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In his address marking Nigeria’s 53rd Independence Anniversary, President Goodluck Jonathan announced government’s intention to hold a national conference to address diverse issues in Nigeria. The 13-man committee is headed by Senator Femi Okunronmi began consultations in the geopolitical zones on Friday, October 18. Proposals are being made, many of them at divisive, our correspondents report.
Last Monday, at the Eliel Centre in Jos, venue of the North Central pre-confab stakeholders consultation meeting, groups disagreed over whether the proposed conference should be sovereign or not, but most agreed that it should address indigene/settler dichotomy prevalent in parts of the North Central.
Middle Belt Forum, the first to present a position paper, welcomed a national conference but without sovereign status. A former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, who presented the Forum’s position said the existence of other sovereign authorities, such as the National Assembly, makes a sovereign national conference inadvisable and could cause undue friction, if allowed.Explaining the Forum’s stand on the question of sovereignty, Gana said, “An important issue is where do we take the report of the conference? We agree with quite a number of Nigerians who believe that reports of such conferences have not been taken seriously in the past. We thank God for that of 1977/78 because the 1979 Constitution came out of that excellently. But for beautifully done reports of several other conferences, not much action was taken. Because of that, many people are anxious over what will happen to the decision of this (proposed) conference.
“Now, on the ground is a sovereign National Assembly elected by the people of Nigeria to make laws. What we’ve done is to say that after the conference, so that everybody will know that the decisions of the conference are accepted by the people of Nigeria, subject it to a referendum. But that alone will not make it law. You can then take the report, endorsed by the people of Nigeria, for final enactment by the National Assembly.”
The Middle Belt Forum suggested that “because this is a conference to determine the will of the people of Nigeria, we must use the criteria of equality. We think every ethnic group, even if made up of 500 people, should be given a voice,” Gana said.
Emphasising that every ethnic nationality should be represented by a delegate, Gana said Nigerians should not be scared of a large national conference because effective representation would be necessary to avoid the yearning of the people being frustrated.
The Middle Belt Forum spoke of a need for more states in the areas falling within the Belt, just as it canvassed devolution of power from the Federal Government, which it said currently wields more power and resources at the expense of the lower levels, down to the lower levels, namely state and local council levels. “We need more states in the Middle Belt,” Gana said.
On its part, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), which also presented a position paper at the North Central Zonal hearing of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue last Monday, differed on issues that the Middle Belt Forum held dear to its heart.
Making its point on what it wanted the conference’s status to be, the Northern Elders Forum said, “We call for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) with no preconditions or limitations as to its mandate, powers and freedom of action in any form or manner. We consider the call for the establishment of a very vague and undefined National Dialogue/Conference as being half-hearted and diversionary. We view it as inadequate and a potential waste of time and resources.”
To avoid the clash of sovereignties envisaged by the Middle Belt Forum, the Northern Elders Forum canvassed a radical restructuring of institutions of governance that would transfer existing authorities to the conference. The Forum stated, “We call upon the National and State Assemblies to, as a matter of utmost urgency, undertake steps to amend the constitution to recognize the convocation of an SNC with full executive and legislative powers.
To give effect to the convocation of an autonomous SNC, we demand for current holders of executive and legislative offices at both federal and state levels to relinquish all such powers immediately upon the coming into effect of the amendment referred to above. The leadership of the SNC should be vested with the mandate to assume such powers. In particular, we demand that the amendment to the constitution should vest in the SNC all necessary powers to exercise all executive and legislative powers at all levels of the federal system while the SNC is in place.”
The Northern Elders Forum further proposed that the confab’s outcome would replace Nigeria’s current 36-state structure with a central government and six regions representing the current six geo-political zones as federating units. For its ideal new Nigeria, the Forum recommended a unicameral structure and a parliamentary system, “which should replace the current bicameral presidential system of government.”
Also presenting its position, the Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) said it would participate in the national conference to seek protection for its members. The National Secretary of the Association, Alhaji Saleh Bayari said such protection had become necessary as cattle breeders were being attacked all over the places.
The Berom ethnic nationality, predominant in Jos South, Jos North, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom local government areas of Plateau State, spoke much like the Middle Belt Forum, preferring a national conference that would strengthen rather than dismember Nigeria. A former deputy senate president, Senator Wash Pam, who spoke on behalf of the community said the Berom would like the conference to address indigene/settler question and respect for traditional institution and culture of host communities.
