola 2. Prof. Ganiyu Raji 3. Female nominee expected PLATEAU STATE 1. Prof. Dakum Shown 2. Prof. Ganyir Lombin 3. Mrs. Esther Gonda RIVERS STATE 1. Prof. Amakievi Gabriel 2. Justice Peter Akere (Rtd) 3. Female nominee expected SOKOTO STATE 1. Engr. Bello Suleiman 2. Alh. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi 3. Prof. Aishatu I. Madawaki TARABA STATE 1. Justice Adamu Aliyu 2. Ambassador Suleiman Zubairu 3. Hon. Dr. Mrs. Salome Jankada YOBE STATE 1. Khalifa Hassan Yusuf 2. Dr. Garba Abari 3. Female nominee expected ZAMFARA STATE 1. HRH, Justice Lawal Hassan Gummi, Emir of Gummi 2. Brigadier Gen. Muhammad Mansur Dan Ali (Rtd) 3. Hon. Justice Balkisu Bello Aliyu FCT 1. Barr. Musa Salihu FORMER LGA CHAIRMEN 1. Hon. Felex Akhabue 2. Barr. Nasiru Ibrahim Junji 3. Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Ahmed 4. Barrister Igberi Nweme 5. Hon. Emmanuel Tsamdu 6. Chief Shola Ebiseeni OFFICIALS OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE CHAIRMAN, DEPUTY CHAIR AND SECRETARY 1. Justice Idriss Legbo Kutigi Chairman 2. Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi Deputy Chairman 3. Dr. (Mrs.) Valerie Azinge Secretary 4. Dr. Akilu Indabawa Asst. Secretary, Conference Proceedings 5. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu Asst. Secretary, Finance & Administration 6. Mr. James Akpandem Asst. Secretary, Media and Communications --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Kutugi Named Chairman of National Conference By Francis Okeke, 4 March 2014 Goodluck Jonathan on Peace and Security in Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday appointed former Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Idris Lebo Kutigi as chairman of the forth-coming National Conference. A statement by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim said Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi will serve as vice chairman while Mrs. Valerie Azinge will serve as secretary. The Federal Government had in January rolled out the modalities for the conference which will have 492 members, with President Jonathan saying last week that the conference proper will begin on the 10th of this month. The statement from Anyim said the appointees are to resume at Abuja on Wednesday. Kutigi, who hails from Niger state, was the CJN from January 30, 2007 to December 30, 2009. He was born December 31, 1939. He studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and the Gibson and Weldon College of Law, before returning to attend the Nigerian Law School in Lagos, Lagos State. Kutigi served as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Niger State before becoming a high court judge in 1976. He joined the Supreme Court in 1992 and served for 10 years before President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him Chief Justice, succeeding outgoing Salihu Alfa Belgore. Prof Akinyemi, who will serve as the vice chair of the conference, was born in Ilesa in what is now Osun State. He attended the Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1962 to 1964, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, US, 1964 to 1966, and Trinity College, Oxford University, England, from 1966 until 1969. He was a visiting professor at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva and at the Diplomacy Training Programme, University of Nairobi, Kenya, both in 1977. Akinyemi was Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) from 1975 until 1983. He was appointed Minister of External Affairs by military president Ibrahim Babangida in 1985. The secretary, Dr Azinge, is an indigene of Enugu State. She is a 1980 Law graduate of the University of Jos and was called to the bar in 1981. She attended the London School of Economics for her master in Law in 1984 and obtained a doctorate in Law at the Ambrose Alli University, Edo State. She is a constitutional lawyer who specialises in corporate law and human rights issues. She is a pioneer member of the board of the National Human Rights Commission, appointed in 1995, serving two terms. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Conference, an Opportunity to Rebuild Nigeria, Says Nwabueze Group By Christopher Isiguzo, 4 March 2014 Goodluck Jonathan on Peace and Security in Nigeria The Strategy Committee of the Igbo Leaders of Thought led by renowned constitutional lawyer, Prof Ben Nwabueze, yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to see the proposed national conference as an opportunity to rebuild Nigeria in view of the myriads of challenges threatening the nation's unity. Deputy Secretary of the group, Elliot Uko, told journalists in Enugu that the conference represents a vehicle for genuine transformation of Nigeria and commended President Jonathan for having the courage and boldness to convene the conference. "Igbo Leaders of Thought commends President Jonathan for his efforts to transform Nigeria into a nation that we all would be very proud of. We commend the president's commitment in fighting insecurity, his commitment in transforming the country and his sincerity in convening a national conference. "We assure the president that even though Igbo Leaders of Thought are not praise singers, we will identify with him when the time comes, because we have watched him seriously and we have come to the conclusion that he is sincere, committed and dedicated in his avowed commitment in growing this country into a nation that will make Blackman proud," he said. He stressed that with the nation at cross roads, the national conference couldn't have come at a more auspicious time, saying that it may well be a veritable platform to rebuild the country. "We plead with the president to ensure that this national conference truly rebuilds this country and it will be a wonderful legacy if he does," Uko said. The Igbo leaders had last week presented the Igbo position on the conference even as it advocated for the right of the zones to form the basis for the federating units and the rights of self determination, including the right to secede. Nwabueze who presented the position paper also apologised to Igbo leaders for the inability of himself and former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, to accede to their request to be part of the conference. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Why Nigeria'll Not Break Up Under Jonathan's Watch - Clark By Ikenna Asomba, 28 February 2014 Elder statesman and Ijaw Leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark was the guest lecturer at the 7th Distinguished Lecture Series of School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Victoria Island, Lagos, last Wednesday. He spoke on burning national issues including the raging Boko Haram insurgency, war against graft and comments that Nigeria may disintegrate before 2015 among others. CHronicling the history of Nigeria dating back to the 1914 amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates, Clark said that propositions that the nation will disintegrate should be totally disregarded, as what is playing out in the country today is only a tussle for political power. He said: "We have been together for the past 100 years. It was in 1914 that Lord Lugard amalgamated the Northern and the Southern protectorates. Don't ask me why the amalgamation because I do not want to dwell on that. But firstly, it is apt to note that there was a true federation particularly in 1961. Among Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the Sarduana of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello, there was a federation and these premiers agreed that there was going to be a federation where everybody will be equal. We are going to have a federation where every component and region will be allowed to develop at its own pace. Then, these three leaders were able to develop their own region. "It was in 1956 that the late Chief Anthony Enahoro moved a motion in the Parliament that there should be independence, but the Northerners said no, that we were not ready. So, when they came out of the Parliament, they were booed and jeered at. And the northerners vowed never to come to Lagos again. Then, this was followed up by the independence in 1960, Nigeria did not break. Even in 1966, five majors in the Army decided to plot a coup that saw many people killed, including Tafawa Balewa, the Sarduana of Sokoto, Chief Akintola, Chief Okotie-Eboh and some soldiers. All these played out and Gen. Yakubu Gowon came into power but Nigeria did not break... "Even in 1967, there was a civil war which claimed so many lives because the Igbo felt they were marginalized and therefore they fought for a cause. Under Odumegwu Ojukwu, they seceded from Nigeria, but Gowon insisted that Nigeria must remain one. After the war that ensued, Nigeria became more stronger and united, the Igbo were re-integrated into the country because Gowon declared that there was no victor, no vanquished. Since then, so many things have happened, but Nigeria did not break. "When in 1914 Lord Lugard amalgamated the Northern and Southern protectorates, he did not say one would be superior to the other; he did not say one would rule Nigeria forever. Massive support The Northerners have ruled this country for 38 years, military and civilian, whereas others have ruled for just 16 years. The Igbo have just ruled for 6 months, but heaven did not fall. Now that the South-South who has not been there before is now there, heaven wants to fall." He recalled the 1979 election, saying the South-South massively supported Alhaji Shehu Shagari, a northerner and NPN candidate, and has always supported the North and other regions for the Presidency noting that there was no reason the South-South, a minority, will not be supported to complete its tenure of eight years in the presidency. Jonathan has right to re-contest elections: Speaking further, Clark said that Section 137 of the 1999 constitution allows the President to go for two terms of four years each. "So, it is an aberration for anybody to say that Jonathan does not have the right to re-contest in 2015 presidential elections. Section 137 guarantees the President the right to go for two terms of four years. President Jonathan was only a running mate to the late President Musa Ya'Adua in the 2007 elections. He only contested as President in 2011, therefore, it is a mix-up to say that Jonathan's tenure started in 2007." Obnoxious statements: Describing statements credited to General Muhamadu Buhari, Adamu Ciroma and Asari Dokubo that there will be war if Jonathan wins or does not win the 2015 elections, Clark said they are not enough to break the country. His words: "So, when you are talking about Nigeria in the shadow of 2015, I am very optimistic that nothing will happen to our dear country. I don't see Nigeria breaking in 2015. People are just saying this because two American scholars who conducted a research some years back, postulated that Nigeria is in a balance or that Nigeria will break. They based their postulation on jostling for political power and the small arms being imported into this country. Now certain obnoxious statements have been made by the likes of Buhari, Geidam, Alhaji Suleiman, Adamu Ciroma, Asari Dokubo and others that there will be war, bloodshed, that there will be no Nigeria, if Jonathan wins or does not win the 2015 elections. These statements which support the assertion by the American scholars is not enough to break Nigeria. Let it also be known that I, E.K. Clark openly responded to the National Assembly, especially the Hon. Aminu Tambuwal-led House of Representatives not to play double standards. When the House ordered the Inspector General of Police to arrest and investigate Asari Dokubo, who was only reacting to the statements of some northern elements who are threatening to make the country ungovernable if Jonathan wins the 2015 election, it was my open letter that made the matter die down till date." On Corruption: "Jonathan has done a lot in fighting corruption in this country. Looking at the issue of fuel subsidy, even the son of the former Chairman of his party was prosecuted. But however, I suggest that with the political will he has to fight corruption, that a Corruption tribunal should be set up, to charge criminals who steal our public funds, no matter how highly placed they are. This is being done in other countries. It pains me that most corrupt Nigerians still work freely in the streets. Rather than keeping shut, they go about accusing the present administration of corruption. Take for instance, the suspended CBN governor, who has been playing a holy than thou attitude, it has just been made known that he was involved in financial recklessness at the CBN. Sanusi should not be allowed to go scot free. He should be made to go to jail, if found wanting after ongoing investigations. Boko-Haram challenge: Reacting to Tuesday's killing of students of Federal Government Girls College in Yobe State, by the deadly Islamist sect, Boko Haram, Clark affirmed that all hands needed to be on deck in combating the insurgency which has claimed many lives and properties. He however blamed the insurgency to statements credited to some northerners that Nigeria will be ungovernable if Jonathan wins the 2011 Presidential elections. "I think the federal government has been making frantic efforts to contain this insurgency. Government recently created a new army division to support the armed forces that are there already. These insurgents are terrorists, because they have already been brain-washed that when they kill, Allah (God Almighty) will reward them after death in heaven, with seven virgins which is all fallacy. One major challenge is the issue of genocide. Because when the Jonathan administration uses full force like Obasanjo did, so many innocent Nigerians will be killed." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Confab - Northern Elders, ACF Fault Selection of Delegates By Bode Gbadebo, Ejike Ejike and Oladayo Odunsi, 28 February 2014 The Northern Elders' Forum (NEF) and the Arewa Consultative Forum have condemned the process of selecting delegates to the forthcoming national conference, saying it is not a true representation of the views of the masses, but those of the friends of the governors and the president. At a press conference yesterday in Abuja, addressed by members of the two groups, with the NEF deputy leader and Second Republic minister, Paul Unongo, alongside Prof Ango Abdullahi and Alhaji Sani Zangon Daura in attendance, the groups expressed its support for the conference and pledged to contribute its opinion to the conference whether or not it was invited. They also congratulated the federal government and Nigerians on the attainment of 100 years of nationhood, stressing the need for Nigeria to stay united in the face of various challenges facing the country. They noted that despite the incessant crises the country was witnessing, it is indeed a thing of celebration that the different entities in the country have stayed together for 100 years without breaking up. In his speeach, Unongo urged President Goodluck Jonathan to apply a holistic approach in tackling the issue of insurgency, as it had been proven over time that military options only cannot address the unrest especially in the northern part of the country. He, however, condemned the recent killings of students in a unity school in Yobe State, as he advised the president to call for dialogue with the Boko Haram insurgents by involving important stakeholders, who would be truthful in handling such case as late President Umaru Yar'Adua did in the case of the Niger Delta militants. The northern elders also condemned the suspension of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, as it maintained that the issue of exposing missing funds that accrued to the nation is the job of the CBN as the custodian of national revenues and Sanusi was only carrying out his statutory duties. They congratulated the Southern People's Assembly (SPA) for finding it fit to come together as one body, but warned the group against making any inciting statements against any individual or group in the north that would cause disunity. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Confab - Yoruba Leaders Call for Parliamentary Govt By Abdulwahab Abdulah, 21 February 2014 Lagos — AHEAD of the planned national conference, Yoruba leaders across the country, led by Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, yesterday converged in Lagos calling for the adoption of parliamentary system of government. Also, they maintained that the outcome of the conference could only be accepted to Nigerians if it went through referendum. The leaders who made the call at a gathering tagged: "Pan-Yoruba Agenda for the 2014 National Conference," said the country had to return to parliamentary system of government, arguing that it was less expensive to run unlike the current presidential system. Reading a 21-point agenda for the National Conference on behalf of others, the founder of Oodua Peoples' Congress, OPC, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, said the Yoruba people appreciated the fact that the parliamentary system of government allowed each of the region to develop at its own pace. According to him, "Yoruba is moving for parliamentary system instead of the presidential system because the Parliamentary system comes with inherent advantages, including being less expensive, enhancing the de-monetisation of politics, de-emphasising corruptive tendencies, promoting easy re-call of erring public office holders and guaranteeing robust decussions before decisions are taken." Apart from this, the forum emphasised the need to subject the outcome of the conference to referendum, introduction of new constitution for Nigeria, respect for the rights of minorities and adequate representation of Nigerian 317 ethnic nationalities in the National Conference. In an interview, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite said though, the National Conference was considered historical, no force within or outside government should attempt to stop it or programme its outcome. According to Braithwaite, the amalgamation that brought Southern and Northern protectorates together in 1914 was fraudulent, arguing that this was therefore the right time to revisit it. Also, the representative of Yoruba people in Kogi and Kwara states, Olusegun Oni said the desires of people in the two states were either to be lumped together to constitute a new state or create a boundary adjustment that would accommodate Yoruba-speaking local governments in both Kogi and Kwara states into the present Ekiti State. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Conference - ACF, Afenifere, Ohaneze Back Modalities 31 January 2014 After weeks of suspense, the federal government yesterday unveiled modalities for the proposed national conference. A total of 492 delegates are expected to participate in the conference billed to last three months. After the modalities were released by the secretary to the government of the federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, the apex socio-political group of the north, Arewa Consultative Forum(ACF), and its counterpart in the south-west, the Afenifere, gave their backing, saying the conference was a right step. Out of the 492, President Goodluck Jonathan is to nominate 77 across specified strata of the society while state governors are to collectively nominate 109 delegates. ACF's spokesman Anthony Sani in a terse statement said he had nothing to add or subtract from the modalities released by the government. "I have just read the statement by the federal government on the national conference, and pleased to say that I have nothing to add or subtract. "I therefore pray the nominees will be our first 11 endowed with public intelligence and patriotic courage," Sani said. The Yoruba socio-political body, Afenifere, for its part, acknowledged the unveiled template for the conference as the first of its kind to recognize the ethnic nationalities in the country. Afenifere's spokesman Yinka Odumakin, who made the position of the group known, however, cautioned that the representations to the conference could be better handled by stakeholders. "Again, Afenifere finds it commendable that stakeholders will nominate their delegates, and not government interfering in the process of nomination by interest groups; this is a welcome development," Odumakin said. The president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Gary Igariwey, who spoke to LEADERSHIP FRIDAY on phone, said he was yet to be fully briefed on the template. After duly studying the template, he said, Ohanaeze Ndigbo will meet to formally take a position on the template. The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in its reaction said it has not changed its position on the national dialogue but would consult over the state representations. The party had resolved not to have anything to do with the confab, describing it as a deceit. Interim national publicity secretary of the APC Lai Mohammed said: "What is there that would make us change our position? Has anything happened that could make us change our position? We stand by our position. It is a deceit, fraud and a diversionary tactic to cover up the failure of the PDP." The SGF, while releasing the modalities for the conference to journalists, said that the nomination of delegates has been scheduled to take place between January 30 and February 20, 2014. According to Anyim, the delegates President Jonathan will nominate consist of elder statesmen, one per state and the FCT, which makes it 37; outstanding youths and role models, one per geopolitical zone; judiciary (persons not currently serving on the bench), six in numbers; chairman, deputy chairman and secretary of the conference delegates (geopolitical spread to be observed) which are three in number; and the Federal Government of Nigeria, which will have 20 delegates. He also said that some other delegates which will be nominated by stakeholders will come from retired military and security personnel, retired civil servants, National Youth Council of Nigeria, NANS, market women associations, FIDAN, NAWOJ, WINBIZ, Muslim and Christian leaders and people living with disabilities, one each from six geopolitical zones. Others to be nominated by stakeholders, according to Anyim, are traditional rulers, two per zone and one from the FCT; organised private sector, Nigeria Youth Organisation, women groups like NCWS, two per geopolitical zone; political parties that have representatives in the National Assembly like PDP, APC, APGA, Accord Party and Labour Party, two delegates from each party. He further said that the state governors will nominate delegates from their governments and the FCT, three per state and one from the FCT based on senatorial district, with at least one woman, which total 109 in number; where the state governors fail to nominate the delegates, the president shall nominate the required number from the state. Anyim said, "The federal government is satisfied that the 13-member Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue under Senator Femi Okurounmu has diligently discharged its task to the nation and posterity. This is moreso as one recalls the foundational principles of their assignment as espoused by President Goodluck Jonathan at the inauguration of the committee. On that occasion, Mr President emphasized that "this is a national project, a sincere and fundamental undertaking, aimed at realistically examining and genuinely resolving longstanding impediments to our cohesion and harmonious development as a truly united nation. "You will also recall that the president further stressed that 'sitting down to talk is one right step in calming down tensions and channeling our grievances, misgivings and suggestions into more positive use for the good of our country'. The president stated as well that, in any case, Nigerians are already talking about their national challenges through the print and electronic media." He observed that "the only gap is that while these talks are sometimes weighty, they often lack direction". