Angst over sovereign national conference By Mahmoon Baba-Ahmed Nigeria’s democracy is actually vibrant and active, allowing divergent progressive groups across the country to prepare adequately for a projected and indistinct dialogue, initiated by the government, during which they are expected to advocate social, economic and political reforms. Even though the bearing of the talks are yet to be clearly defined Nigerians have favorably responded in different ways to the decision of President Goodluck Jonathan to host a national conference that will identify our copious predicaments and proffer lasting solution to them. As a result some northern intellectuals who are also notable stakeholders in the nation’s affairs began to openly canvass the possibility of having a sovereign national conference hitherto abhorred by a cross-section of Nigerians and which differed profoundly from the one contemplated by President Jonathan. This brand of campaigners, found in many pressure groups and opposition political parties in the North, have astonishingly endorsed the general call for convening such conference even as that could only be practicable after the dissolution of existing political structure. In the past such posture was considered as anathema in the Northern political circles and the northerners had variously been castigated by their southern counterparts for denouncing prospects for its realization. By its nature, sovereign national conference is replete with complete power and supreme authority to produce a constitution for a country without the intervention of a potentate. That was a complete opposite of the constitution Nigerians are familiar with often produced under the auspices of Nigerian armed forces whenever they are handing over power to civilian administration after seizing it forcibly from an elected regime or from an illegitimate junta. Traditionally the constitution making process commences with the setting up of a body of handful technocrats to fashion out the modalities for an elected constituent assembly to write a brand new constitution which will subsequently be subjected to the approval of a military council. More often than not the military always injected a sizeable number of its nominees into the constituent assemblies whose deliberations were tampered with to suit its diabolical designs for handing over to anointed candidate. Normally occasions for the production of a constitution for the nation by the military is the most auspicious for convoking a sovereign national conference since that will be done at the eve of its departure from the political scene. But with the sovereignty of Nigerian constitution as a fait accompli which is unalterable it may be virtually impossible to discard or abandon it for a new one which may turn out to be totally unsuitable for the purpose for which it was intended. Majority of Nigerians are not disposed to the idea of having a sovereign national conference believing that it may pave way for the breakup of the country or simply bring about situations that could warrant the domination of one section of the country over the others. It may also lead to the excision of Northern Nigeria from the federation so as to achieve that unacceptable and condemnable objective intended to be achieved through the scandalous coup planned by the south-southerners and led by a Middle-Belt army Major, Godwin Orkar in April 1990. That dastardly act made Northerners apprehensive about the sovereign national conference whose motive, they believed, was to actualize the grand strategy of rendering the North politically powerless and weak economically. For that reason they have been constantly castigated and derided for what their persecutors call drawing the hands of the clock back. Incensed by that continuous pestering and harassment over their inalienable freedom and freewill to choose whatever they consider good for themselves the Northerners are not only resolutely determined to participate in any form of conference but to actually call the bluff of the southerners by opting to take part in the much talked about sovereign conference. They would want to see the denouement of the conference after the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has stepped down and all structures that lend credence to the constitutional sovereignty appropriately dismantled. That change of attitude was particularly intended to demonstrate the Northerners’ readiness to participate in any project that can move the country forward and to show to the whole world how well endowed the region is with hard bargainers and persuasive negotiators who can easily turn the tables on the Southerners by reversing the situation and gaining advantage from the active proponents of the sovereign national conference who may think they have an edge over them. The Northern now firmly believe that was the only way out of the present quagmire the country is sinking under. Nigerians must talk dispassionately about the future of their country as they had done successfully at the various constitutional conferences in London in preparation for our independence in 1960. Even then the Northerners that had been indicted for delaying the country’s independence had performed creditably and their contributions had helped tremendously in that direction. However, Nigerian leadership is ill at ease with the Northerners’ inclination for a sovereign national conference because they feel extremely frightened about its likely consequences on their administration, now or in the near future. With or without sovereign or ordinary national conference the future of Nigeria must be decided by the disgruntled, down-trodden masses the leaders are continuously deceiving with their ballots.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 10:42:22 +0000