He also said his people wanted quota system and federal character issues adequately addressed as the Berom are under-represented at the federal level. He said there was environmental and ecological degradation on Berom land as a result of decades of mining activities, which he said, needed to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
The Tarok ethnic group, represented by Dr Audu Gambo of Ngwan Ishi Otarok, expressed a desire for issues like the indigene/settler dichotomy to be addressed, while the Afizere, another Plateau ethnic group, called for the protection of minority rights in Nigeria.
Apart from groups, many individuals who spoke at the Jos pre-confab consultations, including the former national chairman of National Population Commission (NPC), Chief Samu’ila Makama, expressed worry at the anxiety that often arise over whether certain people who live in certain places should enjoy full rights in such places. They all suggested that the proposed national conference should be thorough in addressing such issues and raising them to rest.
SOUTH-SOUTH WANTS TO CONTROL 50% NATURAL RESOURCES
Majority of the participants at the one day South-south zonal conference on the National Dialogue held at the Cultural Centre in Calabar, capital of Cross River State last Friday have insisted that local communities and states where natural resources emanate should control their wealth by, at least, fifty per cent.
Some of the ethnic nationalities, including Ijaw National Congress, Oro Ethnic Nationality from Akwa Ibom State, South-South Peoples Assembly, South-South Peoples Forum, Efik Eburutu Ethnic Nationality, amongst others. They were united in insisting that the confab should encourage the inclusion of resource control by the states.
They argued that if this singular issue is resolved then the national atmosphere would be convivial.
Governor Liyel Imoke, represented by his deputy, Mr Efiok Cobham stressed that: “On derivation, our position aligns with the that of the entire South-South states to the effect that the constitution be amended to read that a state on whose territory oil (or other natural resources) are extracted or found be entitled to not less 50% of the entire proceeds from the exploration and exploitation.”
Still on control of resource, he furthered: “Solid minerals should be exploited by states where such minerals are deposited. Compensation should be paid on monthly basis for game reserves and forest conservation as the owners have lost their means of livelihood which is predominantly farming.”
Another point of their emphasis was that the outcome of the conference should never be subjected to scrutiny and review of the National Assembly as proposed by President Jonathan on his 1st October address to the nation.
The ethnic nationalities and other participants contended that the essence of the national discourse would be defeated because the main gist from the people would be removed by members of the National Assembly that are not attuned to such positions.
The Oporoza House of the Gbaramatu Kingdom which claimed to represent the Ijaw forces, arrow-headed by Ogoriba, Timi Kaiser-Wilhelm as chairman and Ambah Binaebi, secretary, insisted that “The suggestion that the decisions arrived at during the conference should go to the National Assembly for ratification is like suggesting that the judges of a community be appointed from among the ranks of convicted thieves.”
In order that the outcome would not be challenged and seen to be lacking in law, the people proposed that there should be an Executive Bill to the National Assembly for them to enact enabling law to legitimately back up the National Dialogue.
Whereas many proposed that the actual conference should hold before the 2015 general elections in the country, many groups differently recommended that the duration of the dialogue should be between three to seven months to enable the committee have time to study the different proposals and present to government.
On representation at the Dialogue, Imoke said that his state is of the opinion that each ethnic nationality be represented at the conference by a delegate who is elected on a zero party basis. He proposed that the conference should have two alternate chairmen from the north and South each and a secretary, all of whom should not be members of any political party.
But the Obong of Calabar’s position was that, at least, 200 delegates should be democratically elected from the six geopolitical zones and from professional groups, including traditional institutions.
Still from the Efik Eburutu Ethnic nationality, represented by Princess Henshaw, they recommended that the conference must look into the sheer domination of majority and bigger tribes in the country over smaller ethnic groups.
She went on, “Our group is also proposing that the tenure of the president should only be five years and no second term.”
While many proposed that the confab should discuss and adopt establishment of state police, others seriously argued against it. The Oporoza House, which spoke for Ijaw people, said “Ijaw will insist on an originating discourse with other ethnic blocs to freely negotiate the basis of any union in a manner that would result in a new charter of relationship. In other words we agree with the position of Afenifere that the conference should answer a first question of whether we still want to continue in the union or not. The Ijaws will insist in a process that will first distil constitutions of units that wish to federate before any conference to discuss the terms of federating them.”