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Confab: Only genuine restructuring will save Nigeria — Uko on January 31, 2014 / in Politics 12:00 am We must avoid the Somalia experience Deputy Secretary of the Igbo Leaders of Thought and Founder of the Igbo Youths Movement (IYM), Evangelist Elliot Uko, has stressed the need for the proposed national conference to be sincerely and properly convened. He, in this interview, warns that otherwise the country’s debilitating socio-economic, political and developmental problems will worsen. BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE The Senator Femi Okurounmu-led Presidential Advisory Committee on National Conference reportedly met to re-write a section of its report following complaints from The Patriots, Afenifere, Igbo Leaders of Thought, etc. Will Igbo Leaders of Thought accept the new report? We do not know really to what extent PAC is adjusting its earlier recommendations. We respect the distinguished members of PAC, Nigerians are only saying that the initial PAC report did not seem to tally with the wishes and desires of Nigerians who thronged and submitted memoranda at all its 13 sittings nationwide. We do not have the details of their second private regrouping. We read like everybody else that PAC is adjusting their report. We do not know to what extent this new report will differ from their earlier report. We can only hope and pray that those great and highly respected citizens place the survival of Nigeria above all else. Nobody wants to see a continuous agitation for National Conference after these exercises. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the right thing is done in order to move this potentially great country to the next level in unity and prosperity. We all know that if a genuine national conference is not convened, the agitation will only grow louder and even violent. People will troop to the streets to demonstrate and demand that this great country be restructured peacefully. What areas of the initial PAC report do you disagree with? Nigerians have thought deeply over two decades on the best way to resolve this motley of cobwebs making it extremely difficult for Nigeria to realize its potentials and everyone seems to agree that the structure bequeathed by the military cannot take us far. Many people who fought for this are no longer alive today, people like Pa Enahoro, the great Baba Omojola etc. The truth is, if Nigeria is not urgently restructured along the lines of true federalism, nobody knows how long this wobbly foundation can carry the crackling edifice. It is crystal clear that Nigerians desire that no ethnic nationality be left out of the conference, the stakeholders of Nigeria are the ethnic nationalities, interest groups could send delegates to the conference, but the owners of Nigeria are the Yoruba, the Hausa, the Fulani, the Ijaw, the Benin, the Tiv, the Urhobo, the Igbo, etc. Nigerians must sit down and talk about Nigeria, about our future, how to make our country better. How do we reduce or eliminate tension and clashes? How do we run our country with an article of association? Nigerians desire a brand new constitution to come out from there, a constitution the Nigerian people will call their own, separate from the 1999 document edited by General Abacha and Prof. Auwalu Yadudu. Nigerians resent the idea that they are inconsequential nonentities whose views do not matter; they resent the idea that a few hundred fellows at the National Assembly will override the decisions reached by the people of Nigeria at the National Conference. They want to affirm their total decisions at the National Conference in a general referendum. They want to save Nigeria from this blind march to Somalia. If the people of Somalia had heeded the advice to invite the tribal and clan chiefs for a conference in Mogadishu, all the katakata (problems) that followed could have been avoided. Do you think President Goodluck Jonathan is sincere? Yes, those who claim that he wants to divert public attention are not being fair to him. President Jonathan will go down in history as the greatest president this country ever had, if he supervises a genuine confab that will restructure this country and remove the do-or-die mad struggle for central power by reducing the powers at the centre and restructuring to six manageable regions. Mr. President has displayed candour, goodwill, honesty and great love for Nigeria. History placed on his shoulders the onerous duty to rebuild Nigeria at a time innocent citizens are slaughtered like rams along Bama-Maiduguri highway, at a time herdsmen spring into homes and massacre innocent sleeping women and childre -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jonathan’s confab: What difference will it make? on February 01, 2014 / in Special Report 7:41 pm BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR LAST Thursday, the Federal Government released modalities for the proposed National Conference, which immediately set the polity astir on account of the timeline, number of delegates, how issues will be resolved at the conference and what to do with the outcome. The modalities have some similarities with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) held in 2005. In the Obasanjo conference, the Council of State approved a conference size of 400 delegates all to be nominated with Obasanjo nominating 50 including the Chairman. The time-frame was three months but could be extended if necessary. The unity of the country was a no-go area. According to the template for the Jonathan dialogue, scheduled to last three months, the indissolubility of Nigeria is not negotiable and 27 categories of stakeholders were penciled down to nominate delegates, namely: Elder statesmen (37), military and security (18), traditional rulers (13), retired civil servants (13), Organized Labour (24), Organised Private sector (8), youths (18), women (24), political parties (10), Christian and Muslim leaders (12), Civil Society Organisations (24) and Nigerians in the Diaspora ((8). The rest are People Living with Disability (6), Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (2), Nigeria Guild of Editors (2), Nigeria Union of Journalists (2), Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (2), socio-political/cultural and ethnic nationality groups (90), professional bodies (13), national academies (13), judiciary (6), former political office holders (24), Federal Government (20), state governments and FCT (109), former council chairmen (6) and chairman, deputy chairman and secretary to be nominated by President Goodluck Jonathan (3). This is strikingly different from the late General Sani Abacha National Constitutional Conference (NCC) of 1994 where, of the 396 delegates, Abacha nominated 96 and the rest were elected. A common strand, however, is the unity of the country, which must not be discussed. The outcome of the Abacha conference did not become law on its own. However, it was part of the ingredients that the General Abdulsalami Abubakar departing military regime used to cook the 1999 Constitution. Agreements reached at the Obasanjo confab died with his alleged third term ambition as the National Assembly shot it down. Currently, some critics, especially the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), are alleging that the President Goodluck Jonathan’s proposed confab is diversionary, wasteful and meant to boost his 2015 re-election ambition. They fear that the exercise may go the way of immediate past attempts. The hurdles, challenges Looking at the modalities, an avalanche of hurdles that must be surmounted before the confab can kick-off stares one fixedly on the face. And even when the dialogue begins proper, there is a litany of challenges that may make the exercise not to yield the desired dividends. For instance, there is no enabling law yet for the exercise. Many stakeholders have been clamouring for a conference of ethnic nationalities or an exercise where the ethnic nationalities will produce two-third of the delegates. Only 90 delegates or 18.29 of the 492 delegates have been allotted to socio-political/cultural and ethnic nationality groups in the confab. There are over 380 ethnic nationalities in the country. How will these groups produce the miserly 90 delegates? This question is apt especially when the socio-political/cultural and ethnic nationality groups were not named. Government expects the conference to begin late February or early March. This is premised on the understanding that stakeholders will nominate their delegates on or before February 20. It is arguable if this deadline would be met. If stakeholders met the deadline for the nomination of delegates, funds for the conference may constitute another hurdle. The funds are provided for in the 2014 Budget, which is currently before the National Assembly. For the confab to kick-off as scheduled, the budget must be passed within the next four weeks. Whether or not the budget would be passed speedily is difficult to tell on account of the power tussle between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the National Assembly, especially in the House of Representatives. Matters are not helped by the directive of APC leaders to their federal lawmakers to shut down government by blocking the passage of the 2014 Budget until the Federal Government resolved the political crisis in Rivers State. Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi, told Vanguard, last week, that the president might not intervene in Rivers unless organs of government saddled with the responsibilities of handling such issues like the police and the DSS failed and asked for help. Major proponents of the National Conference are clamouring for a restructured Nigeria, fiscal federalism and devolution of power to the federating units among other contentious issues which, they are argue, underpin the country’s stunted socio-economic and political development Given the modalities, major contentious issues in the country may not be resolved at the conference because at least 369 delegates or 75 per cent of the 492 delegates must agree. In essence, such issues have a better chance of being resolved by the National Assembly where a two-third majority is needed. Two-third of 492 is 328, which is 41 persons less than 369. What to do with the outcome of the conference is another issue. The modalities did not state this. Some proponents want the decisions arrived at the dialogue table to become Nigeria’s new Constitution after a referendum. President Jonathan said recently that the outcome would be sent to the National Assembly for consideration, a statement that elicited strident criticisms in the polity. In essence, if the National Assembly is opposed to the confab, its outcome would be thrown away. In the alternative, the decisions may be included in the ongoing amendment of the 1999 Constitution. A host of speakers want the 1999 document mid-wived by the military jettisoned because it did not emanate from the people as wrongly claimed in its premise. At the beginning, the President assured Nigerians that there would be no no-go areas at the confab, that they would be free to discuss all issues. However, the government has back-tracked on this assurance by insisting that the unity of the country is a no-go area. Litany of questions Given these challenges, a litany of questions is trailing the move. The questions include: What difference will this conference make compared to past similar exercises? In the long run, won’t it amount to a jamboree and waste of tax payers’ money? Since it may be difficult to resolve issues at the confab, is it not better to allow the National Assembly effect the desired changes through on-going Constitution amendment? Isn’t the confab too close to the 2015 elections? Is three months not too short for delegates to discuss and reach consensus on the gamut of contentious issues in the polity? As things are, what is the way out? Assessing the modalities, eminent Nigerians are divided on whether or not the confab would make a difference in the affairs of the country. They also differ on whether or not we should proceed with the exercise. It won’t make any difference – Masari Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, said the conference should be aborted because it is dead on arrival. His words: I do not see the confab making any positive difference for the following reasons among others: It has no legal base; as such, its decisions are mere recommendations to the President; representatives will not be chosen by the people; in our Constitution, there is no provision for 4th Assembly; if the President has an agenda of any kind, let him send it to the National Assembly and not waste our resources.” Having sub-optimal confab is postponing the evil day – Ugwu-Oju President of the South-East, South-South Professionals of Nigeria (SESSPN), Mr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju, picked holes in the modalities, warning that the problems of the country may persist and we would be postponing the evil day by holding a conference that is below par. Speaking on the view of the SESSPN on the modalities, he said: “There are millions of professionals in the SESSPN. Our executive will meet to discuss the modalities and address the nation, accordingly, next week. But, personally, the modalities do not meet the expectation of my people because of our previous stand and there are fundamental issues that should be addressed for Nigeria to work. Ethnic nationalities should meet to discuss the basis of continuing to stay together. So, most of the nominees should be from the ethnic nationalities. But that is not the case according to the modalities because most of the delegates are nominees of the Federal Government and state governments. Ethnic nationalities should have been two-third but they were given 90 slots which do not reflect that. “Again, giving the confab three-month time-frame and 75 per cent majority for decision to be made do not really add up. It might take time for people to reach consensus. The duration should have been determined by the conference. Besides, the conference should have been broken into two—a mini conference of the six federating units to have their constitutions after which they will meet at the centre to have the National Conference.” Asked if something could be salvaged from the confab the way it is structured, he said: “Our intervention as professionals has always been that we try to be the best we can be. We should not be going for sub-optimal conference for the sake of it. If we are going to have a conference that will produce result, we should not hold it as presently planned. If we hold elections without a genuine conference this country, will be heading to destruction.” Nigerians need conference – Agbakoba A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), urged continuation of the dialogue because Nigerians need it. “The modalities are okay except I would have preferred more representation for the Bar and the National Judicial Council to nominate judges by themselves. It is clear this conference is needed and I am hopeful the outcome will make our nation a better place,” he said. It’s national call to duty –Mbadinuju A former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chinwoke Mabadinuju, urged Nigerians to see beyond the shortfalls and make the best out of the confab to reshape the country. He said: “There is an Igbo proverb about bone, which says that both the dog and the spirit each wanted to eat a bone thrown away by a child. As long as the child has thrown away the bone, it is up to the dog or the spirit to consume it. So the dog and the spirit must fight to get the bone. None can help any of the two. The interpretation is: as long as President Jonathan has set in motion a process for the National Conference to take off, that is all that the President could do. The rest will be up to Nigerians to rise to the occasion and take this singular opportunity to restructure our federal system to live at peace with one another. It should entirely be up to us. I support the President’s initiative for the National Conference as part of his Transformation Agenda. This should go beyond partisanship and we should see the whole exercise as a national call to duty.” I hope for a good outcome – Azike Mr. Ziggy Azike, a lawyer and public affairs analyst, said: “Nigeria is on the march again. I am an incurable optimist. So, I pray that this conference will lead us somewhere better than where we are now.” Representation is broad-based—Adegbuyi A lawyer and a chieftain of the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Mr. Bisi Adegbuyi, said the modalities are “broad based and representative of critical stakeholders.” Adegbuyi continued: “Our would have wanted more representation for ethnic nationalities, conferences are work in progress and all issues cannot be addressed in one fell swoop. Let us achieve as much as decentralisation and autonomy as possible and then wait for another opportunity. The task ahead is to get delegates that understand the dynamics of the issues at stake to attend and, hopefully, the arduous task of nation-building would have commenced.” The journey to save Nigeria has begun –Ezeife Third republic governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, backed the confab, saying it is capable of saving the country. He enthused in a text message to Sunday Vanguard: “President Ebele Jonathan has taken a step that can immortalise him in the polity of Nigeria. Future generations of Nigerians will credit him with the permanence of one Nigeria. They will call him blessed as they reap from the transformation of Nigeria from a failed state to a country where things work.” It ‘ll yield positive results –Uwazurike President of Aka-Ikenga, the Igbo intellectual think tank group, Dr Goddy Uwazurike, threw his weight behind the exercise, saying: “The guidelines are apt for a conference that is intended to produce positive results. The President swore to uphold the Constitution and cannot be a party to any gathering where the indivisibility of the country will be questioned. The mode of representation is okay as it cuts across all strata of the nation.” It’s a jamboree –Ekujimi A human rights and pro-democracy activist, Comrade Nelson Ekujimi, said the modalities fall short of expectation, adding that the outcome would go the way of past failed exercises. He said: “It is far below the expectation of not only me but also millions of Nigerians. One expected, if the government and its confab committee were serious, a genuine confab composed of only representatives of ethnic nationalities making up the geographical expression called Nigeria. This impending jamboree will go the way of previous ones.” It falls short of expectations – Chekwas Okorie The National Chairman of the United Progressives Party, UPP, Chief Chekwas Okorie, said the modalities for the National Conference fall short of the expectations of most Nigerians. His words: “It is the expectation of all well-meaning Nigerians and groups that the delegates to the conference shall be dominated by representatives of ethnic nationalities drawn from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria on the basis of equality of the zones. Instead, what we have as a National Conference is largely dominated by persons to be appointed by government, government agencies, associations and professional bodies where government still has overriding influence. This country is made up of ethnic nationalities, which were clobbered together by the British colonial masters without any form of consultation. The National Conference that will restore people’s confidence in a united Nigeria ought to have been convened around the ethnic nationalities as major and critical stakeholders. “I am worried at government’s approved method at arriving at decisions at the conference. Government approved that where there is no consensus on any particular issue, 75 per cent of the delegates to the conference shall be the required number to pass such issue at the conference. This is not satisfactory. What this means is that if majority of the delegates want a particular decision adopted by the conference, that majority will lose out to the minority simply because they do not number up to 75 per cent. We shall end up having a situation where the dissenting 26 per cent of the delegates will have their way while 74 per cent of the assenting delegates will only have their say. “I am thoroughly disappointed that government intends to have decisions reached at the conference incorporated in the Constitution. This is deceiving the Nigerian people who welcomed the President’s initiative for a National Conference with great excitement and expectations. Nigerians expect nothing short of a brand new Constitution that will go through referendum as a pre-condition for it to be promulgated into law. To incorporate that outcome of this convention into the flawed 1999 Constitution will amount to an exercise in futility because it would only mean that a N7billion will be spent on mere proposals for constitutional amendment. “The President in his October 2013 independence day broadcast promised Nigerians that there will be no no-go areas in the conference. What we have seen is that, that commitment to Nigerians has been reneged on. This is really unfortunate. It is a pity that this government is unwittingly playing into the hands of its detractors on the matter of the proposed National Conference.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Africa: Does Nigeria Really Need a 'Sovereign National Conference'? By Zainab Usman, 29 January 2014 In a few weeks, Nigerians across ethnic and regional divides will be gathering at a roundtable to discuss critical national issues. The imperative for this National Conference as a necessary discussion over Nigeria's future was underscored by the President, Goodluck Jonathan, in his Independence Day commemoration address in October 2013. No doubt, there is need for consensus among the country's distinct ethnic and religious groups on critical governance issues such as the structure of government, federalism, revenue distribution, political representation and power sharing. Whether the National Conference taking place this year is capable of addressing Nigeria's perennial existential problems is another question. The clamour for a national dialogue among Nigeria's over 350 ethno-linguistic groups has been as old as the country itself, since the aftermath of the first military coup in 1966. Frequently called a 'Sovereign National Conference' (SNC), this roundtable discussion is regarded as the elixir to pervasive corruption, ethnic chauvinism, conflict and perversion of the rule of law all, of which have stifled economic development, social harmony and the forging of a collective Nigerian identity. The inflamed emotions in the debate for and against an SNC in the Nigerian public sphere inhibit a dispassionate interrogation of its practicality or necessity. For proponents, a national dialogue is a bottom-up democratic opportunity for many Nigerians to participate in nation-building in an otherwise exclusionary political system dominated by a handful of elites. These include the military and key players in the coups of 1966 who are the major power brokers today, their associates, powerful state governors, an increasingly powerful business class and media moguls. Gani Fawehinmi, a vociferous SNC advocate once lamented that Nigerians "never had the opportunity to make inputs into, accept or reject any constitutional framework through a referendum". The national conversation is thus a catalytic opportunity for Nigerians to "negotiate the terms" of living together, within a contraption of British colonialism. In this pro-SNC camp are ethnic associations, marginalised politicians, activists, youth associations and other groups excluded from the power circle. Those opposing the National Conference argue that it is incapable of addressing Nigeria's problems which are outcomes of governance, leadership and rule of law failures. Spending N7 billion ($42 million) towards yet another summit by a country with the highest number of out-of-school children in the world is regarded as "wasteful" by the Labour Union president and "diversionary", by the main opposition party, the APC. Others regard it as an instrument for attaining a nefarious agenda by the specific government in power. This "agenda" covers a wide gamut of allegations from tenure elongation and covert constitutional amendment to regional domination and secession. Unsurprisingly, the expectations of what a National Conference can or cannot achieve range from the pragmatic to the utopian. It is not uncommon to hear the "we must talk" refrain in the wake of a Boko Haram attack, a kidnapping incident or a grand corruption scandal. As usual, the debates are laced with the poisonous sectional prejudices which normally characterise the country's public discourse. What is paradoxical however, is the very elitist nature of the discourse over a summit aimed at inclusive nation-building. A recent opinion poll revealed that nearly 9 in 10 (88%) Nigerians are not aware of the call to constitute a sovereign national conference. Yet a pragmatic assessment of what the forthcoming National Conference can achieve against the huge expectations is necessary. For now, it is unlikely that it will create the needed national consensus on key issues in the country for two reasons. First it doesn't seem markedly different