To a great extent, it seems that the Federal Government’s failure to embrace the Sovereign National Conference is an attempt to politicise it and unwittingly deprive it of the much-needed objectivity.
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| OYELEKE |
The SNC, though misunderstood by some people, is not a secessionist agenda. It represents an avenue to discuss and resolve the complicated crisis besetting the country and thus redress the marginalisation, economic impoverishment, under-development, social annihilation and the fears of the various sections of our people.
It is not supposed to be a conference where government will set up committees; nor should it be made a conference of civil societies. The make-up of those who will attend the conference is simple: since we have 774 local government areas, each should send one delegate to the conference and not necessarily on political party basis. There are those organisations and groups who would not contest election like the obas, emirs, obis and amayanabos. There are also the professionals in the same shoe as this group of Nigerians.
The police and the armed forces should bring their representatives and Nigeria should engage in fruitful discussion in a properly organised SNC. This conference would likely determine the fate of Nigeria and, at the end of the day, the document should be presented to Nigerians at a referendum. When done, it will be the first time we will be having a referendum in Nigeria since the amalgamation in 1914.
If we want to adopt the Switzerland example or the American style, let it be stated in the constitution. Imposing a presidential system of government like we have now is no longer acceptable to this country. Britain operates a parliamentary system of government which allows for the discussion of ideas in the parliament. The Irish also derive their power through the parliament. Ditto the Scottish who also have their own assembly.
A unitary form of government or a so-called presidential government doesn’t seem good for Nigeria because it is alien to us. So, we need a conference to reach an accord. The SNC is not a tribal issue, it is not for tribal jingoists; rather, it is for lawful citizens.
Just as the Ibrahim Babangida regime exploited the yearnings of the downtrodden people for the institutionalisation of democracy, the Sani Abacha regime also sought to exploit the quest of the people for the convocation of the Sovereign National Conference.
Noting the recent manifestations of accentuated crisis among the nation’s ruling elite and the overall national situation since the inception of democratic rule in 1999, the question of self-determination and autonomy of component nationalities in the Nigerian polity has become an explosive issue dangling over the current wielders of political power.
The classical incident of the crisis is more pronounced in the Niger Delta region where the lives of the people continue to be a nightmare and where violence and disorder remain in constant visibility before the late President Umaru Yar’Adua introduced and implemented the amnesty programme.
It becomes imperative at this point to note that the above background precipitated the emergence of the unrelenting Northern group known as Boko Haram, which hides under the banner of religion to kill and foist a general atmosphere of terror on the populace. These faceless armed militants have now acquired the dexterity common with international terrorism with the spate of sophisticated bombings across the country.
This is a signal that something serious is eating into the fabric of our dear nation. These recent acts, among others, will continue to serve as a cog in the wheel of our national progress, which should be aimed at positioning Nigeria on the path of political and economic advancement.
The solution to the incessant uprisings lies in the restructuring of the Nigerian polity through the instrumentality of a popular Sovereign National Conference.
It will be of great benefit to the nation if we subscribe to the empowerment and rights of oil producing communities and their freedom to own and exercise control over the resources in their domains. Same should be applied to other communities that are endowed with human and natural resources.
The fear of disintegration is real. It is mutual to both the advocates and the antagonists. The truth is that if the national problems of unity among the nationalities, revenue allocation, federal structure, adequate representation of people in the decision-making process, and socio-economic inequality are not addressed, our national crisis will deepen and disintegration stares us in the face.
Many countries with multiple nationalities and languages have survived by amicably resolving their differences. Many have collapsed due to the intransigence and ambivalence of the ruling class in the protection of their hold on power and their economic interests. The SNC might have some questions still open for treatment, but it does not mean that it is not part of the frank and honest reality of our national situation.
by SODIQ OYELEKE
Oyeleke, a student at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, wrote vide soddickfresher@yahoo.com
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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