Regarding this, the position of the Cross River State government was that “the over-reaching powers of the federal government should be curtailed and made more accountable to the federating units over the handling and management of the nation’s financial outlay. Powers should therefore be devolved even as the Executive legislative list be reviewed in order to transfer certain matters to the Concurrent List.”
Many frowned at the present presidential system of government. Cross River proposed Unicameral legislature while others were comfortable with parliamentary system. Imoke explained that Unicameral will curtail the cost of governance.
Proposing a two party system for the country, Imoke recommended, too, that the national sharing formula should be: federal government should take 25%, states 45% and local government 35% as against the present.
Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, supporting the position of the Cross River State government on compensation in perpetuity to Bakassi for the loss of the ancestral homeland, said there should be another deeper look at how it was ceded.
She also said that the women in the country were no longer comfortable with the 35% affirmative action, but that nothing less than 50% should be allocated to them whether it is election or appointment.
Majority of the participants at the one day South-south zonal conference on the National Dialogue held at the Cultural Centre in Calabar, capital of Cross River State last Friday have insisted that local communities and states where natural resources emanate should control their wealth by, at least, fifty per cent.
Some of the ethnic nationalities, including Ijaw National Congress, Oro Ethnic Nationality from Akwa Ibom State, South-South Peoples Assembly, South-South Peoples Forum, Efik Eburutu Ethnic Nationality, amongst others. They were united in insisting that the confab should encourage the inclusion of resource control by the states.
They argued that if this singular issue is resolved then the national atmosphere would be convivial.
Governor Liyel Imoke, represented by his deputy, Mr Efiok Cobham stressed that: “On derivation, our position aligns with the that of the entire South-South states to the effect that the constitution be amended to read that a state on whose territory oil (or other natural resources) are extracted or found be entitled to not less 50% of the entire proceeds from the exploration and exploitation.”
Still on control of resource, he furthered: “Solid minerals should be exploited by states where such minerals are deposited. Compensation should be paid on monthly basis for game reserves and forest conservation as the owners have lost their means of livelihood which is predominantly farming.”
Another point of their emphasis was that the outcome of the conference should never be subjected to scrutiny and review of the National Assembly as proposed by President Jonathan on his 1st October address to the nation.
The ethnic nationalities and other participants contended that the essence of the national discourse would be defeated because the main gist from the people would be removed by members of the National Assembly that are not attuned to such positions.
The Oporoza House of the Gbaramatu Kingdom which claimed to represent the Ijaw forces, arrow-headed by Ogoriba, Timi Kaiser-Wilhelm as chairman and Ambah Binaebi, secretary, insisted that “The suggestion that the decisions arrived at during the conference should go to the National Assembly for ratification is like suggesting that the judges of a community be appointed from among the ranks of convicted thieves.”
In order that the outcome would not be challenged and seen to be lacking in law, the people proposed that there should be an Executive Bill to the National Assembly for them to enact enabling law to legitimately back up the National Dialogue.
Whereas many proposed that the actual conference should hold before the 2015 general elections in the country, many groups differently recommended that the duration of the dialogue should be between three to seven months to enable the committee have time to study the different proposals and present to government.
On representation at the Dialogue, Imoke said that his state is of the opinion that each ethnic nationality be represented at the conference by a delegate who is elected on a zero party basis. He proposed that the conference should have two alternate chairmen from the north and South each and a secretary, all of whom should not be members of any political party.
But the Obong of Calabar’s position was that, at least, 200 delegates should be democratically elected from the six geopolitical zones and from professional groups, including traditional institutions.
Still from the Efik Eburutu Ethnic nationality, represented by Princess Henshaw, they recommended that the conference must look into the sheer domination of majority and bigger tribes in the country over smaller ethnic groups.
She went on, “Our group is also proposing that the tenure of the president should only be five years and no second term.”
While many proposed that the confab should discuss and adopt establishment of state police, others seriously argued against it. The Oporoza House, which spoke for Ijaw people, said “Ijaw will insist on an originating discourse with other ethnic blocs to freely negotiate the basis of any union in a manner that would result in a new charter of relationship. In other words we agree with the position of Afenifere that the conference should answer a first question of whether we still want to continue in the union or not. The Ijaws will insist in a process that will first distil constitutions of units that wish to federate before any conference to discuss the terms of federating them.”