from previous ones. Nigeria's independence was the outcome of a series of negotiations between elite in the Northern and Southern regions mediated by British colonial administrators at conferences in Lagos and London in the late 1950s. Others include constitutional conferences organised by the military regimes of Muhammed-Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha, and the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) organised by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration in 2005. Each conference has promised to address Nigeria's critical problems but delivered so little. Resolutions incorporated into national laws, such as state creation or protection of minorities, have been insufficient in addressing sectional grievances or are just ignored. It does beg the question, if previous conferences have achieved little, what makes the latest incarnation different? Previous National Conferences have been ineffective in addressing Nigeria's existential challenges because they have been reactionary rather than proactive. Right from the first truly sovereign dialogue by military rulers in 1967 in Aburi, Ghana, in the aftermath of the bloody coups of 1966, these conferences have been crisis-management instruments hurriedly organised to stem imminent crisis or to further a specific political agenda on the eve of a political transition. Consequently, their reactionary nature hinder the conferences' effectiveness in finding enduring solutions to resource distribution, the fear of domination, effective political representation and other contentious matters. While General Abacha's National Constitutional Conference (NCC) was a reaction to the simmering crisis of the June 1993 elections annulment, Obasanjo's in 2005 was widely regarded as a platform for realising an extra third term in office beyond the constitutionally permitted two terms. Now Goodluck Jonathan, treading a well-worn path is organising his own National Conference on the eve of the 2015 elections. This is not to entirely dismiss the potentially beneficial outcomes of a national dialogue in Nigeria. In the past, these have included: the 1979 constitution which provided for a presidential system of government and laid the foundation of the country's current constitution, the delineation of the six geo-political zones in the country by General Abacha's conference and allocating more revenue to the oil-producing Niger-Delta states by Obasanjo's conference. Yet the knotty issues which push Nigeria teetering on the precipice remain unresolved. Notwithstanding, the forthcoming National Conference may present an opportunity to mitigate the country's growing polarisation since the 2011 elections and prevent future political crises. This would require the roundtable to negotiate robust and acceptable power-sharing formula among Nigeria's regions, ethnic and religious groups. This is because the country's political crises are mostly rooted in the turbulence of political transitions where political institutions are subverted to further the despotic agenda of an individual or the dominance of a particular group. The Obasanjo Third Term Saga in 2005-2006 and the turbulence that threatened Goodluck Jonathan's ascension to the presidency in 2010 are recent instances. A power sharing formula in Nigeria has been previously proposed, where top executive positions rotate periodically around all six regions to give every part of the country a fair shot. Another variant could be modelled along the Federal Council of Switzerland where the office of the President as the head of state is replaced with a six-member presidential council representing all regions to reduce the individual executive's discretionary powers and the violent competition for that position. This de-concentration of powers away from one individual will blunt tensions over political transitions, assure all Nigerians of their region's legitimate 'turn' at the highest level of leadership and may lay the foundation for constructing a collective national identity. As previous National Conferences have shown, systemic challenges such as revenue allocation formula and devolution of powers to sub-national governments cannot be fully addressed within one summit but require an incremental process of consensus-building at the National Assembly over the long term. Addressing surface problems such as corruption, insecurity and disregard for the rule of law is not contingent on the creation of new laws. It requires unwavering political commitment and reforms of existing institutions, anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies. Clearly, Nigerians need to forge a consensus on key existential issues that perennially plunge the country into crisis. Yet it is difficult not to wonder whether yet another talk shop is the only means of reaching consensus. Or whether a President in the twilight of his term in office, facing intense opposition from within his party and without, is capable of organising a National Conference that will sincerely address Nigeria's deep structural political problems. Zainab Usman is a doctoral candidate in International Development, University of Oxford. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Confab, Chime and my constituency, by Ekweremaduon January 20, 2014 / in Politics 12:56 am /BY TONY EDIKE The Deputy President of the Senate and Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, CFR was in Enugu over the New Year holiday and took out time to speak on many raging political, developmental, and economic issues affecting the West African sub-region, the nation, South East and Enugu State. Our Correspondent was there. Excerpts: What would you consider the biggest challenges in the review of the 1999 constitution? Well, thank you so much. My approach to constitutional review from a position of experience is this: we try to look at what we have done in the past to see where mistake has been made and see areas of improvement that will achieve result. And one of the greatest lessons we learnt is that if you try to take everything at the same time, we will run into problem. So we decided to do what we called a piecemeal approach. You will recall that in 2010 our major focus was on the issue of electoral reform and we did a lot in that regard, which led to a very successful 2011 election and we are prepared to improve in that regard, as we approach 2015. So, if there are areas that have to do with the elections, both in the electoral act and the constitution, we are also going to touch such areas. Electoral reform Then moving from electoral reform, we believe that there are some other issues that are key for our development. We believe that our federalism has been distorted by long period of military regime and one of the major areas affected is sharing of power. So, for us, we needed to look at the legislative list of the federation and see areas of improvement. Today, as I speak, we have about 66 items in the exclusive legislative list. This list is where the federal government only can make legislation, and then we have barely 12 on the concurrent list; that is where both the state and the federal government can make laws. And the constitution went further to say that even in those areas where states and federal government are allowed to make laws, if there is any conflict between the laws made by the National Assembly and those made by any of the states, the one made by the National Assembly will override to the extent of that inconsistency. So, our federalism is structured so much in favour of the federal government. Striking a balance We believe that we need to strike a balance to take away some of these things from exclusive list and get them to the concurrent list. We also noticed that there are some items that are neither in the concurrent list nor in the exclusive list such as health. You can’t find health on any of the legislative lists of the federation. Therefore, we needed to bring health in and appropriately situate it within the concurrent list. We need to rework it, so this is what we have done in the recent constitutional amendment exercise. Do you see the proposed national conference as an attempt to usurp the functions of the legislature? Well, it all depends on what the executive wants to achieve. If what they want to achieve is to throw up a new constitution through that process and then whatever body they are trying to bring about to legislate on it, then that is not going to happen because you can’t put something on nothing and expect it to stand. There must be a foundation for everything we do. So, for us in the parliament, we are looking at it from the perspective that the president or the federal government is free to set up a group that can dialogue on how to govern this country much better. And this is within the right of the people to associate freely. It is guaranteed in the constitution- freedom of association and assembly. To that extent, we don’t have problem with it. But we believe that whatever be the outcome of that dialogue or discussion, will necessarily come to the parliament for proper legislation because unless that happens then there will be no foundation for what they are doing and it can’t have any effect. So what we expect is that at the end of the exercise, they will now make proposal to the National Assembly on areas they also believe that the constitution may be amended or to bring about a completely new constitution with what agreement that were reached in that exercise. Some thought that with you as the chairman of the Committee on Constitution Review, that the Southeast zone would get another state? Well just as I said, our people have this idea that state creation still remains what it was during the military regime where the leaders will meet and then go ahead and announce states. Regrettably, that is not the case. I wish it were the case and I will be happy to approach my colleagues and then appeal to them to give us one additional state in the South-East; I would have been the happiest man. Regrettably, that is not the situation, so we have to go through the procedure as enumerated earlier on. State creation exercise All I need to do is to urge our people to come together, agree on a state. If they agree on a state within the region, what we can now do, all of us we will put our resources, our energy together and see how we can convince other levels of people that are involved in state creation exercise and try to get them to approve it at different levels. So that’s one way to do it. But unfortunately and on till now, I have made this appeal severally. They have not been able to come up with a single state that we are going to pursue. So, what you find out is that each state is asking for a state or two. In that state of confusion, it is difficult for anybody to harmonize it. So we are just hoping that, maybe, at the level of Ohanaeze, or South East Governors Forum or any other such organization, they should be able to come together and come up with a state and then we see how we pursue it and appeal to our colleagues to have it done. How true is the speculation that you want to contest governorship of Enugu state in 2015? Secondly what do you earn as salary in a month? On the issue of governorship, I think I have said this thing severally and I recall that in June, I made it clear that I’m not interested in governorship and nothing had changed since then. I believe that all of us will work together to ensure that in 2015, we have a governor we will all be proud of. Then on the issue of the salary, let me state clearly that the salary of a parliamentarian including mine and every other public servant fluctuates a bit because of tax deduction. But for me it is between N560, 000 to N600, 000 per month. So the last salary I was paid I think was about N580, 000 for December. So, nevertheless, I’m also entitled to a number of allowances including health allowance. That means that if I want to go to hospital, government will not pay for me. I will use that money to pay for the health bill of myself and my family and those around me. Do you see the PDP imploding on account of the crisis in the party? Let me say that PDP will never be a minority; certainly it is not going to happen soon. What you are seeing is not different from what we have seen in the past when election approaches. We have had this situation in the past, of people moving about. So I will not be surprised if those governors who left PDP come back to PDP. Just as I won’t be surprised if our colleagues in the House of Representatives who moved from PDP to APC return to PDP. That is the beauty of democracy and it is flexibility, which our system allows. I remember that my friend Comrade Chukwumerije sometime moved from PDP to PPA and then eventually returned to PDP as a senator. So, we have seen such in the past. What are your plans for 2015 and where do you stand on zoning in Enugu? First of all, the issue of what will be my ambition after 2015 is only God who will decide it. He has never disappointed me, hence I always leave my ambition in the hands of God and I have always gotten a very good bargain. Dividends of leadership I am not worried about that. So, now I think I should focus on delivering the dividends of leadership to my people. Am not thinking about 2015, that will be taken care of by God. I don’t have problem with that. On the issue of the zoning, remember that PDP is not the only party in the state. So, for us in the PDP, we are believing God that our candidate will come from Nsukka, but you remember that in PDP just like any other party, we are conscious of the fact that the people have the constitutional right to aspire to be anything. So, while we are saying that this is what we want, we also take cognisance of the right of others to aspire. But we will also be praying and then be appealing to the other segments to respect that, but any person who feels that his right is being stopped or jeopardised is also free to exercise his constitutional right. What is the relationship between you and Governor Sullivan Chime? I don’t think I should use this platform to discuss the governor of my state. I think he is still the governor of my state and we have mutual respect for ourselves. I don’t want to discus him in this public forum. So, I will appeal that you excuse me from this. I believe that two of us working together, we can achieve more for our state. Your recent call for the extension of the tenure of the president and governors has received mixed interpretations. Are you worried? I see myself as a concerned Nigerian. I am most interested in the peace of this country, not someone who is looking at the immediate political gain. When I made that suggestion I also received some interesting reactions. Interesting reactions Somebody sent me a text from Kano and told me that he is not supporting the single term because he did not want Kwakwanso to stay there longer than necessary. But, you see, some people are seeing it from a narrow perspective. Nigeria has to exist first. It should not be about any governor. This morning I was listening to the news on the television. I saw a call by the Ooni of Ife for prayers for Nigeria in 2015. He said he was worried. So, am also worried like the Ooni of Ife and the rest other Nigerians about the way we are moving towards 2015. So, as somebody who is concerned I thought I should be able to proffer what I consider to be a solution and then it attracted debates, which I find very interesting. I don’t get so worried myself anyway. I felt I have done my part anyway by providing a solution. Then even some of those people who are criticizing my position up till now they have not come up with alternative solution and we are moving towards 2015. So, they were just criticizing for the sake of criticism. What we want is to find a solution; if you have a superior argument on what we need to do to have a hitch-free 2015, I will be happy to go with you. But note that I didn’t ask for any particular number of years like seven. What I said was look, our problem has been that of succession and reelection. Each time we have an election coming, there is this agitation. There is always this problem of the temperature going very high. So, we must find a way of resolving it and one way for me to deal with it is to ensure that there is a single term. I didn’t say which year. It can be five years, it can be six years it could be seven years, but it is something we have to sit down and discuss. What I did was that I provided what I considered to be a solution. We can all sit down and work out the modalities on how this can work and I also gave example on where it had worked before. I said that in Latin America, they found themselves in such situation as we have today and what they did was to reflect and insisted on a single term until their democracy stabilised. We can do that. You have been in the National Assembly for three terms now, what are your achievements so far? I will situate it from different perspectives. Let us look at it from the perspective of representing the people of Enugu West. I will like to thank God that a lot has changed between then and now in terms of what we are able to do for the people of Enugu West. Basically we were short in infrastructure by the time I got to the Senate to represent Enugu West. But between then and now I think we have moved a lot forward. Today, we have various roads. Federal government presence At the time I got to the Senate, there was no road all the way from Oji-River for instance to Awgu, from Awgu to Ndiabor, from Ndiabor to Mpu, to Okpanku to Akaeze, there was no road there. There was no road from Awgu to Ishiagu and there was no road between Nenwe and Oduma; there was no road crisscrossing Udi to Ezeagu. But I can tell you that as I speak to you today, we have federal government presence in those places in terms of roads, we have quality roads. Some are still ongoing and we are hoping it will be completed very shortly. By the time I got into the Senate, there was no electricity, not even one bulb in any part of Aninri Local Government Area for instance, but today every community can boast of some level of electricity and we are still making progress and I’m happy that the Local Government and State are also supporting in that regard. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Proposed National Confab: YUF appeals to Nigerians to exercise patience Written by Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta Friday, 17 January 2014 00:00 Unity Forum (YUF) has appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience on the proposed national conference in the interest of the nation, insisting that the conference will be an opportunity for Nigerians to deliberate on their terms of togetherness. It also said that the Yoruba nation would remain committed to the unity of the country, adding that the unity should be based on “agreed terms to be discussed and negotiated” at the proposed national conference. YUF was apparently speaking against the notion from some Nigerians that the proposed conference was ill-advised and, therefore, be jettisoned. The forum made this known after its first executive meeting in 2014 at the Awolowo’s residence in Ikenne Remo, Ogun State, on Thursday, that the conference was not too close to the 2015 general election as being speculated in some quarters. Addressing newsmen after the meeting, its Publicity Secretary, Dr Kunle Olajide, also advised Nigerians not to pre-empt the report submitted by the committee, but should give the Presidency the chance to present the report to the public. The forum stated that the Yoruba nation was resolute and committed to the unity of Nigeria and that its positions were known to its counterpart in the northern part of the country, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), when they both met last year. It also promised to work together with all other Yoruba organisations, so as to present a common agenda in the said National Conference when the time comes and commended the committee on the successful completion of the assignment. He said: “This is the first executive meeting of the Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) in 2014.We reviewed the activities of the Forum in 2013 and we commended the leadership and membership of the forum for all the achievements of year 2013. Namely formalisation and the adoption of the YUF constitution and the successful hosting of the Southern Nigeria People Assembly Conference in Lagos, which turned out to be the most successful so far. Thirdly, we re-affirmed our commitment to work with all Yoruba socio-cultural organisations in presenting a common agenda to the proposed National Conference. We also congratulated the Okurounmu committee for the successful completion of the assignment. On the criticisms that the report had so far generated from some sections in the country, Olajide added that, “the report is just being serialised. It has not been published completely. It is difficult to take a position yet. I know that they have successfully completed their assignment and it worth commendation. When it is published, we will be in a position to discuss it, debate it and take a position. “The Advisory Committee has consulted widely throughout Nigeria. They have come up with a position and they have presented their position to the government, it is for us to wait for the president to give their position on that paper and once they give their position, then we will be able to talk it. We have presented our own positions.” In his contribution, Mr Femi Delano said that YUF would deliberate on the Okurounmu Committee report when made public, maintaining that the Yorubas had always been canvassing for the nation’s unity. He said: “ The Yorubas have always been in the forefront of Nigeria’s unity. We made our position very clear to ACF and we told them that we are with them in the quest to make Nigeria a united entity. We are determined to make sure that Nigeria remains one and we will not do anything to break the country.” The meeting, which lasted for over two hours, had in attendance the Bishop of Akure, The Right Reverend Bolanle Gbonigi (retd); Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu (retd); Ambassador Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu; Chief (Mrs) Bisi Sangodoyin; Chief (Mrs) Bola Doherty; Senator Anthony Adefuye; Honourable Omosanya Solaja; Senator Kofoworoola Bucknor; Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa; Professor Adenike Grange; Professor Ope Adekunle and Honourable Moshood Salaudor. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Confab Panel Sets Agenda, Recommends Political Restructuring of the Country By Clifford Ndujihe, Charles Kumolu and Dapo Akinrefon, 14 January 2014 THE Senator Femi Okurounmu led Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue/Conference has drafted an agenda to restructure the country along a presidential or parliamentary system of government with a bicameral or unicameral legislature. The Okurounmu committee which recommended the commencement of the national conference next month before full blown campaigning for the 2015 general elections also proposed the election of one delegate per federal constituency as a way of drawing participation of the grassroots. "The advantage of electing Delegates on the basis of Federal Constituencies is that it allows for wider participation of the grassroots," the committee reported. Besides the 360 delegates to be directly elected by universal suffrage, 185 delegates representing special interest groups are to be nominated including one woman per state, one youth per state, traditional rulers per state. In each of the special interest groups, the Federal Capital Territory would be represented while the Federal Government would make four nominations for each of the groups. Physically challenged, professional bodies including the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress and the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA are also to be represented. Others are the Organised Private Sector, 3, Faith based organizations, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, 2; Christian Association of Nigeria, 2; and Traditionalists 2. State Governments and FCT, 37; Federal Government (2 Executive, 2 Legislature, 2 Judiciary) Armed Forces and Police 4; and Diaspora Representatives 2. The Okuruonmu committee nevertheless also suggested the election of direct delegates by senatorial constituencies as an alternative for electing delegates so long as the great majority of delegates are directly elected. The conference is to be managed by a Conference Management Secretariat to be headed by an Executive Secretary who shall be the administrative head of the conference. Excerpts from the committee report read thus: After a careful appraisal of the issues involved as well as their apparent complexities for national harmony, the Committee recommends as follows: That the structure of the National Conference as recommended in Chapter Six shall make provisions for representatives of interest groups through nomination, so their total number compliments the number of the Delegates to be directly elected through universal adult suffrage. The President should nominate the representatives from the identified key interest groups in active consultation with them such that, the interest groups themselves do the actual presentation of the names of those the groups want the President to nominate as Delegates to the national conference. Interest groups In addition to the interest groups listed earlier namely, Women, Youth, Traditional Rulers, Physically-Challenged, Professional Bodies, Organized Private sector, Faith-Based Organizations, the Diaspora, Executive, Legislative and Judicial arms of Government, Armed Forces and the Police, the credibility of the Conference will be enriched by nominating representatives of the main regional socio-political organizations such as the Afenifere, Arewa Consultative Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Middle-Belt Forum, South-South Peoples Assembly, etc. Every State Government shall nominate one Delegate and the President through the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory shall nominate one Delegate for the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. In the event that any State fails to nominate a Delegate, the President shall nominate a delegate for the said state. The Committee recommends that the total number of Delegates from the socio-political groups should not exceed 36 at 6 per Geo-Political Zone. The socio-political groups invited to nominate the Delegates should decide for themselves who their respective representatives should be. Recommendations: To advise Government on a time-frame for the national conference In view of the above, this committee now recommends as follows: 1: The National Conference should hold for duration of not less the three months and not not more than six months. The convening of the National Conference in the year 2014 possibly between the months of February and July, thus concluding the exercise before the onset of the 2015 electioneering campaigns. The committee recommends that the government should address the following: The official name of the conference should be the National Conference. The National Conference shall hold at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja The National Conference shall have a chairperson and a deputy chairperson who should be persons of high unimpeachable integrity The Executive Secretary of the Conference Management Secretariat shall serve as the Secretary to the National Conference and shall be responsible to the Conference for proper record-keeping and all other administrative matters. Decision-making at the National Conference shall be by consensus but where that is not achievable, decisions shall be arrived at, by tow-thirds majority. In order to ensure a fully democratic and peoples driven Conference, Government should ensure that, the total number of nominated delegates does not exceed one-third of the total size of the National Conference. Rules of Procedure: In order to have a smooth and productive conference, the Conference Management Secretariat shall develop Rules of Procedure for the National Conference guided by the Standing Orders of the Federal House of Representatives. Election into the National Conference shall be by direct election through universal adult suffrage on non-party basis. Qualifications of Candidates for Election as Delegates to the National Conference shall be the same as those stipulated for standing election into the House of Representatives except that, candidates to the National Conference need not be members of any political party. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Dialogue a Huge Joke, Says Elechi 28 December 2013 By Benjamin Nworie Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State, Friday in a sudden twist seen as a big surprise, dismissed the planned national dialogue being promoted by President Goodluck Jonathan as "a big joke and waste of time." He further said the planned dialogue was a distraction to Jonathan as the general elections approaches, adding that he would not participate in the exercise. Elechi, who is seen as one of President Jonathan's main backers in the South East, made his position known in Ikwo when founding fathers of the state paid him Christmas homage. The Ebonyi governor had earlier in October lauded the planned dialogue when Jonathan announced it and urged Nigerians to avail themselves of the opportunity of contributing meaningfully during the dialogue "so that all grievances would be addressed." The founding fathers of the state who visited him yesterday wanted to know the modalities for selecting delegates from states and issues that should form their collective stand during the dialogue. But they were shocked by the governor's dramatic change of mind, when he wrote off the planned dialogue and stated further that he would not participate. Elechi said he was sceptical about the dialogue as it would not achieve anything "since the constitution has conferred on the National Assembly the power to make laws for the country." The governor noted that the dialogue could not supersede the deliberations of the National Assembly and referred its advocates to revisit the colloquium by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005. "We should revisit that colloquium and the recommendations reached," he suggested. Elechi noted that at the colloquium, far- reaching decisions were reached "but the National Assembly overrode it because of the third term ambition of Obasanjo." Though Elechi said he would still consult his constituency to deliberate on whether or not to participate in the planned national diologue, he noted that if they eventually chose to participate, he would distance himself and be an onlooker. "The National conference to me is a big joke, waste of time and a distraction to Goodluck Jonathan. I'm sceptical about it. It will not achieve anything. I will still consult my people but if at the end of the day, they decide to participate, I will not stop anybody but I will distance myself," he said. President Jonathan inaugurated a 13-man Advisory Committee for the planned dialogue on October 7, after approving the membership and terms of reference of the committee. The Committee has Dr. Femi Okurunmu as Chairman while Dr. Akilu Indabawa will act as Secretary. The committee's terms of reference include: To consult expeditiously with all relevant stakeholders with a view to drawing up a feasible agenda for the proposed national dialogue and to make recommendations to government on structure and modalities of the proposed national dialogue. It was also directed to make recommendations to government on how representation of various interest groups at the national dialogue/conference will be determined. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nat’l Confab to start February 10on December 23, 2013 / in News 12:00 am / Comments SGF, Finance Minister, others to harmonise modalities BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, Deputy Political Editor BARRING unforeseen adjustments, the proposed national conference may begin on Monday, February 10, 2014, Vanguard has gathered. This is after a harmonisation committee would have finished harmonising the modalities for the confab, a presidency source told Vanguard at the weekend. The source said members of the committee may include Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; some members of the Presidential Committee on National Dialogue, which last week submitted a 4000-page report to President Goodluck Jona-than; and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The source said: “The harmonisation committee, which will be led by the SGF, will meet with the members of the Dr Okurounmu confab committee to harmonise the modalities. “Thereafter, they will meet with the Finance Minister to work out how the conference will be funded. All these will take about one month so that the conference will begin in the second week or middle of February, next year.” Agbakoba’s reaction Speaking on preparations for the confab, former Nigeria Bar Association National President, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), said: “History has not produced this type of moment in a long time. Therefore, we must take it very seriously. “I thought the people who should be invited should be the ethnic nationalities; they make up Nigeria. And that it should not be a talk shop. “We should have six geo-political mini conferences. So that as an Onitsha man, the challenge of an Onitsha man being governor of Anambra State is localised in the South-East and that is where we will discuss it. “But the challenge of South-East having equal states with the other zones is a matter for the national conference. “So the mini-conference gives opportunity for the ethnic nationalities in the zone to shape out their problems, pre-sent their report and nominate 15 people to move forward. “The other zones will also nominate 15 people each. At the national conference level, the representation should be equal. If the Presidency wishes to nominate 120 representatives, nothing is wrong with it. He is the executive President, he has a view. “There is nothing wrong with the National Assembly sending their representatives because you cannot exclude anybody. ‘Outcome must be followed’ The important thing is that the discussion should not be altered. If it says we should return to parliamentary system or Westminster model so be it. “If it says let’s retain the presidential system or go for single tenure, which Senator Ike Ekweremadu irrelevant-ly brought in, so be it. “Even though he has a point, Ekweremadu brought it in wrongly. Every system has its political value. The way Ekweremadu’s point sounds, it is as if there is going to be mago mago or as if the National Assembly will receive the constitution and put a clause in it. “I wish he had not said that because I actually believe in that. Nigeria is in political evolution and one of the problems is succession. If that is the problem and we spend billions and trillions of naira then let people go for one term. “I wish Ekweremadu had kept his powder dry and allowed it to be a common agreement. I hope that all these issues will be discussed at the conference. “Nigeria is not in the best of shape. We need politicians who have statesmanlike qualities of Mandela because Nigeria is a great country with huge natural resources. “The national conference should be on how to make Nigeria work. In doing this, Chief Bola Ige’s two questions must be answered. Do we want to stay together? How do we want to stay together?” Ikokwu wants restructuring Also, Second Republic politician, Chief Guy Ikokwu, threw his weight behind the proposed conference, which he hoped will help address the country’s numerous developmental challenges. On the issue of revenue expenditure, for instance, he said: “It is necessary that there should be constitutional provision for all the tiers of government not to exceed 40 per cent of their budget of recurrent expenditure, while reserving the balance of 60 per cent for capital expenditure. “The implementation of this quota will lead to the greater development of the country. “Abuja should not exercise more than 30 per cent of its present powers, while the six zones, which should become the federating units, will have more regional powers than the states have at the moment. “Each of the zones can create as many states as it requires without the need for another tier of local government structure so that the states will assume the powers of the former local government thus reducing administration cost. “With this zonal structure there will be more discipline and bigger political parties thus reducing the incidents of corruption, which is presently plaguing the whole country. “It will, therefore, be necessary to increase the private participation in developmental works so that the government agencies will cease to become the controllers of the work force and jobs, which will now go to SMEs or other big private organisations as we have in the United States, Germany, India and even China. On looting, confab funding “There should be constitutional stipulations for those who loot the economy or embezzle funds, as we have seen in the pension scam or the oil and gas sector, to be punishable by death or long periods of imprisonment with reparation without any option of fine. “In this a way corruption will certainly reduce to a great extent with high quality education, civility and morality will certainly increase.” He suggested that the conference should be funded through the budgetary provisions of a supplementary bill enabling the zones to be financially accommodated on an equal basis and the conference should be able to complete its work within nine months in 2014. On modalities for decisions, he suggested decisions at the conference should be by consensus and negotiations or, in some cases, as shall be decided at the opening of the conference by a vast majority of at least two-third of the delegates to break any dead lock that might hinder the conference. On legality To legalise the outcome of the exercise, Ikokwu canvassed said: “The President shall use the National Assembly machinery for the formalisa-tion of the conference and for a referendum with regard to the eventual decisions of the conference. “The National Assembly should not amend or veto any conference decisions and shall, at the end of the referendum, promulgate a new national constitution in such a way that had been done before, at independence or at the 1963 Republican Constitution.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Confab More Important Than 2015 Elections - Afenifere By Isiaka Wakili, 21 December 2013 The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, says the proposed national conference is more important than the 2015 general elections. The leader of the group, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, said this at the State House in Abuja yesterday when he led his members to a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan. Fasoranti assured Jonathan of Afenifere's support, saying his initiative on the proposed national conference, if faithfully implemented, would earn him a good place in history. He advised that the conference be concluded early so that the 2015 elections could be conducted "on the basis of the new constitution". "Afenifere considers the national conference as the soul of a new Nigeria, and as such, much more important than anything in the polity, 2015 elections inclusive... We believe the time has come for us to sit and find lasting solutions from the stakeholders across Nigeria to our challenges as against a temporary relief that brings greater and long-lasting sorrows which some letter- writers and their groups have given us since 1966," he said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Confab: It’s time Nigerians talk — Adebari, 1st black Irish mayor on December 11, 2013 BY DAPO AKINREFON Mr Rotimi Adebari is the first black African Mayor in Ireland. Adebari was elected in 2007 as the Comhairle Chontae Laois County Council. Adebari was a guest speaker at the Ogun Day celebration held recently in Abuja. In this interview the council man posits that it is imperative for Nigeria to convene a national conference to address the multifarious problems that have so far besieged the country. Excerpts What brought you to Nigeria? I came into the country to deliver a lecture. I was invited as a guest speaker on infrastructure and development in Ogun State as an opportunity for investors. What is your assessment of the state of infrastructure in Nigeria? Nigeria is far behind compared to where I am involved in governance in the Republic of Ireland. Infrastructure here has been neglected for a long time. But I have to say that we all grew up to see infrastructure in place in the country but right before our eyes, we discovered that due to lack of maintenance, the infrastructure began to loose their importance as they were not being maintained. And then, the roads that were good before became death traps for our travelers. The institutions like the hospitals that were meant to be places where people are looked after, became a shadow of what it used to be. And the same thing happened with our educational institutions. We still have a long way to go but I have to say though, that some states are making efforts, there is no doubt about that and that is one of the things I have come to talk about. It is happening but it ought to happen on a larger scale because that is the only way that we can attract investors, that is the only way our local investors can get their businesses off the ground. What steps did you take to improve on the infrastructure in your council after you were elected? When we are talking of infrastructure in a country, it does not come cheap, it is expensive. When you are talking of cost like that, it might be difficult for governnet on its own to bear that cost. So, what we do over there for instance is what we call the Public Private Partnership, PPP. The governnet enters into partnership with private institutions. They provide infrastructure that government is unable to provide and what that means is that such infrastructure will be in the care of the private investors for a number of years before it reverts to the state. But the important thing is that, that infrastructure is out there for the people. We built some schools in Ireland though the PPP. Some roads were constructed using the PPP as well and that is one thing I think Nigeria should be looking into, they should partner with the private sector. One good thing about the private sector is that they minimize waste. It is alleged that the decay in infrastructure is attributable to corruption? Do you hold this view? There is no doubt about that. We all know that one problem that Nigeria and a lot of African countries are battling with is corruption. Corruption has caused us a lot in this country because what you discover is that project costs have been inflated and when such happens, that is not good for the nation. At some point, I think we were getting it right in this country but just suddenly, things began to nose dive. What do you think is responsible for that? What is responsible for that is greed. The greed in our people these days is unbelievable, it is all about money and what people can get from any situation they find themselves in. It is no longer about service to the people. The leaders we had in the past were purposeful for this country. They were ready to work for this country, they were ready to serve this country. It was not about making money but these days, people go into governance, and it is all about what they can get from the government they are going into. It is sad that we have lost our value system. Going into governance is not about what you can make out of it, it is all about what you can give to the people. You cannot exonerate the leaders. When you have good leaders, you will definitely have good followers. If you have bad followers, you will end up having bad leaders, but not until,we are able to get the leadership right. We the followers also need to be alert to our responsibility as well. It is the leadership that provides the way forward for a nation and when you do not get that leadership right, that nation has a long way to go. People will just be moving around in circles. I am sure you are aware of the proposed national conference, would you say it is a step in the right direction of addressing the leadership question? I think it is a step in the right direction. There are so many thoughts over this, some are thinking the time is not right. Some are of the opinion that it should not happen at all but I think it is very important. Look at all that is going on in the country, we will be deceiving ourselves if we say things are going well. Things are not really working as they should be and when things are not working as they should be working, the ideal thing is to go back to the drawing board. The ideal thing is for us to call ourselves round a table. I think as a country, it is high time we do that. There have been a lot of problems in the country because if we do not discuss it and we sweep it under the carpet, we are not helping the situation. So, I think it is a good decision and in the right direction. We can strengthen our relationship if we stay together. I love to see this country stay together as one but then, we have got to get things right. If this has to be so, one of the things they should talk about is the federalism we are practising. At the moment, the federalism we are practising is too centre concentrated. All these need to be addressed. And again, we are not practising true federalism but ideally, if we are practising true federalism, we will know that states develop at their pace. There is no reason why we cannot develop at our pace in this country. It is either we do it as a region or a state basis, so be it but all these can be discussed at the meeting. A conference like this, will afford Nigerians to sit and restructure the country and put it in the right path. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nelson Mandela memorial: Obama lauds 'giant of history". Tens of thousands of South Africans have joined dozens of world leaders for the national memorial service for former President Nelson Mandela. The service was held in front of a vociferous crowd in the FNB stadium in Johannesburg. US President Barack Obama said Mr Mandela was a "giant of history", describing him as the last great liberator of the 20th Century. The former South African president died last Thursday, aged 95. The country is observing a series of commemorations leading up to the funeral on Sunday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner but the jailer," US President Barack Obama said, to a standing ovation. He said Nelson Mandela embodied the spirit of "uBuntu", which means "I am because you are". Thousands braved the unseasonably cold weather and rain to pay their respects to the country's first black president at the FNB stadium in Soweto. This is where he addressed the nation on the day of his release in 1990. The crowds were in high spirits but were asked to "behave" after booing President Jacob Zuma a number of times. But despite a difficult start, President Zuma delivered his message, describing Madiba as "truly one of a kind". He said Mr Mandela was a kind man but had a sharp tongue, especially when it came to something he believed in. Mr Zuma will have been relieved to hear some cheering at the end of the speech. Mandela memorial binds South Africans 'A mighty life' The memorial service, which began at about 12:00 (10:00 GMT), lasted about four hours. It was one of the biggest gatherings of international dignitaries in recent years, with more than 100 current or former heads of state or government attending. There had been fears people would be turned away. But with heavy rain, security and transport issues, and the fact that Tuesday was not declared a national holiday, areas of the 95,000-capacity stadium remained empty. Introducing the proceedings, the master of ceremonies, Cyril Ramaphosa, said that Mr Mandela's "long walk is over... and he can finally rest". Current South African President Jacob Zuma made the keynote address but was booed in some parts of the ceremony. He said Mr Mandela was "one of a kind... a fearless freedom fighter who refused to allow the brutality of the apartheid state to stand in way of the struggle for the liberation of his people". Mr Zuma announced he was renaming the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where Mr Mandela will lie in state, as the Mandela Amphitheatre. Earlier Mr Obama delivered his address, carried on the White House web site, to huge cheers. He said: "It is hard to eulogise any man... how much harder to do so for a giant of history, who moved a nation towards justice." He said Nelson Mandela had taught the world the power of action and the power of ideas, and that it had taken a man like Mr Mandela to free not only the prisoner but also the jailer. Cannot play media. You do not have the correct version of the flash player. Download the correct version The BBC's Christian Parkinson spent a day with crowds travelling to the memorial Mr Obama said: "We will never see the likes of Nelson Mandela again. While I will always fall short of Madiba (Mr Mandela's clan name), he makes me want to be a better man." On his way to the podium, President Obama shook hands with Cuban President Raul Castro, an unprecedented gesture between the leaders of two nations that have been at loggerheads for more than half a century. A White House official later said the two had not planned to meet. "This wasn't a pre-planned encounter," the official said, quoted by AFP news agency. "Above all else, today is about honouring Nelson Mandela, and that was the president's singular focus at the memorial service. We appreciate that people from all over the world are participating in this ceremony." Barack Obama was cheered as he acknowledged the crowd Thousands attended the memorial service, but rain, transport arrangements and the fact that Tuesday was not a national holiday meant many seats in the stadium went unfilled Ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela hugged Mr Mandela's widow Graca Machel In his address, Mr Castro paid tribute to Mr Mandela as the "ultimate symbol of dignity and the revolutionary struggle". Under his brother, Fidel, Cuba was a staunch critic of apartheid, and Mr Mandela had expressed gratitude for that support. In his speech, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said there was "sorrow for a mighty loss and celebration of a mighty life". Cannot play media. You do not have the correct version of the flash player. Download the correct version US President Obama shakes hands with Cuban President Raul Castro on his way to the podium He said: "South Africa has lost a hero, it has lost a father... He was one of our greatest teachers. He taught by example. He sacrificed so much and was willing to give up all he had for freedom and democracy." The first speaker, friend and fellow Robben Island inmate Andrew Mlangeni, said Mr Mandela had "created hope when there was none". Many people stood in the rain waiting for several hours to get into the stadium, the BBC's Pumza Fihlani reports from the scene. She says the crowds were in high spirits - singing and dancing, stomping their feet - and the stadium had the feel of a political rally. Rather than seeing the rain as a dampener, many in South Africa have welcomed it. Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said: "It's a blessing from the ancestors welcoming a son of the soil." Analysis Farouk Chothia BBC South Africa analyst -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That Jacob Zuma was booed at the Nelson Mandela memorial is unfortunate. This was not an occasion to take pot shots. But it shows that South Africa is a robust democracy - such booing would not have been tolerated in many other countries. People would have been too afraid to voice their rage at the president. Nevertheless, Mr Zuma ought to be worried - will it be the death knell for his political career? He is due to lead the ANC into elections next year. A faction is bound to lobby for him to be ousted, in favour of Cyril Ramaphosa, his deputy in the party. Acting as master of ceremonies, Mr Ramaphosa received a far better reception from the crowd. He was next to Mr Mandela when he was released from prison in 1990, and was the chief architect of South Africa's democratic constitution. At the time, he was widely seen as Mr Mandela's heir but was outmanoeuvred in the political chess game within the ANC to choose the legend's successor. One of those attending, Shahida Rowe from Johannesburg, told the BBC: "The core of Mandela's life was humanity. That is why I am here today and the world is celebrating. "Thanks to him, I was recognised as a human being." Mr Mandela's widow, Graca Machel, arrived at the stadium to huge cheers as she was shown on the big screen. There were cheers too of "Winnie! Winnie!" for ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who hugged and kissed Graca Machel. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Chinese Vice-President Li Yuanchao, President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia and Indian President Pranab Mukherjee also made speeches. The ceremony was closed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who asked the crowd to rise to their feet for a final tribute. The BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Johannesburg says the line-up of world leaders is a sign of how South Africa has seen its partners and place in the world since Nelson Mandela became president. But, he adds, today is as personal as it is political - a recognition that there are lessons for the wider world in everything Nelson Mandela sought to achieve. Mr Mandela made his final major public appearance at the stadium at the 2010 football World Cup More than 100 current or former heads of state or government will attend the funeral or the national memorial President Jacob Zuma suffered the indignity of some booing Singer Bono and South African actress Charlize Theron attended the ceremony British Prime Minister David Cameron attended Tuesday's memorial, along with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Labour leader Ed Miliband and former British Prime Ministers Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major. Three former US presidents, George W Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, were also there, as were Francois Hollande of France, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe. Other mourners in attendance were Oprah Winfrey, Bono, Sir Richard Branson and Peter Gabriel. Mr Mandela's body will lie in state in Pretoria on the following three days. The state funeral takes place on Sunday in his home village of Qunu in Eastern Cape province. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: National Conference On Nigeria - 'The Fierce Urgency of Now' By Chido Onumah, 27 November 2013 Related Topics Nigeria A genuine national conference to discuss how to move Nigeria forward is not a silver bullet, but it must also tackle the structures that allow for corruption, abuse of office and impunity to thrive in Nigeria 'Between an agenda for a national restructuring and 2015 presidential election, my priority will be the convocation of a sovereign national conference.' - Ayo Opadokun Like many Nigerians I am very suspicious of the national conference or dialogue proposed by President Goodluck Jonathan. But unlike some of those who have expressed their apprehension about the conference, I believe in the imperative of the 'fierce urgency of now!' 'The fierce urgency of now' was a phrase popularised by Martin Luther King, Jr. - clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. In his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech delivered fifty years ago on 28 August, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., Rev. King 'compelled a (troubled) nation to examine its conscience and, at long last, take action.' CONFRONTING THE 'FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW' 'This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy,' he said in reference to the racial injustice that defined the American society then (and still does today). The thrust of his argument was that unless America confronted its national 'demon' by addressing the fundamental question of race there would be 'neither rest nor tranquility in America.' More than anything else in Nigeria today, we need to confront our 'fierce urgency of now.' The question that we must answer today, not tomorrow, is: How do we secure the promises of nationhood? This nation was founded on injustice and has been sustained through injustice in more than five decades of independence. This is why I think we should pay more than a cursory attention to the work of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue and by extension the planned national conference. I understand the apprehension of those who argue that we travelled this road before with General Sani Abacha and President Olusegun Obasanjo. But we are in a dire situation today simply because we allowed these rulers to take us for a ride. I am, therefore, comforted by the robust and well-thought-out memorandum submitted by the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), the Pro-National Conference Organisation (PRONACO), the Coalition of O'odua Self Determination Group (COSEG) and other groups even though I fundamentally disagree with their main argument that the conference should be centred on our ethnic nationalities. Now is the time for anybody or group that means well for Nigeria to speak out and make their grievances known. This administration has no choice but to listen to the voice of the people. Nigerians can determine the shape and outcome of the national conference if they are ready to do so. CORRUPTION THRIVES It is for this reason that I am perturbed by the nature of the debate and the national outrage bordering on hysteria that gripped civil society in the wake of allegations that the country's minister of aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, had coaxed the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, an agency under her ministry, to buy her two bulletproof BMW cars at the cost of $1.6m. My position is that we cannot tackle corruption, abuse of office and impunity in Nigeria - vices that have made us a laughing stock in the comity of nations - without dismantling the very structure that makes these vices thrive. Let me buttress my point. I agree with those who have identified corruption as our national 'demon;' one that needs to be confronted frontally. But there is also the reality that the endemic corruption in Nigeria is not because Nigerians are patently corrupt or fraudulent. That, as a people, we can't agree on what constitutes corruption or abuse of office, à la Stella Oduah, is emblematic of the unresolved crisis of nationhood that confronts us. That such national tragedy could not get nation-wide traction either because of ignorance, ethnic solidarity or elite manipulation is a reflection of the fact that corruption itself may not be our national bête noire. Of course, Stella Oduah is not alone. If we look at some of the more recent national heists that have taken place in the name of governance in the country, it is evident that the Nigerian state is a full-fledged criminal enterprise: The $180m Halliburton bribery scandal involving former heads of state; the N155bn ($1bn) Malabu Oil grand larceny allegedly masterminded by former oil minister, Dan Etete; Diezani Allison-Madueke's Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) non-remittance of N450bn ($3bn) to the federation account because "the NNPC is not subjected to the consolidated fund of the federal government since it runs very capital intensive operations beyond what government can finance"; the Farouk Lawan/Femi Otedola $600,000 oil subsidy bribe-for-vote scandal; the planned arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of the sons of the Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, for allegedly laundering over N10bn ($67m); Sule Lamido's own admission that he informed the president (the presidency has since denied the allegation) of a serving minister that collected $250m bribe; and the latest bombshell by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State that the presidency secretly withdrew $5bn from the excess crude account. Two years ago, Sahara Reporters, just as it did with the bulletproof BMW cars scandal, also broke the story about how N20bn ($133m) was siphoned from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The story (details of which are documented in my book, 'Time to Reclaim Nigeria') involved a land buy-back scam in which the name of President Goodluck Jonathan, the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, featured prominently. The CBN, through its head of corporate communications, did acknowledge that it paid about N20bn ($133m) for a piece of land, originally owned by a government agency, NITEL, to build 'a world- class conference centre.' Ms. Oduah, yes the same Stella Oduah was alleged to have collected N7bn ($47m) from the booty on behalf of Neighbour to Neighbour, President Jonathan's 'grassroots' campaign organisation for the 2011 presidential election. Of course just as there are no bulletproof BMW cars, two years later there is no 'world class conference centre.' Talk about the 'six degrees of separation' of corruption! THE FRAUD THAT IS NIGERIA What the foregoing illustrates is that governance in Nigeria is a big scam because the nation Nigeria itself is a great fraud. Anyone who is concerned about corruption, about the fact that we haven't had a credible census since independence, about the wanton destruction of lives by those who claim they want to propitiate Heaven, about impunity - whether presidential, gubernatorial, ministerial or by law enforcement agencies - or about the fact that we can't conduct 'free and fair' election in a single state out of 36, must invest some time to make the quest for a genuine national conference a reality. There can't be any excuse. We must insist on this by any means necessary. Talking about election, we can't allow the 2015 election distract us from this urgent national assignment. For those who say the national conference will 'disrupt' the 2015 election, I say good riddance because the election will be rigged anyway (elections in Nigeria have been rigged since independence and things are not about to change) and if necessary declared inconclusive. If we can call on President Jonathan to sack erring ministers and expect him to do something about corruption, then we might as well go 'the whole nine yards' and 'force' him to do the right thing concerning the national conference. Let me say, at the risk of sounding repetitious that a genuine national conference is not a silver bullet. But it provides us a template for moving forward as a nation. And nothing can be more important than this. The sooner we hold this conference the better! Some of us are tired of waiting for Nigeria (or the president) to fix itself. It won't happen. I end this piece by paraphrasing Rev. King: It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. The whirlwinds of revolt (read corruption, violence, ethnic cleansing, impunity, etc) will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. - Chido Onumah is a Nigerian journalist and coordinator of the African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (www.africmil.org) and author of 'Time to Reclaim Nigeria, Essays 2001-2011' (2011) and 'Nigeria is Negotiable: Essays on Nigeria's Tortuous Road to Democracy & Nationhood' (2013). THE VIEWS OF THE ABOVE ARTICLE ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR/S AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE PAMBAZUKA NEWS EDITORIAL TEAM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Confab ‘ll stabilise our polity — Nanaghanon December 06, 2013 BY DAPO AKINREFON MR Ben Nanaghan, a media consultant in this interview asserts that the proposed national conference will lead to the stability of the country. Excerpts: Are you in support of the plans for a National Conference? The national conference is the icing on the cake of President Goodluck Jonathan transformational agenda so far. It will give every Nigerian, every ethnic group, every geopolitical zone the golden opportunity to decide their future and unburden all hitherto bottled up frustrations, pent-up fury, and formally dissolve previously intractable and unresolved conflict areas. President Jonathan himself has confirmed that the national conference is a unique opportunity to promote and enhance national peace, unity, stability and progress. Of course the national conference is a step in the right direction. Like the cliché goes-it is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war. Most Criticisms of the national conference are either based on selfish and parochial group interests, mischief, ignorance or by political opponents of the president. Are you supportive of those critics who say the president’s performance does not qualify him for a second term? Who are the critics who say President Jonathan has not performed well. Let us by-pass the opposition party, the APC for now and search for these silent critics. Majority of President Jonathan’s critics are those who are no more benefiting from the corruption that existed before now. The previous leaders of Nigeria are not happy with Jonathan for changing the old corrupt ways for transparency which finally will be in the best interest of Nigerians. Nigeria is a country that has always been ruled by cabals. President Goodluck Jonathan is trying his best to contend and reduce the influence of these cabals on government. With five of the rebel governors declaring for the APC, what are PDP’s chances in 2015? For me their exit from the PDP is a great relief as they had held the nation to ransom trotting from one state capital to the other each negotiating presidential tickets for themselves. It will also keep the PDP on the alert. It is also a healthy tonic for democracy as the competition for votes will become keener and more competitive. However we have not heard the last of this matter. I personally do not see APC as a real political party because they do not have a coherent manifesto and ideology. They only have an agenda which is to win the 2015 presidential elections by all means. They are not truly democratic and to say they are a progressive party is the greatest lie of all times. How can a party which openly rejects intra party primary elections claim to be democratic? Any party or association that does not consider the peoples’ voice or decisions can not claim to be democratic. After all, democracy is government of the people by the people and for the people. APC’s claim to being progressive has been rubbished by the same criterion. You can see that the APC is neither democratic nor progressive. The APC has vilified and criticized PDP administrations as demonic, evil, corrupt, weak, undemocratic etc. And so why does APC need all its presidential candidates and governors from the same evil PDP? Let us take Ondo and Edo States. As an Ijaw from Ondo and Edo States will you say the Ijaw communities have benefitted from these administrations? The plight of the Ijaws in Ondo state is just a wee better than that of Edo State. In Ondo state, during late Chief Olusegun Agagu’s tenure; the Ijaws had a commissioner and later Secretary to the State Govt. Those are the Ijaws in Arogbo in Ese-Odo Local Government Area. But for those under Odigbo Local Government Area, their plight is similar to that of those in Edo State. In Edo State, the Ijaws are like the serfs of 18th century Russia. We are treated even worse than slaves. No social services, no development of any kind whatsoever. Why do you say the Ijaws in Edo and Ondo States have been neglected and marginalized? After the Justice Umaru Abdullahi led court of Appeal reinstated Adams Oshoiomhole as governor, the then fire-spitting, fist-pumping union leader assured every child of Edo State (including the Ijaws of course) of qualitative and compulsory education up to secondary school level. The governor’s speech we now know was a ruse to hoodwink the abandoned and marginalized coastal dwellers who shouted hosanna when the sugar coated governor barged in, in wolf’s clothings. It was a story meant for the marines. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why National Conference will be different from others’on December 01, 2013 / in Politics 12:20 am / By GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE, Benin DR. Greg Agbonkina is a Russian trained medical doctor. In 1991, he was in the Edo State governorship race on the platform of the defunct Social Democratic Party (PDP) but had to step down for Chief John Odigie- Oyegun who eventually won the ticket. He was a delegate to the late Gen, Sani Abacha 1994/1995 National Conference where he moved the motion of not less than 13 percent derivation principle for oil producing states in the sharing of the Federation Account. In this interview on the planned National Dialogue, he calls for a return to the 1960 Independent Constitution and regionalism as well as the adoption of the French model of government. Nigerians, he says, must embrace the dialogue as a way of finding lasting solutions to the problems facing the country. Excerpts: What is your take on the proposed National Dialogue? Many people believe nothing good will come out of it. The National Dialogue will yield many good fruits that will bring this country back to sustainable development. The conference did not come as a result of the wish of Jonathan; it came as a result of the wish of the different groups in the country. They have been clamouring for years to have an ethnic based national constitutional conference, ethnic based in the sense that the country at amalgamation was a conglomeration of ethnic empires and groups that made up both the Northern and Southern Protectorates. And before independence, there was a constitutional conference in London where the different stakeholders put their interests on the table and an agreement was reached. That led to the Independence Constitution. We saw the good that came out of the operations of the Independent Constitution, but, somewhere along the line, that Constitution was not only abridged, it was violated by the first military regime that suspended the Constitution and brought in a unitary system of government not based on agreed wish of the constituents that make up Nigeria. Since then, Nigeria has been groping in the dark; nothing has been done to return us to where we started; then, the war decree that was promulgated by the Gowon regime removed the smallest ingredient that was binding the country together as a federal entity. Jonathan’s conference should return us to where we missed the point and the first assignment of the ethnic nationalities that will gather at that conference is to pass a resolution that we have agreed to live together. Secondly, as a basis of living together, the National Assembly should enact a law that would return the constitution that was in operation before the colonialists left us to be the new national constitution. If that is done, all the clamoring and wastages taking place now will be a thing of the past. Without mincing words, we should give it to General Sani Abacha because the conference he called between1994-1995 is the only legacy he left. It laid the six zonal structures that we have in the country today. It was the first time after independence that states were created almost on equal basis along the six zones: Bayelsa was created from the South-south, Ebonyi from the South- east, Ekiti from the South- west, Jigawa from North- west, Gombe from North- east and Nassarawa from North- central. The local governments created in Edo State also followed the same principle. From Edo South, two local governments were created, one from Edo Central and one from Edo North. Thirdly, the revenue allocation that we are enjoying today and has brought seemingly peace to the country, that is, the 13 percent derivative principles, was arrived at that conference and, since then, no amendment has been made either by the National Assembly or by the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission because it is so difficult to get an agreement that will cover the entire country by the few nominated people. There have constitutional conferences in this country since 1942 and reports not implemented. What makes you think the Jonathan conference will not follow the same way? Well, if I may correct you, no military administration, in fact no administration in this country has set up a national constitutional conference other than the one that was set up by late Gen Sani Abacha and I told you that it achieved results and, if not for the sudden death of Gen Abacha, there was a Committee on the Devolution of Powers that was going to remove 50 percent of what the Federal Government is doing now to the states and allocation of funds was to follow. Secondly, the six zonal structures in the country came from that conference and the revenue allocation we are enjoying now. For emphasis, I was a member of that constitutional conference representing Edo State in the Revenue Allocation Committee, in the state and local government creation committee and in the Committee of National Consensus, I moved the motion “of not less than 13 percent” Derivation Principle. Other conferences organized by other military Heads of State were not conferences; they were constituent assemblies and constituent assemblies are different from constitutional conferences. Since the Lanchester House Constitutional Conference, which gave birth to the Independent Constitution, the nearest to that was the 1994/95 National Constitutional Conference, but the South-west said they did not send their first eleven to that conference. Governor Aliyu Babangida warned the North the other day in Yola to send their first eleven to the National Dialogue. In the 1994/95 conference, the North sent their first eleven led by Gen. Shehu Yar’Adua, the South- east sent their first eleven led by former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Sam Mbakwe; the South-south sent their first eleven led by Chief Tony Anenih, myself, Don Etiebet, Victor Attah who later become governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Dr. Peter Odili who became governor of Rivers State and Senator Aniete Okon. Although Chief E.K.Clark was not a member, he was a very useful accessory and, without him, we would not have been able to secure the 13 percent derivati on. And we arrived at rotational presidency. That rotational presidency gave rise to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo because in 1993 during the SDPNRC days, the presidency was zoned to the South-West and North-East. That was how Chief MKO Abiola who won from the South-west contested with the person from the North-east, Babagana Kingibe. Because both of them were from the zones to which the presidency was zoned, one became the presidential candidate and the other the vice- presidential candidate even though they were both Muslims. That was what informed Chief Obasanjo becoming the presidential candidate of our party to pacify the South-west that lost the presidency and that was why Atiku Abubakar who was already an elected governor of Adamawa State became Vice-President to Obasanjo. In other words, if they had ruled well, the presidency would not have gone to the North-west but to the North-east and the South-south because these were the only areas that have not had it. When the G.7 were going round consultating, they saw former President Shehu Shagari from the North-west; they Gen Muhammadu Buhari in the North-east, they saw Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar and Gen Ibrahim Babangida from the North-central, they saw former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme from the South- east and 9nment that we have seen either by its operations or even by its proclamation has brought no good to this country. It has brought only wastages. In other words, if all of us work together to bake a cake, all of us should be there when the cake is being shared; a situation whereby the governor of a state determines what happens in the state House of Assembly, determines what happens in the local government cannot bring about any sustainable development and transparent use of funds generated either internally or externally by the government. Therefore, a parliamentary system of government is more desirable for a diverse country like Nigeria. We can still have the position of President, a modified type of the presidential system with the parliamentary system which we advocated for during the 1994/1995 Constitutional Conference. That is, there should be a Prime Minister who should be head of government and responsible to the President and the National Assembly. A quasi parliamentary/presidential system is the best for this country. Today Okonjo – Iweala is almost acting as a Prime Minister as Coordinating Minister of the Economy. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How we are winning converts for National Conference – Advisory Committeeon November 24, 2013 / in Politics 12:20 am By Emmanuel Ajibulu Members of Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue, Mr Tony Uranta and Senator Khairat Gwadabe, are commending Nigerians on the manners at which participants conducted themselves at all the locations where presentations of memoranda are made. The duo also affirmed that the completion of the first phase of the committee’s assignment has recorded key milestone in line with the terms of reference. They made this known recently in Abuja, at the venue of the final stop to the consultations and memoranda received from Nigerians. “First of all, it has been very successful, we have found out that 80 to 90 percent Nigerians are eagerly awaiting this opportunity to come together and talk candidly about what they believe are things that bind us together and those things that we need to resolve that would tear us apart. More importantly however, I find that even though this is not a conference, it was just collecting of opinions based on our terms of reference. Nigerians already started putting issues on the table and actually debating them”, Uranta said. *Uranta Uranta, who doubles as Secretary General of the Nigerian National Summit Group (NNSG), expressed confidence in the success of the National Conference, having seen the positive attitudes of Nigerians about the exercise. “The ability to talk, the readiness to talk is there. There was a period that we thought part of the country was shying away from talking, and there was another one part that was more interested, but right now every part is eager. Some people even said they wouldn’t want a Sovereign National Conference are now even demanding a Sovereign National Conference. We don’t know exactly what we are going to recommend yet; as the chairman (Sen. Femi Okunrounmu) said what we are now faced with in the next phase is collating, remembering, listing, reading and coming up with those things we can distill out, before we start thinking of what we are going to advice the President.” On the part of Gwadabe, one-time senator representing FCT, she said some participants already assumed the conference had started which made many of them to ventilate and bring their concerns to the open. She also confirmed that others who do not believe in the exercise initially later changed their minds and now throwing their weight behind the convocation of National Conference. Her words: “We just ended the first phase of dialogue/consultative meetings which had taken a form of town hall meetings, everybody was free to come, free to attend, deliver and state their minds. As contained on our terms of reference, we wanted people to also have feedbacks from that, and we have had tremendous reactions. At many locations we have hundreds of memoranda and many came in through e-mail. A lot of people assumed this is a conference; many of them have actually come to ventilate and bring their issues on board. We have to keep reminding them that this was just a precursor to the conference itself, and for the responses, some cynics from the beginning eventually become converts. Those cynics were initially feeling that nothing good will come out of this, it was a distraction, waste of time, a lot of opinions in that regard. But gradually some of them are giving it a chance. But the good thing is that many of the people are not talking about breaking up, although we had few ones who did, they are very small in number and that’s a good one. I sat and I heard a lot, I am really impressed with the presentations.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- National confab: Ndigbo leaders move to harmonise common stance Written by Jude Ossai -Enugu Friday, 15 November 2013 00:48 THE Igbo leaders, on Thursday, inaugurated committees to harmonise the stand of Ndigbo ahead of the planned national conference even as the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, an umbrella of Igbo social-cultural associations, had since made its stance known to the Femi Okurounmu-led Advisory Presidential Committee on the national dialogue. The meeting, which was held at Zodiac Hotel, Enugu, was attended by leaders of thought from the zone, cutting across political and religious divides, resolved that Ndigbo would forge a common front at the conference. Professor Ben Nwabueze, who had earlier declined membership of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the National Dialogue, is to chair the planning committee, which has Professor Nnaemeka Achebe and Professor Elochukwu Amucheazi as deputy chairman and secretary, respectively. Meanwhile, the Obi of Onitsha is to head the finance committee. All the executive members of the Ohaneze Ndigbo were conspicuously absent at the meeting. Speaking to journalists after the closed-door meeting, Nwabueze said the meeting was aimed at kick-starting the process of creating a common stance for Ndigbo. “We are here concerning the position Ndigbo are going to adopt at the national conference. That is why we are here. “We have not taken any decision yet; that is the purpose of the meeting. The only relevant thing is that we set up committees; one is a planning committee which will do the planning. It is going to be a process.It is not something that will end in just one meeting. We have also set up a fund-raising committee, because we need a lot of money. “Another committee that will be set up eventually is the outreach committee, but the members have not been appointed. They will take our position and go and discuss with other ethnic groups,” he stated. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Opponents of confab sent memoranda secretly —Okurounmu Written by Collins Nnabuife-Abuja Thursday, 14 November 2013 00:00 Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue, Senator Femi Okurounmu, on Wednesday, said that key opponents of the national conference have started to embrace the dialogue and sent memoranda secretly. He did not name the key opponents who have now had a change of heart but told participants at the grand finale of the committee’s nationwide consultative fora in Abuja that no one can stop Nigerians from airing their views through a national dialogue. He told the participants that, “the train of the national conference has become unstoppable and irresistible,” and further noted that the citizens have already keyed into and are optimistic that the conference would give birth to a new era of peaceful co-existence and national development. He pledged that the conference would be different from the past ones and assured that President Goodluck Jonathan has so far given his committee free hand to operate. According to him: “As children of this nation, we want to give everyone a sense of belonging and this is the goal of this conference. Even initial sceptics are beginning to have a second thought and some of them have began to send us their memoranda secretly.” During the submission of its position paper through the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former chairman, FCT Steering Committee on National Dialogue, Dr Modibbo Umar, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) made a case for the establishment of a House of Assembly for the territory. It argued that the current situation whereby the National Assembly assumed the role of a legislative house for the FCT was confusing, retrogressive and unproductive. The FCTA maintained that the National Assembly was preoccupied with national issues and hardly found enough time to make laws for effective governance of the territory. Justifying the impact of inadequate laws for administration of the area, the FCTA hinted that the Abuja Project, which was supposed to have been completed within 25 years, was only 25 per cent completed, 37 years after. To the administration, the current funding plan for the territory remained grossly inadequate and required a review. Making his personal presentation, former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, cautioned against forwarding the recommendations of the conference to the National Assembly for ratification. He argued that it was wrong to subject the aggregate views of citizens to the lawmakers and suggested a referendum instead. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The North and national confab Written by Wednesday, 06 November 2013 00:00 THE Northern establishment is yet to come up with its position on the proposed national conference. Its umbrella organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) said through its National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani that the region never canvassed for the conference for the simple reason that many conferences had been held in the past but their resolutions were yet to be implemented by the appropriate authority. Therefore, ACF sees no reason to suggest that the forthcoming confab will be different, more so that they do not believe the problems of this country have anything to do with the form of the government or with lack of soundness of the law. “We also believe ethnic nationalism cannot further the cause of national unity. That is why we are waiting for the issues that will be raised for which we shall not lack constructive responses,” he said. ACF However, Chairman of the ACF, Alhaji Aliko Mohammed had welcomed the decision of the Federal Government to set up a National Dialogue Committee, saying the North is only opposed to a sovereign national conference and would embark on an advocacy tour to traditional rulers and governors across the North to sensitise them on the need to send the best amongst the region as representatives in the coming national dialogue. But concerned elders from the region have continued to speak on the confab. For Alhaji Balarabe Musa, undoubtedly the leader of opposition in the North and Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) for quite a long time, the build up to the convocation of the President’s National Dialogue was laced with uncertaintiesg. He said since 1978, he had been actively participating in almost all the processes that led to the current campaigns for the review of the state of the nation with a view to making the country work and develop like others that have succeeded, and for dealing with the negative state of the nation. Such processes, according to him, included campaigns for national unity, the progressive alliances, anti-colonialism and imperialism, and the campaigns for national dialogue, national conference, sovereign national conference, among others. He said the present campaigns for national conference and sovereign national conference arose from continuing low level of the development of the country in spite of the identifiable huge opportunities for development, allegation of Northern domination of political leadership, Islamic fundamentalism, the failure of military regimes to be corrective, and the bankruptcy and irrelevance of the socio-economic and political system controlling all developments in the country and the political leaders produced by it, both of which, he said, put the premium on self-interest as against public interest. “Gradually the campaigns became more qualitative and relevant when military political transition programmes lacked credibility, legitimacy and failed because June 12 1993 presidential election won by Chief MKO Abiola was annulled by a military regime in an informal alliance with reactionary civilian political leaders, including the leaders of the Social Democratic Party(SDP), the party of the winner of the presidential election. “Unfortunately, four factors among others emerged to weaken the calls. The first factor is the failure of the advocates to agree among themselves on a number of fundamental issues concerning both national conference and sovereign national conference, such as whether the conference should be a conference of ethnic nationalities or a conference of Nigerian citizens, the objectives, agenda, organisation and conduct of the conference, and so on; the role of the present reality of political power-that is the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The second factor is the level of understanding and commitment of the advocates which are sufficiently in doubt. The third factor is the indifference and opportunism of political parties particularly those in control of governments at state and national levels. The fourth is late Anthony Enahoro’s fallacy called PRONACO. He recalled that after the 2011 elections, Professor Pat Utomi, Professor Ben Nwabueze and Chief Tony Uranta convened a national meeting of some of leaders in the opposition and the campaign for the conference, and they established the National Summit Group (NSG) for the purpose of discussing the state of the nation and called for national conference and not sovereign national conference which NSG considered the last resort in the event of the government using its power to kill the national conference. According to Balarabe, NSG was financed and controlled by the Federal Government; some of the founding members of the NSG joined The Patriots and the Nigerian Project led by Alhaji Maitama Sule, Dan Masanin Kano and Professor Nwabueze. According to Musa, a legitimate national conference should have the following objectives and agenda: commitment to a united Nigeria based on justice, reconciling Nigerians for the purpose of peace, unity and development, review of the state of the nation, identification of the negative state of the nation and how to reverse the situation; a review of the socio-economic and political system controlling all developments in the country. He listed other challenges to include corruption, stealing and criminal waste of public resources, mass unemployment particularly of the present over 20 million graduates, poverty and hunger, most Nigerians cannot survive on their legitimate income even if they have any such income. According to him, other critical issues have to with agriculture and food security, state of the oil and gas industry and resource control and alternative resource exploitation, insecurity and security agencies, failure to conduct free, fair and transparent elections leading to legitimate governments at all levels, environmental degradation arising from the production of economic resources and its effect on the people of the area concerned and how to compensate them for their losses and sufferings, unitary form of government, federalism, confederation, parliamentary and presidential system, the need for a return to the regional system. “How to specifically ensure maximum dignity of human person in a competitive, just and progressive environment and even development throughout the country to avoid allegations of marginalisation, how to elect a government that can guarantee success in governance, the need for power shift between the federating units and between the old and new generation of Nigerians, drafting of a new constitution to replace the 1999 constitution subject to approval by a referendum and conduct of the 2015 national elections.” These items listed, he averred, would raise more than 100 fundamental issues for discussions at the national conference. Balarabe said the conference should consist of delegates elected from the 774 local government areas in the country, that is, two delegates from each local government area and 500 delegates to represent interests that may not be properly represented, to be selected by the five calling for the national conference. The decisions of the conference should be subject to enactment by the legislatures. The conference should decide on ways and means of the executive, the legislature and the judiciary working together for the success of the conference. Northern Elders Forum Speaking for the Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi, said, contrary to the fears being nursed in certain quarters, the North is not afraid of the break-up of Nigeria,if this is the popular view at the proposed conference. He stated that, there was nothing wrong in Nigerians coming together to discuss the challenges that had been militating against the country, stressing that the North would never oppose any conference whatever the name given it. This was contrary to ACF’s position which discountenanced the convocation of a sovereign national conference. He added, “There is no problem with Nigerians sitting down to discuss their problems whether in the form of dialogue, whether in a form of conference, whether in the form of a meeting, even in the form of a sovereign national conference.” Tanko Yakassai On his part, an elder statesman and chieftain of ACF, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, who spoke on the decision by President Jonathan to endorse a national conference as part of an attempt to resolve Nigeria›s multi-faceted problems, said in an interview that the confab is not capable of dividing the country even if germane issues that have been hindering the progress of the nation are discussed. “I don›t think the national conference will solve all our multi-faceted problems. But, I think for instance, out of ten, if it will be able to eliminate two or three, it is progress. You cannot bring out a perfect constitution in any country, but it is through continuous effort that you achieve progress. This is the reason why there is provision for amendment in the constitution, because people know that from time to time some provisions in the constitution will be out of date and a new situation would arise.” Commenting on the argument by some people in the North that the region might not be disposed to the conference and the fears of Arewa over the conference, he said all the institutions, organisations and leaders in the region were in support of conference. “The governors’ forum said they are in support, ACF are in support, the Middle Belt people are also in support. I think those who are saying that the North is opposed to it are missing the point. Why should the North be against such discussion? We have been taking part in all the national discussion on the constitution, for instance, right from 1953 when constitutional conference began.” On the extent to which many social, economic and political problems facing the nation could be discussed and resolved at the national dialogue, he said “I happened to be a member of the 1994/95 Constitutional Conference and I know the caliber of people who attended that conference. I also happened to glance through the recommendations of the confab of the Obasanjo era. They were beautiful recommendations. But, unfortunately, the Obasanjo project was tainted by tenure elongation problem, otherwise there were very sensible innovation in the recommendation of that conference. So, Nigerians who participated in the conference are committed Nigerians who have a lot to contribute. And I believe that thinking that with the current situation, the conference would not produce something for a better Nigeria, I think that perception is wrong.” On whether the national confab could resolve the problem of leadership failure in Nigeria and the peculiar problems in the North: economic, social and political maladies, he said he had been in Nigeria when the North was richer than the South and was assisting the South. “In the situation facing the country like Nigeria, the fortune today will not remain permanent. It is on one side today, at another time it would be at another side. Don’t forget that the oil that we are now talking about in Nigeria does not belong to the entire South. It is only the South-South that has the oil in a large quantity, which is in any case is not through their effort that the oil happened to be there. If the South was in the predicament facing the North today, there would have been a lot of trouble in this country because they do not rely on agriculture.” Yakassai said this would not be the first time that issues like resource control and zoning formula for the presidency would crop up, and recalled that they were discussed during the 1994/95 constitutional conference. “And at that conference, we recommended 13 per cent that they are getting now. The only thing is that we said it should not be more than 13 percent. Unfortunately, General Abdusalami Abubarkar, during his regime, made the ceiling open-ended by changing the provisions of not more than 13 percent. So, that is why the point keeps coming every now and then. “But, get your records straight of how much Bayelsa State is getting with a little above one million people, with the money the five states in the South-East are getting. Bayelsa is getting more. Or you can also compare it with the North-Central or North-East. You see, mankind is an over ambitious creator, even give him 100 per cent, he would still ask for more. So, it is natural, they would ask, but people will use their common sense,” he said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- National Dialogue: Jonathan replaces Nyiam with Asemota November 5, 2013 by Friday Olokor, Abuja 3 Comments President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the replacement of Col. Tony Nyiam (retd.) with Chief Solomon Asemota (SAN) as a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the proposed national dialogue. The President’s action may have been informed by the controversy generated by the face-off between Nyiam and the Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole. Nyiam, prior to his replacement, was nominated to serve as a member of the advisory committee on the proposed national dialogue. A statement issued on Tuesday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Pius Anyim, in Abuja, announcing the replacement, also added that Asemota, a prominent Chief from Edo State, would resume in the committee on Wednesday. It reads, “His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has approved the replacement of Col. Tony Nyiam (Rtd) with Chief Solomon Asemota, SAN as Member of the Advisory Committee on National Dialogue. Chief Asemota is to resume with the Committee with effect from 6th November, 2013”. The retired Colonel was said to have launched a verbal attack on Oshiomhole during a meeting of the dialogue panel in Benin to collate the views of the people of the South-south geo-political zone on the modalities for the conference. Many civil rights organizations have condemned Nyiam’s action and called for his sacking from the committee and prosecution. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yoruba Unity Forum, Afenifere, OPC, others endorse National Conference Written by Bola Badmus -Lagos Saturday, 02 November 2013 00:00 STAKEHOLDERS in Yoruba land, including the Yoruba Unity Forum, Yoruba Nationalists Assembly, Afenifere, Coalition of Oodua Self-Determination Groups, Oodua Foundation, National Committee of Yoruba Youths, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Oodua Foundation and South-West Consultative Forum, among others, turned up in large numbers on Friday in Lagos to make their submissions on how to move the country forward through a national dialogue. The event attracted the cream of the Yoruba race including Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, Dr. Frederick Fasheun, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, among several others. All the groups expressed their support for a national conference that should be held before the 2015 polls, while commending President Goodluck Jonathan for taking the bull by the horn to organise such a parley. Specifically, the groups told the Presidential Committee on National Conference, headed by Senator Femi Okunrounmu, that the proposed dialogue must be truly representative of the ethnic nationalities in the country, leading to true and genuine federalism. At the public hearing, which took place at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Kofo Abayomi, Victoria Island, Lagos, majority of those who presented papers moved for sovereignty of the people of Nigeria whereby the National Assembly would not be permitted to alter any of the report of the conference with its role only limited to passing a law legitimising the conference. Also, majority of the speakers submitted that the Federal Government, states and political parties should have no role to play in the conference and that the recommendations of the conference should be subjected to a referendum in order for the country to evolve a truly representative constitution. Other groups and individuals present at the hearing were Campaign for Democracy (CD), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Association of Indigenous Communities in Lagos State, Nigeria O Possible Group, Oke Ogun Development Council, Awori Descendants Union, Dynamic Women Association, and Constitution Reform Network. Delivering his paper on behalf of the Yoruba Unity Forum, Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi, while charging Nigerians to seize the golden opportunity to agree to sit down and dialogue at a roundtable conference and avoid a catastrophe, suggested that the composition of delegates to the parley must be truly representative of all the ethnic nationalities Nigeria is made of. Gbonigi, who said political parties in the country should play no role in selecting delegates to the conference, stressed that representation at the parley must also be fair, just and equitable from state to state, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). According to him, the present clamour for a national dialogue became imperative because the past ones failed to meet the yearnings of Nigerians. While impressing on Nigerians the need to get it right this time around, Gbonigi canvassed for a total of 400 delegates to the conference, saying that the true representatives of people should be allowed to emerge from socio-cultural organisations such as Afenifere, Yoruba Assembly, Ijaw Youth Organisation, among others. He suggested a duration of nine months for the conference to hold, submit reports and final ratification of a new constitution for the people of Nigeria. Mr. Yinka Odumakin, who presented a paper on behalf of Afenifere, also said that the dialogue was a good opportunity for Nigerians to sit and decide on the options before the country. Odumakin noted that the discussion was capable of moving the country to the direction of progress, and that the other alternative would be unpalatable. “At this stage, we are for the national conference with sovereign power. All decisions reached at the conference, after they have been put to the constitution and the referendum, the president of Nigeria will take (them) to the National Assembly for them to promulgate the new constitution and repeal the existing one. “As for the time frame for the conference, we suggest six months. Between January and June, we should be able to finish the process and promulgate the new constitution. “Our position is that we should have equal representation by all the six geo-political zones of the country, and (we) suggest 100 delegates maximum from each zone.” He suggested that there should be discussions at the zonal levels before the conference on the items to be discussed. “We should look at major issues that border on revenue generation. The idea of states going to Abuja at the end of every month to collect salaries must be looked into. Let every section of Nigeria generate revenue. Once the conference agrees on the kind of country we want, then a Constitution Drafting Committee should draft a constitution based on the form of government we want,” he stated. General Alani Akinrinade, who stood in for the Yoruba General Assembly, said the country could still remain the Federal Republic of Nigeria if ethnic nationalities were courageous and sensible enough to sit down together and decide among themselves as regards national interest. He said, “At Yoruba Assembly, we are delighted that at last, the president has taken the initiative to call the conference. Can we ask him to courageously summon all the powers available to him to see through a genuine national conference and ensure it is the will of the people of Nigeria as agreed by them at that conference that prevailed? “(On) the mode of representative, of course, we thought it is quite possible to use ethnic nationality to represent themselves in this conference.” Akinrinade, however, said those who elected to opt out of Nigeria should be allowed to do so, adding: “If anyone walks out of the conference, he can go and form his own country.” The South-West Consultative Forum, in its presentation by its Coordinator, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, took a swipe at those kicking against the conference, saying the proposed national conference would not fail like the previous ones. “The proposed national conference will not fail. All ethnic nationalities should participate in the conference to rewrite the history of Nigeria. The national conference being proposed by President Goodluck Jonathan is divine and we cannot have any general election without a good constitution in place,” he said. On his part, the President of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Fredericks Fasehun, equally submitted that the government and political parties should have no representation at the conference. He said the National Assembly must pass a bill supporting the convocation of the national conference in order to give it a legal backing. “Political parties should not send any representation because the conference is not partisan. All ethnic nationalities should have equal representation,” he said. The National Coordinator of OPC, Otunba Gani Adams, who also made his own submission, said the conference itself should pass a resolution making the result of the conference a sovereign decision. He said five months should be enough for the conference to complete its work, just as he proposed what he termed a rational federation based on the nationalities that would ensure respect for each nationality and preserving each nationality intact in the state to which it belongs. The President of the Campaign for Democracy (CD), Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, suggested that the agenda for the conference should address all contentious issues and seek to provide workable solutions to the many problems confronting the country. “We suggest six-month duration for the conference (from January to June 2014) so that the 2015 elections can be conducted based on the new constitution from the conference. “The Sovereign National Conference, which is the only option left to save this country from sliding into disintegration, must be convoked as quickly as possible,” she said. In his opening address, Senator Okunrounmu said the president’s decision to convene a national conference was to have a harmonious nation, pointing out that the government would not determine the agenda of the dialogue. He said, “We are delighted we have a president who has listened to the wish of Nigerians that we need to sit as Nigerians to have a harmonious nation, and finally we have the opportunity and we should use the opportunity to present our views. “The president does not want a conference imposed from above, but a conference that will be determined in its elements by the people. He wants Nigerians to determine the agenda that should constitute the conference, number of delegates, how long the conference should take and the legal stand to be determined by us.” A two-minute silence was thereafter observed for the late Baba Omojola who passed on after presenting his paper at the committee’s gathering in Akure, Ondo State. Last modified on Friday, 01 November 2013 23:20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- National dialogue should birth new constitution – Yoruba leaders, groups November 2, 2013 by Bosede Olusola-Obasa and Sodiq Oyeleke Stakeholders in the South West on Friday expressed strong support for the proposed national conference, saying the national dialogue should birth a new constitution for the country. They also urged President Goodluck Jonathan to take steps to protect the decisions of the constituent members of the federation. For over five hours in Lagos on Friday, stakeholders in the zone advanced reasons for a national conference, noting that this would determine whether the Yoruba race would remain part of Nigeria or not. The stakeholders who included leaders from all sections of the South West spoke at an interactive session hosted by the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue at the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs, Lagos. Some of those who spoke said the 1999 constitution is defective and further elections should not be held until it had been changed. They asked the Committee, chaired by Senator Femi Okurounmu, to advise the President to muster the courage to accede fully to the demand of Nigerians for a genuine, ethnic nationalities-based dialogue. The participants representing Yoruba-interest groups, civil society organisations and professional bodies took turns to call on Jonathan to summon the courage to initiate a national dialogue and respect the outcome as the wishes of the people. Presenting the position of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, the National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said the conference should examine the philosophical foundation of the Nigerian State, forms of government, structure of the Nigerian state, legislative list, executive list, law enforcement, economy and the judiciary. Afenifere proposed that the draft constitution from the conference of the nations within Nigeria should be taken to a referendum after which the President should forward an executive bill to the National Assembly to enact it into a law without tinkering with any of the decisions taken by the conference. He added that the federating units could write their own constitutions after such a law. “Delegates to the conference must emerge through elections. We suggest a conference of not more than 700 delegates with 100 from each of the six geo-political zones and the remaining 100 from special interest groups, he said. In his own contribution, the Convener, South West Consultative Forum, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, submitted that there was no going back on the decision to hold a national dialogue. While commending Jonathan for ‘buying into the patriotic and historic call for a dialogue,” he said the President should disregard those saying such a dialogue was needless. He said, “The Arewa Consultative Forum believes that it may fail like other conferences, which resolutions were thrown away, but I want to say that this will not fail.” He explained that there should be no confusion over the word sovereign, adding that “it is a matter of semantics, what is important is that it is national dialogue and it must represent the interest of all ethnic nationalities.” Speaking on the agenda for the conference, the National Chairman, Afenifere Renewal Group, Mr. Wale Oshun, said that each region should be allowed to table the issues that were of the most importance to its existenc within Nigeria. He proposed that the conference should look into the devolution of powers, internal security, resource control, revenue allocation, management of federation account and immunity from prosecution of political office holders among others. On representation, the ARG said that delegates from political parties, labour groups and the media should not be allowed to participate at the conference. Oshun said, “We are recommending 30 delegates from each of the present six administrative regions to attend the conference. They should be elected. “We do not support that the state or Federal Government should nominate any delegate. It may send observers and technical support staff there. “Since the conference will produce a new constitution, through a referendum, we recommend that the conference be completed before 2015 elections.” The Convener, Yoruba Nation Assembly, Gen.Alani Akinrinade, corroborated some of the views of the Afenifere and the ARG. He stressed the need for the conference to be given a legal backing, thus asking the President to submit a bill to the National Assembly for ratification, describing it as “a doctrine of necessity.” On modalities, Akinrinade said that there should be public enlightenment towards electing the delegates for adequate representation. He proposed an ethnic-based representation of a total of 300. Once the representation is deemed adequate, he said, “Anyone or group that walks out of the conference or doesn’t agree with the conference can go and form their own country. “Anyone who refuses to endorse what the citizens agree on in a referendum can opt out and decide what they want to do. I think we should not tie ourselves down because we do not want the country to break up. “It can still remain the Federal Republic of Nigeria if we are courageous and principled enough to allow the people to go.” The President, Campaign for Democracy, Joe Okei-Odumakin, said that conference delegates must be ethnic representatives, not politicians. She said that there would be no elections until the conference had been convened so that the new set of leaders could be subjected to a constitution by the people. She said, “There is nowhere that government makes constitution for the people, it is the people that make constitution to govern themselves. “We want to state that the conference must address issues that are pertinent to the people and the resolutions must be respected. It must not be altered except through a referendum.” The Yoruba Unity Forum in its submission presented by its head, Rev. Bolanle Gbonigi, said that the issue of delegates should not be lost to politicians. “This might be the last great opportunity to discuss together peacefully as a nation. Therefore, we must get it right this time. We propose about 400 delegates,” he said. When it was time for the Gani Adams faction to present its position to the audience, shouts of Oodua rented the hall. But as soon as Adams got to the podium, he picked holes in the two positions earlier made by his counterpart, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun. He said, “I wish to say that I represent the Gani Adams faction of OPC and we do not agree with two of the positions earlier stated.” Fasehun, had in his presentation asked that a bill should be sent to the National Assembly to give theconference a legal backing and that delegates of political parties should be part of the conference. But Adams said, “About 80 per cent of the members of the National Assembly are against the national dialogue, if we wait for them to give it a legal backing, they will kill it.’’ Speaking for the Coalition of Oodua Self Determination Group, Femi Obayori, said that those who don’t want to be part of Nigeria should be allowed to go. He said that ethnic nationalities should form delegates of the conference and not the zones. He said that the Federal Government should not be represented at the conference but should remain an umpire. But contrary to the view of the ARG, he said that representatives of professional bodies should be part of the conference. On referendum, COSEG agreed with other speakers, but said that it should not be taken to the National Assembly for ratification. He said, “This conference is not about the unity of Nigeria, any ethnic nationality that does not want to be part of Nigeria should be allowed to go.” A member of the committee, Mr. Tony Uranta, told journalist by the sideline of the session that the committee was committed to reporting the views of Nigerians on the call for a national dialogue to the President, saying that they believed that he would make good his intentions on the matter. Uranta said that the committee’s mandate forbade it to talk on the issues raised but rather to listen to all being said. Asked about the incident between a member of the committee, Tony Nyiam and Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, during a similar session in the state he said, “I believe that the committee member must be feeling a sense of remorse. What I know is that we have tendered a public apology to the governor and he has accepted it.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ndigbo backs national confab Written by Jude Ossai - Enugu Wednesday, 30 October 2013 00:00 NDIGBO, under the umbrella of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Tuesday, drummed support for the proposed National Conference with a clause that the outcome of the dialogue would be subjected to a referendum. Curiously, the governors of South-East zone namely Abia, Anambra Ebonyi, Enugu states were not in attendance. Submitting the memorandum to the Presidential Advisory Committee on national dialogue, during a stakeholder’s session in Enugu, the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Gary Igariwe, also said that the legality and integrity of the conference would be ensured if it is instituted through an Act of the National Assembly Most prominent indigens of Igbo speaking states in the country, including ex-Senate President, Ken Nnamani, supported the position of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Igariwe recommended that “the outcome of the conference would be subjected to a national refrendum/plebecite and thereafter, without alteration, becomes the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” “To ensure its legality and integrity, the conference should be instituted through an Act of the National Assembly. Mr President should, as matter of urgency, send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly to legalise the conference,” he stated. Igariwe, therefore, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to, as a matter of urgency, send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly to legalise the conference. The Ohanaeze leader also recommended a total of 360 delegates for the conference, adding that 60 delegates should be selected from each of the six geo-political zones in the country. He also advised the president not to allow the conference to go the way of previous ones and warned that the consequences of failure would be too ghastly to contemplate. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't frustrate National Confab, Afenifere warns politicians National Published: Wednesday, 30 October 2013 13:51 Written by Editor THE Yoruba Pan socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, on Wednesday cautioned against moves by some politicians to scuttle the ational conference scheduled for 2014. Afenifere’s spokesman, Mr Yinka Odumakin, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that all Nigerians including politicians should take advantage of the dialogue to redirect the country to run its course. NAN reports that the consultative meeting of the National Conference Advisory Committee is scheduled to hold in Lagos on Friday. President Goodluck Jonathan had Oct.1 announced the setting up of the committee chaired by a former senator, Dr Femi Okurounmu, to facilitate the convocation of a national conference for Nigerians. Odumakin appealed to compatriots and other stakeholders to rally support for the committee by attending the meeting. ``What the politicians who are opposing the conference do not know is that 2015 may be a disaster if the issues plaguing the nation are not sorted out at such meetings. ``They may be opposing it because they are the ones profiting from the unsettled issues in Nigeria,’’ he said. According to him, a platform for all Nigerians to discuss remains the most important thing for the nation. Odumakin added:``Every group invited by the committee must take it as a serious assignment for the Yoruba nation and must not listen to detractors. ``Yoruba spoke with one voice when the committee met with interest groups in Akure recently and should continue to do so. ``The conference is not for political parties, but for Nigerians. Therefore, no party can speak for any ethnic group or the people.’’(NAN) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigerians abroad decry absence from national confab panel National Published: Sunday, 27 October 2013 16:37 Written by EDITOR NIGERIANS in the United Kingdom have expressed concern over the non-representation of the Diaspora in the 13-member National Dialogue Committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan, NAN reports. They expressed their views on Sunday in London at the International Dialogue Forum, where leaders of the various ethnic associations living in the UK voiced their thoughts about the proposed national dialogue. Jonathan had set up the committee to come up with modalities of convening a national dialogue in order to resolve what he called "issues that currently caused friction in the polity.’’ However, the Nigerian community in the UK wants a review of the committee membership to include representation from the Diaspora. They also stressed the need for the national dialogue to be sovereign, noting that its submission should not be sent to the National Assembly, but adopted through a referendum. The Chairman of Ohaneze Ndigbo UK chapter, Chief Ejike Uzoalor, said the national dialogue was long overdue, adding that "given our diversity and interest, it is necessary to have a common position on issues that affect us.’’ To the the Chairman of the Niger Delta Forum, "we want this dialogue to be a sovereign conference where its outcome will be decided by the people and not the National Assembly.’’ The organiser of the Forum, Alistair Soyode, , said the international dialogue was to enable Nigerians in Diaspora to voice out their opinions on the national conference and identify areas of concern that would be their contribution to the dialogue -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Aliyu Advocates 910 Delegates for National Dialogue By Aisha Wakaso, 24 October 2013 The Chairman of the Northern States Governors' Forum, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, has suggested that the proposed National Conference by the federal government should have a maximum of 910 delegates. He also said the selection of the delegates should be grassroot-based. Aliyu stated this when the Senator Femi Okurounmun-led Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC) on the National Conference paid him a courtesy visit in Minna Wednesday. According to him, each of the local government areas in the country should have a representative each, making the number 774 delegates from the local government areas. The governor suggested that 100 delegates should be selected from special interest groups, while each state should select a traditional ruler to represent the traditional institutions in the state. Aliyu said: "We should use the institutions on ground to select the delegates. We have to use the local government as a basis for the selection of delegates for the national dialogue. "I suggest that 774 delegates should be elected from the local government areas in the country, 100 delegates from special interest groups and 36 from traditional institutions in the 36 states in Nigeria." The governor reiterated his stand that the referendum of the conference should be presented to the National Assembly to be deliberated upon. "As long as the National Assembly is on the ground, the decision reached by delegates of the national conference must be taken into the National Assembly for framing into the constitution," Aliyu said. Earlier, Okurounmun said they were in the state to consult and have the input of the governor on the conference and meet with the various stakeholders to have their inputs. He said the committee was trying its best to incorporate the views of all Nigerians so that no issue that affects the people are left behind. During the stakeholders meeting, most of the participants who spoke, suggested that various ethnic groups should be represented while the National Assembly should be given the referendum for final deliberation. Most of the speakers also suggested that the time frame for the conference should be between three to six months. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- National confab: President Jonathan’s best master strokeon October 17, 2013 / in Special Report 3:00 am / BY BAMIDELE ATURU THE decision of President Jonathan to set up a committee to work out modalities for a National Conference shows that he is not quite what his critic suppose he is. The President certainly is not the political novice that some professional politicians, in his party and the opposition, portray. The President may not have shown that he understands how to solve our multi-dimensional crises, but he sure understands a thing or two about power, self-preserving power that is. President Goodluck Jonathan The fact that the President who had openly resisted the demand for a National Conference, sovereign or otherwise, should be ready for it now when agitation for it has really died down except for one or two organisations still clamouring for it shows clearly that this is a strategic move and, in my view, it is the best masterstroke from the President and his advisers. They deserve to congratulate themselves for outwitting the opposition this time around. Why do I think that this is a masterstroke? First, there seems to be no activity among the ruling elite in general and in the ruling party in particular. Given the crisis of ideas that typifies the ruling class no serious activity is or can be in the horizon. So, why not generate one. The idea of convening or planning towards convening the national conference is therefore handy. Second, the way and manner the President is going about the conference would help him deepen and broaden the antagonism and in-fighting among the Yoruba establishment. The choice of Chief Okurounmu could not have been more strategic in that regard. Making him the chair of the committee will surely garner some support for the President among conservative Yoruba leaders. But whether that would translate into electoral gains for the President is yet to be seen and would depend on how the conference is eventually managed and controlled. Third, the proposed conference also has the potential of intimidating some conservative northern elements and whipping them into line. The intimidation here is to dangle the conference as a possible sword of Damocles that may cut the string tying Nigeria together. Of course, no one is certain that the President and his advisers do not have the ultimate balkanization of Nigeria as one of their main jokers. Some of the utterances of his supporters from the Niger Delta show that many of them do not really care if Nigeria shatters to pieces tomorrow. Third term elongation Fourthly, who knows a third term or elongation of the current term may just happen somehow as a consequence of the confusion that is bound to happen at the conference. Fifthly, some people may just vote for the President for him for ‘listening’ to the demands for the National Conference. The conference is therefore intended to shore up his democratic credentials. While one cannot rubbish any attempt to dialogue or discuss our crises, it is clear that the conference like other attempts before this one is likely to end as a mere talk shop for the masses of Nigeria, but as a major negotiating platform for the ethnic jingoists who are positioning themselves to continue to grab ever-increasing proportions of the national cake. The ethnic champions will hide under true federalism, resource control et cetera. Their real ignoble aim is to continue to be relevant so they can loot without end. Nigerians should not be deceived at all. Any conference that is not produced as a result of the struggles of the people for equity and social justice but that is gifted to them by a calculating oligarchy is not going to produce the fundamental restricting in terms of redistributing the wealth of Nigeria in such a way that the people are in control of politics and economy. That is the conference that we need, not the talk shop of ethnic warlords. Nevertheless, in spite of the fact that the National Conference being proposed is self-serving and selfish, Nigerians should use it as an opportunity to define an agenda of change and to show that the ruling class is incapable of solving the crises it has foisted on our people. History teaches that people who set up conferences of this nature may not be able to tell how it ends. This is why we genuine patriots cannot afford to ignore the conference. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nigeria: Most Calls for Sovereign National Conference Are Not Sincere - Prof Oditah,San By Bartholomew Madukwe, 17 October 2013 More on This Nigeria's Assembly to Decide On Dialogue National Dialogue Professor Fidelis Oditah, a Nigerian lawyer is a Queen's Counsel, QC and also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN. This first class scholar and an alumnus of the Universities of Lagos and Oxford, United Kingdom, has an extensive legal practice in Nigeria and UK. In this interview, he posits that most of the calls for Sovereign National Conference were not motivated by the desire to move the country forward. Excerpts. British rule ended in 1960 and Nigeria became an independent country on October 1, 1963. How would you describe the country's journey so far? It has been a mixed success. At a level, we have not done too badly. As a people, we are a very happy people. And not withstanding the challenges and adversity which we are faced with, both individually and collectively. On the whole, people seem happy and cheerful. However, we have been poorly served by our leaders. Poor governance, corrupt leadership, profligate leadership have characterised our journey so far. How do you resolve the progress that one would have expected of a country of about 150 people, which is supposedly endowed with enormous human and natural resources, to have made? There is very little to celebrate, other than people being happy for themselves because they are alive. What is your position on the security challenges in the country? It has all the characteristics of a failed state. Not quite long, we were all informed that Boko Haram went to a Collage of Agriculture and killed at least 50 students, injured over a hundred. Some days later, they killed at least 30 students in another school in the North. And of course, one can continue reading out the statistics, it is just a catalogue of killings almost on a daily basis. In addition to the Boko Haram scourge, we also have the problem of kidnapping. Initially, it began in the Niger Delta area. It was suppose to be a protest for the environmental degradation experience by the inhabitants of that area, for oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities. For kidnapping, everyone is a potential target because it has become a very lucrative criminal activity. Recently, a high court judge was kidnapped in Edo State, though he has been released. This was after Mike Ozekhome, SAN, was kidnapped and released. But just pausing there, the idea that a judge with all the authority can be kidnapped and ransom demanded by the hoodlum, it tells how badly we have been able to deal with the security issue. Any geographical area that calls itself a state must be able to secure life and property of its people. But here, hoodlums kidnap and damage at will. And yet, the so called leaders will congratulate themselves that Nigeria is 53. I am not sure there is any reason to celebrate, but they had to put up a show. Yes, people were in attendance; it was not celebration because we had no cause to celebrate. On the contrary, there are very substantial issues confronting the country and what is required is a meaningful dialogue to bring solution to these problems. It is not for them to go on television in a self congratulatory wasteful mood and dissipate the resources we have. Following the heightened Boko Haram activities, the late Lt-Gen Andrew Azazi was removed and replaced with Col Sambo Dansuki. What is your reaction to this? When they changed General Andrew Owoye Azazi as the National Security Adviser, NSA and appointed Col. Sambo Danzuki, it was supposedly to handle the insecurity challenge. But without undermining the efforts of Dansuki in any way, we have experienced more insecurity under his administration than we did under Azazi. No doubt, people congratulated themselves as Nigeria turned 53 years of independence. But at the leadership level, people are under-achieved. No one can celebrate the debacle that has faced us in the past several months at least, probably in the past few years. There have been calls for a Sovereign National Conference, while some have described as a possible threat to the country's unity. What is your position to these calls? I think dialogue is very good. What I find strange in Nigeria is that there are, in many cases, no genuine attempt to move the country forward. When you investigate the calls for Sovereign National Conference, you will find that in many cases, it is politically motivated. People are trying to advance their selfish interests, which have nothing to do with your interest and mine, and also do not have the interest of the country at heart. So, I don't have time for all these nonsense calls for Sovereign National Conference because it is quite cynical. Desire to move the country forward We have seen enough to come to the conclusion that very few of the calls for Sovereign National Conference are motivated by desire to move this country forward. In many cases, people are just taking positions, trying to advance themselves politically or economically. And I am not going to support such efforts by adding my voice to the call for Sovereign National Conference. Do you agree that kidnappers should be granted amnesty? Absolutely not. I do not even know who the kidnappers are. Have they become a trade organisation or identified as a group that we now offer amnesty or is it for all sorts of criminals? I do not see how that can be a responsible thing to do. The reason that amnesty was offered to the Niger Delta militants was that initially, they pretended to be freedom fighters, in the mode of Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro (fondly called Boro) and Ken Saro-Wiwa; fighting to protect their environment. Of course, we know that overtime that the movement became largely criminal and had nothing to do with the yearnings of the people. But however, one looks at it, it cannot be compared or equated to kidnapping, which is a naked, unpretentious activity by criminals, who are there without any course whatsoever. They are just there to make money. You might as well give amnesty to armed robbers, to all the thieves. How do you identify kidnappers who have no cause, they have not released anyone without taking money. So, what is the cause they are fighting for? For their pockets for sure. We should then give them amnesty and pay them from our resources, to congratulate and part them on the back for their criminal activities, which is completely unmotivated by any iota of idealism? It is just pure greed that has characterized that specie of criminal activity. If you look at the broadcast in 1966, when they have the Aguiyi Ironsi coup, the reason they gave was corruption, and that was just when the country was six years old as an independent country. Yet 53 years after, we are still talking about more corruption. So, what progress have we made? How is the National Sovereign Conference going to address this type of problem? The basic problems have to be solved first, before we begin to tackle grandiose projects because that is why we have wasted a lot of our resources in pursuing white elephant projects. In this regard, I have no doubt at all that the calls for Sovereign National Conference are not actuated or motivated to any significant degree by the interest of the country. Having said that, our experience tell us that it is always good to talk because dialogue and diplomacy are always useful tools in ensuring peaceful co-existence of any set of people. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- National Confab: National Assembly To Decide - Jonathan By: George Agba on October 16, 2013 - 3:53am President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the recommendations by conferees of the proposed national conference will be handed over to the National Assembly for implementation in its ongoing constitutional amendment. LEADERSHIP Weekend had exclusively reported on Saturday, October 5, 2013, that the National Assembly would have the final say on the outcome of the national confab. Jonathan who stated this when Vice-President Namadi Sambo led a delegation of Muslims in the FCT to him in a Sallah homage in his residence at the presidential Villa, noted that after the recommendations made at the conference are being presented to the National Assembly, it would then be in the court of Nigerians to mount pressure on their representatives at both the federal and state legislature to ensure that they are embeded in the constitution as laws of the land. The president said, “And this national dialogue is even critical and is coming at the right time because the National Assembly is thinking about how they will amend the constitution. So the results of the discussion of course will be passed to the National Assembly.” “It is only left for all of us who are Nigerians to impress it on our representatives those in National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly because our state and federal parliament must work together to ensure these are properly enshrined in our constitution so that as a nation we will handover a country that is better than what we have met to our children. “I assure you that myself, my Vice President and our team will continue to do our best for Nigeria so that our children will be happy in the end”. The president added that the conference would assist in stopping the quarrel aggressive debates made by Nigerians, even elderly ones, in the media, even as he noted that it would also help in reducing the brazen manner in which Nigerians insult themselves with incisive vituperations in the public space. He said, “At times, when you listen to radio and read in the papers, you see sometimes even our elders that are suppose to give us leadership quarreling over nothing; sometimes even insulting themselves and even making provocative statements that will sometimes instigate one group against the other. We decided that we cannot continue that way; the talking must have a direction. What has been happening on the pages of the newspapers are discussions that have no direction. “So we want a country that will have a direction. So, the discussions must have a direction, the discussion must lead Nigeria to where we want to be and not a divided Nigeria, not a Nigeria that is sown on hate, not a Nigeria that will be based on acrimony, ethnicity and tribal sentiments in the way we conduct ourselves. “That is a reason we set up that committee and we have given them the free will. Some people are still instigating others that the president is doing this, the government does not have the capacity to do that. We are totally committed to do what is right. We don’t need to carry cain to flog Nigerians to show that we are determined”. On the propriety of recommendations of past national conferences in the country, Jonathan said, “Even the JusiticeUwais committee that was set up, that report was passed on to the National Assembly. In 2010 we brought Belgore and others and I said in 2005, Nigerians discussed some things; why don’t we begin to implement some of them? So, we need to come up with some bills in those areas we have agreed and we push it to the National Assembly. “Of course, some of those bills have not come out from the National Assembly but we believe that even in the constitution amendment that is going on, some will be useful”. The president, who thanked the Muslim faithful for finding time to pay homage to him every year, thanked God that in spite of the challenges they face, Nigerians are still celebrating. His words: “We have challenges but I’m glad that Allah made it possible for us to be here today. Other countries have had their own challenges, 53 years is a long period for an adult but as a nation we are very young. “That is why we are totally committed to do our best to ensure that we pass a Nigeria to our young people that are coming up; a Nigeria that people will live in peace, a Nigeria that wherever you go you call the next person your own brother or sister, a Nigeria that our young children who will become adult will say that I am proud to be a Nigerian. Not a Nigeria that people will kill them probably because they don’t recognise them”. He further said the incessant killings by the Boko Haram sect was not happening in Nigeria alone, but globally following the upsurge of terrorist activities. The president said, “The killings that have been going on in some parts of the country has nothing to do with religion and ethnicity. That is why I asked those who killed those 50 students whether they even bothered about their religion or ethnicity. It has nothing to do with religion, it has nothing to do with ethnicity. It is because the world generally is experiencing terrorism. “But in Nigeria we must work very hard; we must talk to ourselves the way that our children will not develop hate amongst themselves. And that is one of the key reasons that we decided to have a conversation as a nation”. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- National dialogue: Senate, lawyers disagree on N’Assembly’s role October 17, 2013 by Sunday Aborisade, Ozioma Ubabukoh and Ade Adesomoju Leave a Comment President of the Senate, David Mark | credits: File copy The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties and eminent lawyers on Wednesday disagreed with the Senate on President Goodluck Jonathan’s promise to send the report of the planned national dialogue to the National Assembly for ratification. While the Senate said doing so was absolutely in order, the CNPP and the lawyers – Itsay Sagay, Fred Agbaje, Tunji Abayomi , and Jiti Ogunye – argued that it would cast further doubts on Jonathan’s sincerity. Jonathan had on Tuesday said the report of the conference would form an integral part of the ongoing constitution amendment by the National Assembly. Describing the President’s comment as being in tune with its position that National Assembly remained the custodian of Nigerians sovereignty, the Senate stated that in vetting the report, the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended, must be taken into cognisance. “For the President to declare that the final outcome of the proposed national conference would be subjected to National Assembly’s ratification is in recognition of the fact that there cannot be two sovereigns at the same time,” the Senate said in a statement by its Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs Chairman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. The statement added, “The Senate welcomes the President’s pronouncement and assures that the wishes of the majority of Nigerians would always determine the constitutional review process, which is ongoing. “The Senate still believes that whatever will be done to uphold the unity of Nigeria will always be welcomed.” But the CNPP, Sagay, Agbaje, Abayomi and Ogunye agreed in separate interviews with our correspondents, that the only appropriate body that should ratify the outcome of the conference is a referendum which is composed of the voting populace. The CNPP, in a statement on Wednesday, said it was not against the proposed national dialogue, but was opposed to subjecting its outcome to the National Assembly. In the statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, the group added that it would not support a national conference that was not sovereign. It said, “Regrettably, with his (Jonathan) statement that the outcome of the dialogue would be handed over to the National Assembly, we have been vindicated. The CNPP recalled that the National Assembly had at various times embarked on amendment to the 1999 Constitution but had at no time, amended any fundamental issue in the constitution. The statement reads in part, “The present national and state houses of assembly lack the political will to insert in a new constitution critical issues like devolution of powers to the regions, unicameral legislature under a parliamentary system, truly independent INEC, EFCC, ICPC, creation of additional states, fiscal federalism, among other issues. “Therefore, the Jonathan Conference is dead on arrival.” In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, Sagay, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said, “What the President has done confirms the fear of those who have been sceptical whether he is insincere about convoking this national conference. “You do not convoke a national conference and then subject the result to a body which represents the status quo (that is about to be changed); which has entrenched interest that it wants to protect.” He added that if the President insisted on subjecting the outcome of the process to the National Assembly, it would mean that the conference was dead on arrival. “National Assembly is just a partisan group which can participate in the conference; it should not be in a position to have anything to do with the outcome. It should not have any say concerning the outcome. It is the people that should take that decision. If he (the President) goes ahead to do it, it will just destroy the whole concept. In other words, the conference and the outcome would have ended before it even starts.” Agbaje argued that the National Assembly would be a biased umpire in the process as it had “consistently opposed” the convocation of a national conference. He said, “The National Assembly has been a biased umpire in the quest by Nigerians for the convocation of a national conference. “Will the President not use members of the National Assembly who are members of his party to thwart the resolution of the national conference? Will the concept of sovereignty which confers on the Nigerian people in Section 42 of the constitution not have been compromised by the President?” Abayomi, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, noted with dismay, Jonathan’s plan to subject the outcome of the national dialogue to the National Assembly for ratification. He claimed that the action had further confused Nigerians about the possible outcome of the dialogue. Abayomi said, “If all that is to be achieved is to talk and thereafter send the outcome to the National Assembly for ratification, then we have not moved forward an inch. “The National Assembly has not resolved the agitation of our people for a people’s constitution to replace the 1999 constitution forced on us by military dictatorship. “Another unwarranted ratification will neither improve constitutional thought, effect, legality, legitimacy nor expectation of the people of Nigeria.” He argued that the National Assembly “cannot give us a constitution by amendment.” Ogunye said the President’s promise constituted an attack on a proposed conference that was still trying to gather credibility. “The President’s statement is revealing. It is a vicious or thoughtless attack on the burden of putative credibility that the idea of having a national conference is still trying to gather,” Ogunye said.