Resource control
State police
Political structure
State creation
Power sharing
Fiscal federalism
Yakasai, Falae, Ezeife, Braithwaite, Adebanjo, Okurounmu, Osoba, Agbakoba, Dara, Braimoh, Igariwey, Sani, Ikedife, Adams, Ladoja: Our expectations
A new chapter opens in the country’s polity today, as Nigerians, represented by 492 delegates, converge on the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja for the inauguration of the National Conference aimed at cementing the nation’s fragmentation, reports FELIX NWANERI
At independence from colonial rule in 1960, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, held the hope of black renaissance. With a citizenry fired by the zeal to make a mark in the world space within the shortest possible time, the country looked forward to a future with prospect as the British Union Jack was lowered and the green-white-green hoisted at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.
The belief that the nation would stamp its feet in the comity of nations in a record time was never in doubt, given the zeal with which nationalists like Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa fought the departing colonialists, as well as the nation’s abundant human and natural resources.
However, five decades after, the country remains a land of poverty and violence despite her huge potential. This, many believe, was made possible by several factors including inefficient leadership, which has in turn, forced the over 350 ethnic nationalities that make up the country to continue to lose interest in the union.
The lack of bond among the people was responsible for the persistent calls for a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) to restructure the country and save the Nigerian state, which is gradually drifting towards disintegration.
Advocates of the SNC argued that the unitary constitution/system of government presently in place under the guise of a federal system have not guaranteed political stability needed for development, and therefore there is the need for a platform for the diverse interest groups to examine the possibility of sustaining the country’s present composition.
Besides the agitation for true federalism, the rising state of insecurity, systemic corruption, poverty and infrastructural deficiencies, lack of credible electoral process, clueless leadership of state institutions and processes across board are other salient issues, which advocates of the national discourse predicated their clamour on.
There were also agitations for autonomy for the federating units (states) against a too powerful centre; fiscal federalism to pave the way for resource control by the states; equality of states and local governments among the six geo-political zones; state police and the indigeneship question, among several others. But sound as the argument of this political school of thought was, some other stakeholders maintained that the National Assembly was the best forum to channel all issues for deliberation.
They expressed the fear that any unusual avenue could threaten the country’s unity. The position of members of the latter political school, partly explained why past and even the present administration foreclosed the idea of a conference before President Goodluck Jonathan in his Independence Day broadcast on October 1, 2013, informed Nigerians that he had set up a 13-member Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue under Senator Femi Okurounmu. That decision opens a new chapter in Nigeria’s polity today, as 492 citizens selected from across the various strata of the society converge on the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja for the inauguration of the National Conference.
Senate as harbinger
The journey to today’s event commenced with the acceptance by the Senate in September last year that the call for a national conference was in order in view of the discontent in the polity. Senate President David Mark, who spoke then, said every matter about the union of ethnic groups that make up the country, should be opened to discussion though with the proviso that the dismemberment of the country should be a no-go area. He said the country cannot continue to shy away from discussing national issues in view of the discontent in the polity and present global realities.
His words then: “We live in very precarious times, and in a world increasingly made fluid and toxic by strange ideologies and violent tendencies, all of which presently conspire to question the very idea of the nation state. “But that is not to say that the nation should, like the proverbial ostrich, continue to bury its head in the sand and refuse to confront the perceived or alleged structural distortions which have bred discontentment and alienation in some quarters.
“This sense of discontentment and alienation has fuelled extremism, apathy and even predictions of catastrophe for our dear nation. A conference of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities, called to foster frank and open discussions of the national question, can certainly find accommodation in the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution which guarantee freedom of expression, and of association.”
Presidential seal
Shortly after the Senate’s “green light,” for the conference came the President’s endorsement. In his Independence Anniversary broadcast on October 1, 2013, President Jonathan announced the setting up of an Advisory Committee on National Dialogue that will establish modalities for a national conference.
A statement later by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, announced the approval of the membership and terms of reference of the 13-member committee. Besides Okurounmu, other members were Prof. George Obiozor, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Senator Khairat Gwadabe, Senator Timothy Adudu, Col. Tony Nyiam (rtd), Prof. Funke Adebayo, Dr. (Mrs) Mairo Ahmed Amshi, Dr. Abubakar Sadiq, Alhaji Dauda Birma, Mallam Buhari Bello, Mr. Tony Uranta and Dr. Akilu Indabawa (secretary). Inaugurated on October 7, 2013, the committee’s terms of reference were: To consult expeditiously with all relevant stakeholders with a view to drawing up a feasible agenda for the proposed national dialogue/conference; make recommendations to government on structure and modalities for the proposed national dialogue/ conference; and make recommendations on how representation of various interest groups at the national dialogue/ conference will be determined.