Regarding this, the position of the Cross River State government was that “the over-reaching powers of the federal government should be curtailed and made more accountable to the federating units over the handling and management of the nation’s financial outlay. Powers should therefore be devolved even as the Executive legislative list be reviewed in order to transfer certain matters to the Concurrent List.”
Many frowned at the present presidential system of government. Cross River proposed Unicameral legislature while others were comfortable with parliamentary system. Imoke explained that Unicameral will curtail the cost of governance.
Proposing a two party system for the country, Imoke recommended, too, that the national sharing formula should be: federal government should take 25%, states 45% and local government 35% as against the present.
Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, supporting the position of the Cross River State government on compensation in perpetuity to Bakassi for the loss of the ancestral homeland, said there should be another deeper look at how it was ceded.
She also said that the women in the country were no longer comfortable with the 35% affirmative action, but that nothing less than 50% should be allocated to them whether it is election or appointment.
SOUTH-WEST ZONE
The maiden outing of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue was in Akure the capital of Ondo State where the Chairman, Senator Femi Okunronmi declared that all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria would be adequately represented at the proposed confab.
Okunronmu’s assurance that all ethnic nationalities would be treated as equal, irrespective of their population is a departure from the practice with similar exercise in the past where representations were based on nominations from the zones.
Okunronmu did not elaborate on how possible it would be to accommodate representations from the estimated over 300 ethnic nationalities of the country but simply said the committee would determine, among other things, the structure, duration and legal framework of the conference.
Also speaking, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo expressed confidence that the planned National Conference would address the myriad of problems militating against the nation’s progress and commended President Jonathan for taking “this bold step toward reconstructing Nigeria.”
The maiden outing of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue was in Akure the capital of Ondo State where the Chairman, Senator Femi Okunronmi declared that all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria would be adequately represented at the proposed confab.
Okunronmu’s assurance that all ethnic nationalities would be treated as equal, irrespective of their population is a departure from the practice with similar exercise in the past where representations were based on nominations from the zones.
Okunronmu did not elaborate on how possible it would be to accommodate representations from the estimated over 300 ethnic nationalities of the country but simply said the committee would determine, among other things, the structure, duration and legal framework of the conference.
Also speaking, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo expressed confidence that the planned National Conference would address the myriad of problems militating against the nation’s progress and commended President Jonathan for taking “this bold step toward reconstructing Nigeria.”
DEMANDS
In its submission, Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-cultural group, called for a ‘national conference with sovereign powers’. Chief Ayo Adebanjo, a chieftain of the group, who presented the group’s memorandum said: “Nigerians must sit down and discuss their union and agree on a federal constitution to guarantee stability, justice, peace, real unity and development borne out of autonomy for the constituent units.”
Insisting that only a referendum can alter any of the decisions reached at the conference, Afenifere suggested that 100 delegates should be elected from each of the six geo-political zones in the country and the remaining 100 delegates should represent special interest groups.
It also suggested that the 100 delegates from each zone should be elected on the basis of 10 per cent representation for all established ethnic nationalities in the zones, saying: “The remaining 90 per cent should emerge from equal number of elected delegates from all senatorial districts representing the traditional ethno-geographical contents of the region.”
In its submission, the Arogbo Ijaw Community said that all nationalities in the country should be considered equal for the purpose of the conference, irrespective of their population. Chief Francis Williams, who represented the community advocated for a ‘sovereign National Conference’ where all decisions reached will have the force of law. He faulted the calls for the submission of decisions of the conference to the National Assembly, saying that the decisions should instead be subjected to a national referendum.
“The National Assembly as presently constituted is part of the Nigerian fraud; it is part of the key issues to be addressed by the conference, therefore, the decisions of the conference cannot go to the National Assembly for ratification as sovereignty belongs to the Nigerian people,” Williams said.
In its submission, the Yoruba Unity Forum suggested a total of 400 delegates for the conference, saying this should be made up of 60 from each of the six geo-political zones and only 4 from the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the Forum no political party should be allowed to play any role in the election or selection of delegates to the conference and that the conference should be given nine months to carry out its assignment.
The Pro-National Conference Organization (PRONACO) suggested a total of 600 delegates from the six geo-political zones, while Atayese, another pan-Yoruba organisation, asked that the conference be allowed to determine its agenda.
