Culled from my column in today’s national pilot: National Conference: Jonathan’s Subterfuge? More than any other time in our political history, Nigerians at the moment, need a platform where their multi-farious problems will be discussed. For decades, we have been shying away from discussing the numerous problems bedeviling the country on a round-table. This is because we are afraid of discussing some issues we consider as volatile. This is not unconnected with the fact that the country as it is has never been one homogeneous country. The marriage between the South and the Northern protectorate in 1914 was indeed “a mistake”. Hence, we’ve existed, right from independence, in mutual suspicion of one another. There is hardly any other platform aside a constitutional conference, where such issues we consider as volatile and untouchable as resource control, revenue allocation, rotational presidency, national integration, disintegration, tenure of political office holders, etc can be discussed. However, Nigeria in the last 53 years of existence as an independent nation had had several conferences but of quasi national nature. They were quasi because not all interest groups, ethnicities or nationalities were represented. Besides, most of the conferences we had were fashioned towards giving the country a new constitution. General Sani Abacha’s National Constitutional Conference (NCC) in 1994 and General Olusegun Obasanjo,s CONFAB in 2005 suffered legitimacy crisis and necessary credibility. They eventually failed because they both lack sincerity of purpose. How could Obasanjo, with his military background and political experience, have constituted a national conference and appointed both the Chairman and the secretary from same religious extraction? Prof. Ishaq Oloyede was later brought in after several complain from the Muslims Community. His inclusion as Co-secretary couldn’t prevent the public from spotting Obasanjo’s initial intention of trying to undermine Muslims. Hence, constitutional conferences, national dialogue or discussions are not new to Nigerians; after all, civil society organizations and such human rights activists as Late Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, Sheu Sanni, Wole Soyinka, Late Ken Saro-Wiwa, etc had for years clamoured for Sovereign National Conference. But since the inception of the idea of Sovereign National Conference as a panacea for solving virtually all our numerous problems as a people and as a nation, a lot of concern and suspicion has been generated from various groups and nationalities. Be that as it may, the word ‘sovereign’ attached to the national conference has generated a lot of fear and concern in some quarters. It has generated such questions as: is it possible to have a ‘sovereign’ conference when there is a sovereign government in place? Where does sovereignty actually lie in a society? Etc. But we all know that in a democratic state anywhere in the world, sovereignty is not located in any of the three arms of government. In the US for instance, sovereignty is located in the electorates. Therefore, in a democratic state like ours, the decision of whether there should be sovereign national conference or not lies with the people and not their elected representatives. Because if the elected representatives had played their assigned roles adequately well in the first place, there wouldn’t have been any need to convene a national conference. It therefore means that our representatives at the National Assembly are not qualified enough to represent us at any national conference of this nature. When President JEG announced, on October 1st 2013, in a nationwide broadcast marking the nation’s 53rd independence anniversary his decision to set up an Advisory Committee whose mandate is to establish the modalities for a National Dialogue or Conference; I was disturbed as to what kind of national conference is Jonathan planning; having for a long time been an opponent of the idea? In the NBA conference at Calabar around August this year, David Mark had equally spoke against the idea of a constitutional conference. How the duo suddenly became converts baffles me. I guess there is a hidden agenda. Similarly, is the convener of the conference (President JEG) in a position to do so? Especially when he had indicated interest to run for the presidency again in 2015. He had though charged the recently constituted committee not to see any area as untouchable, as if members of the committee have automatically become conference members; but we all understand that Jonathan is one of those who are heating up the polity for their selfish interests. So how would Mr. President be sincere in convening a conference that will give Nigerians solutions to their numerous problems? Another problem is the composition and membership of the conference. On what basis are members of the proposed conference going to be chosen or selected? On loyalty to the centre or party basis? I believe if we must convene a meaningful national conference or dialogue that will take care of all our agitations, the composition, which should either be based on ethnicity or nationality, or both will have to emanate from the people. Let people in various states choose those who they trust and belief will give them fair representation via referendum. Though a sovereign national conference remains the best platform through which we can come together as a people and discuss our problems, but I’m afraid, this national dialogue may end up another dust-bin material, just like Abacha’s NCC and Obasanjo’s CONFAB. For it looks like Jonathan and David Mark’s stratagem; however, the composition of Mr. President’s recently inaugurated Planning Committee on the proposed conference says it all. For instance, The Chairman of the committee, Dr. Femi Okunrounmu (from Ogun) was a Senator in the National Assembly between 1999 and 2003 on the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD) but lost in his re-election bid to Ibikunle Amosu (then of PDP) in 2003 general election. He however became Jonathan’s close ally when in 2011, during the run up to presidential election; he led other Chieftains of his party, the Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA) to announce the endorsement of President Jonathan of the PDP as their presidential candidate. The secretary of the committee, Dr. Akilu Idabawa from Kano State is a former PDP Youth Leader, former SA to Mr. President and the leader of Pro- Jonathan faction of the PDP in Kano state. Professor George Obiozor is a PDP leader in Imo state. He has been serving as an Ambassador from one country to the other in the PDP government since 1999. Barrister Khairat Abdulrasaq Gwadabe was a Senator in the Federal Republic of Nigeria between 1999 and 2003 on the platform of PDP. In 2011, she was one of the champions of President Jonathan’s re-election bid. Mallam Buhari Bello has been a PDP appointee in various capacity, which includes SA to the Attoney-General of the Federation. Member and later leader of the Nigerian delegation to the UN. Comrade Tony Uranta, who calls himself an independent Civic and Social organization Professional, is a good friend of Jonathan from Bayelsa state. Alhaji Dauda Birma is a PDP Chieftain and a close friend of Bamanga Tukur from Adamawa State. Dr. Mairo Ahmed Amshi is an active member of the PDP in Yobe State. Tony Audu was a Senator on the platform of the PDP and an active member of the party from Jos. Col. Tony Nyiam is a Pro-Jonathan campaigner from Cross Rivers State. Abubakar Siddique Mohammed is a University don and a social critic. He is the Director of Centre for Democratic Research and Training (CEDDERT). He has served in several FG committees in recent times. One of such is President Jonathan’s Committee that looked at the possibility of reviewing the tenures of governors and the president. Prof. Funke Adebayo, a don from Oyo state who lectures in Ladoke Akintola University of Technolog (LAUTECH), is probably the only new name in the committee. I wish the committee a successful national dialogue planning.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 18:57:20 +0000
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