It was also charged to advise the government on a time frame for the national dialogue/conference; its legal framework, legal procedures and options for integrating decisions and outcomes of the national conference into the constitution; and advise the government on other matters that may be related or incidental to the conference.
Initial opposition
The euphoria that greeted the President’s approval of the confab was quickly to be clouded by opposition by some stakeholders, who reasoned that it was a decoy by the Jonathan administration.
A leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, dismissed it as a diversionary step taken by a sinking ship. “It’s a diversionary tactic. How long have we been talking about this? Why suddenly?…I see a diversion here, I see deception here, I see lack of honesty and integrity here, I see a state of a sinking ship that needs no raft any longer; allow it to sink, build a new life, move the nation forward,” he then said. Kano State governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, who had not dumped the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) then for the APC, equally condemned it, saying the conference will be a Pandora’s Box that will create disunity among Nigerians.
“In my opinion, the national conference is a colossal waste of resources that ought to be utilised to solve the socio-economic problems clogging the progress of our country. If properly utilised, this resources that would have been spent in organising the conference would be useful if channelled to other human development areas,” he averred. The leader of Northern Civil Society Coalition, Mallam Shehu Sani, said: “The national conference idea of President Jonathan’s government is nothing but a fraudulent exercise mischievously conceived to rubbish and bastardise the genuine idea of a Sovereign National Conference as propagated by other progressive Nigerians over the years.”
Credibility question
Amidst the opposition arose a credibility question over the membership of the Advisory Committee. It was argued that given the partisanship of some personalities appointed as members, the committee would end up doing the bidding of the Presidency. It was further argued that besides the likes of Nwabueze and Okurounmu, who were known ardent advocates of national conference, others were well-known Jonathan’s supporters and members of the PDP.
An example was cited of former Minister of Education and presidential aspirant, Birma, who had earlier led his group – North, South New Nigeria Forum, to endorse the President’s second term bid. In the same category were Uranta, Indabawa and Sadiq. Uranta (a rights activist) is known for his support for the President, while Indabawa was the presidential aide in the storm over the donation of N500 million each to the Jonathan/ Sambo Campaign Organisation, by some governors in the 2011 elections. Sadiq on his part was appointed Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation by Jonathan in 2010. Senators Gwadabe and Adudu are card carrying members of the PDP. The former represented the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja), on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, between 1999 and 2003, while the latter represented Plateau North Senatorial District of Plateau State between 2003 and 2007 on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), but later defected to the PDP.
Committee’s recommendations
In compliance with the government’s directive, the Okurounmu committee held interactive sessions in 13 major cities – two in each of the six geo-political zones and one in Abuja. It also interacted with governors and traditional rulers of the 12 states it visited, as well as with the Minister of the FCT. A total of 6,650 Nigerians participated in the sessions; 421 presentations were made and 607 memoranda received, while 57 memoranda were received online and 47 by direct submission to the committee’s secretariat. The committee recommended that the national dialogue be called “National Conference” and should have no no-go areas; the setting up of a 13-member Conference Management Secretariat under an Executive Secretary with two members from each geo-political zone; that majority of the delegates to the conference be elected directly on the principles of universal adult suffrage, and that the size and structure of the conference should be in accordance with the 360 constituencies of the House of Representatives.
Other recommendations were: That every state government shall nominate a delegate and the President, through the Minister of the FCT, shall nominate a delegate for the Federal Capital Territory, and in the event that any state fails to nominate a delegate, the President shall nominate a delegate for the said state; that the conference shall have a chairperson and a deputy chairperson, who should be persons of high impeccable integrity; that the President should nominate representatives from among the key interest groups in active consultation with them and that the total number of nominated delegates should not exceed one-third of the total number of delegates. On the duration of the conference, the committee recommended that it should hold for a period of not less than three months and not more than six months.
Modalities
The Federal Government, on January 30 set the ball rolling for the National Conference with the announcement of the modalities for the discourse. Anyim, who announced the modalities, reiterate government’s position that the conference would discuss any subject matter, except the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria as a nation. He added that the decisions reached by the delegates would be by consensus. Where consensus was not achievable, he explained that it would be by 75 per cent majority, while the conference will advise the government on the legal framework, procedures and options for integrating its decisions and outcomes into the 1999 Constitution and other laws of the country.
On the composition of the conference, the SGF said that all socio-political and nationality groups in the country were given 15 slots from each geo-political zone, while five political parties will get two slots each. The slots for the parties were limited to those that have representation in the National Assembly. They are the PDP, APC, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Accord Party (AP) and Labour Party (LP). While the conference is holding despite the various platforms of discourse provided by the present democratic dispensation, most Nigerians hope that it will come up with a suitable new constitution to avoid ending as a mere talkshop, as did the 2005 National Political Reform Conference.
Source: New Telegraph
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