In its submission, Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-cultural group, called for a ‘national conference with sovereign powers’. Chief Ayo Adebanjo, a chieftain of the group, who presented the group’s memorandum said: “Nigerians must sit down and discuss their union and agree on a federal constitution to guarantee stability, justice, peace, real unity and development borne out of autonomy for the constituent units.”
Insisting that only a referendum can alter any of the decisions reached at the conference, Afenifere suggested that 100 delegates should be elected from each of the six geo-political zones in the country and the remaining 100 delegates should represent special interest groups.
It also suggested that the 100 delegates from each zone should be elected on the basis of 10 per cent representation for all established ethnic nationalities in the zones, saying: “The remaining 90 per cent should emerge from equal number of elected delegates from all senatorial districts representing the traditional ethno-geographical contents of the region.”
In its submission, the Arogbo Ijaw Community said that all nationalities in the country should be considered equal for the purpose of the conference, irrespective of their population. Chief Francis Williams, who represented the community advocated for a ‘sovereign National Conference’ where all decisions reached will have the force of law. He faulted the calls for the submission of decisions of the conference to the National Assembly, saying that the decisions should instead be subjected to a national referendum.
“The National Assembly as presently constituted is part of the Nigerian fraud; it is part of the key issues to be addressed by the conference, therefore, the decisions of the conference cannot go to the National Assembly for ratification as sovereignty belongs to the Nigerian people,” Williams said.
In its submission, the Yoruba Unity Forum suggested a total of 400 delegates for the conference, saying this should be made up of 60 from each of the six geo-political zones and only 4 from the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the Forum no political party should be allowed to play any role in the election or selection of delegates to the conference and that the conference should be given nine months to carry out its assignment.
The Pro-National Conference Organization (PRONACO) suggested a total of 600 delegates from the six geo-political zones, while Atayese, another pan-Yoruba organisation, asked that the conference be allowed to determine its agenda.
THE NDIGBO PROPOSALS
The advisory committee will be in the South-East tomorrow, October 28, to take the input of the Ndigbo to the planned National conference. However, ahead of the meeting the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo had met to deliberate and articulate the demands which would be presented as the position of the southeast zone during the proposed national conference. It’s leadership is yet to harmonise the stand because the meeting was quite inconclusive.
But key among Ndigbo proposals include state creation in the zone, and additional local government councils, true federalism, restructuring of the polity, equal representation in the federal character, inclusion of tribe, religion in the national census, a southeasterner taking over from President Goodluck Jonathan, among others, our reporter gathered.
On Saturday, 19th October, 2013, the Ohanaeze held its expanded Imeobi - (which is the highest decision making arm of the Ohanaeze) at its secretariat in Enugu. Although, initially, a communiqué was supposed to have been issued immediately after the meeting, none came out. It was learnt that a call reportedly came from the governors in the zone urging the group to suspend the issuance of a statement. The reason was that the Ohanaeze leadership ought to meet with governors the following day, Sunday at the Government House, Enugu.
President General of Ohanaeze, Chief Garry Igarawey explained that the agenda of the meeting centred on the current national conference. “We are going to have details to enable us articulate our views,” he told the audience. He added that the presidential advisory committee on the national conference would meet with Ohanaeze leadership on October 28.
SUNDAY TRUST recalls that at the expanded Imeobi the meeting, former President General of Ohanaeze, Dr Dozie Ikedife told the audience that the representatives of the Igbo during national dialogue, should ensure that the Federal Government would not “carve out a no-go area for Nigerians.”
“If the federal government is to continue as it is today, it should be federation of the willing; we should not toy with this opportunity,” Dr Ikedife said. The former Ohanaeze leader added: “Let government assure us that this is not going to be a jamboree. If government is not sure of what it’s doing, we should be told early enough so we will remain as we have been as a nation. We don’t want to go to the conference and crack our head for nothing.”
Professor Anya O. Anya, who, replaced the famous constitutional lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze, at the National Conference Advisory Committee set up by President Jonathan, attended the Imeobi meeting. He spoke about “state creation and what is now called new politics” in Nigeria. He stressed the need to select those to serve as “bridge builders” between Ndigbo and the committee members.
A prominent female politician, Chief (Mrs) Maria Okwor said one of the demands the Igbo should make during the national conference is to advocate the abrogation of the presidential system of government currently being operated in the country. “Nigeria should cancel the Presidential system of government because it’s not favouring us, and it’s also encouraging massive corruption in the system. The roads in the southeast are very bad,” she said.
Former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife said the federal government should not fund the national conference since the government might use funding to frustrate it. He said: “If federal government should fund it, then it should create budget for it, in which case it can also frustrate it by not implementing the budget it created for the national conference.”
Ezeife rather suggested that the funds for organizing the conference should be sourced from corporate organizations like banks, multinationals and private bodies.
Also, Ezeife said Ohanaeze should set up a negotiating committee to discuss with Jonathan ahead of 2015 instead of supporting him sheepishly. “It’s during such negotiation that the Igbo will get something concrete rather than supporting his presidency sheepishly,” he said.
However, Ohanaeze also set up a committee headed by Professor Ukwu I. Ukwu to articulate all views from different Igbo groups and individuals ahead of the visit of the pre-Confab panel, which is billed for Enugu on 28 of this month.
The advisory committee will be in the South-East tomorrow, October 28, to take the input of the Ndigbo to the planned National conference. However, ahead of the meeting the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo had met to deliberate and articulate the demands which would be presented as the position of the southeast zone during the proposed national conference. It’s leadership is yet to harmonise the stand because the meeting was quite inconclusive.
But key among Ndigbo proposals include state creation in the zone, and additional local government councils, true federalism, restructuring of the polity, equal representation in the federal character, inclusion of tribe, religion in the national census, a southeasterner taking over from President Goodluck Jonathan, among others, our reporter gathered.
On Saturday, 19th October, 2013, the Ohanaeze held its expanded Imeobi - (which is the highest decision making arm of the Ohanaeze) at its secretariat in Enugu. Although, initially, a communiqué was supposed to have been issued immediately after the meeting, none came out. It was learnt that a call reportedly came from the governors in the zone urging the group to suspend the issuance of a statement. The reason was that the Ohanaeze leadership ought to meet with governors the following day, Sunday at the Government House, Enugu.
President General of Ohanaeze, Chief Garry Igarawey explained that the agenda of the meeting centred on the current national conference. “We are going to have details to enable us articulate our views,” he told the audience. He added that the presidential advisory committee on the national conference would meet with Ohanaeze leadership on October 28.
SUNDAY TRUST recalls that at the expanded Imeobi the meeting, former President General of Ohanaeze, Dr Dozie Ikedife told the audience that the representatives of the Igbo during national dialogue, should ensure that the Federal Government would not “carve out a no-go area for Nigerians.”
“If the federal government is to continue as it is today, it should be federation of the willing; we should not toy with this opportunity,” Dr Ikedife said. The former Ohanaeze leader added: “Let government assure us that this is not going to be a jamboree. If government is not sure of what it’s doing, we should be told early enough so we will remain as we have been as a nation. We don’t want to go to the conference and crack our head for nothing.”
Professor Anya O. Anya, who, replaced the famous constitutional lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze, at the National Conference Advisory Committee set up by President Jonathan, attended the Imeobi meeting. He spoke about “state creation and what is now called new politics” in Nigeria. He stressed the need to select those to serve as “bridge builders” between Ndigbo and the committee members.
A prominent female politician, Chief (Mrs) Maria Okwor said one of the demands the Igbo should make during the national conference is to advocate the abrogation of the presidential system of government currently being operated in the country. “Nigeria should cancel the Presidential system of government because it’s not favouring us, and it’s also encouraging massive corruption in the system. The roads in the southeast are very bad,” she said.
Former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife said the federal government should not fund the national conference since the government might use funding to frustrate it. He said: “If federal government should fund it, then it should create budget for it, in which case it can also frustrate it by not implementing the budget it created for the national conference.”
Ezeife rather suggested that the funds for organizing the conference should be sourced from corporate organizations like banks, multinationals and private bodies.
Also, Ezeife said Ohanaeze should set up a negotiating committee to discuss with Jonathan ahead of 2015 instead of supporting him sheepishly. “It’s during such negotiation that the Igbo will get something concrete rather than supporting his presidency sheepishly,” he said.
However, Ohanaeze also set up a committee headed by Professor Ukwu I. Ukwu to articulate all views from different Igbo groups and individuals ahead of the visit of the pre-Confab panel, which is billed for Enugu on 28 of this month.
Source: Daily Trust
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