By OMONIYI SALAUDEEN
President Goodluck Jonathan’s goodwill message for this year’s independence anniversary tickled the fancy of most Nigerians who have been yearning for restructuring of the polity in line with genuine federalism. In his national broadcast on October 1, he alluded to the imperative of ethnic nationalities coming together to debate the future of Nigeria and how to guarantee peaceful coexistence. The decision, he said, was based on persistent agitations by well meaning Nigerians for a national dialogue. The latest of these was the pressure from Prof Ben Nwabueze-led Patriots which insisted that there must be a national conference before the next general election.
His words: “Fellow Nigerians, our administration has taken cognisance of suggestions over the years by well-meaning Nigerians on the need for a national dialogue on the future of our beloved country. When there are issues that constantly stoke tension and bring about friction, it makes perfect sense for the interested parties to come together to discuss. In demonstration of my avowed belief in the positive power of dialogue in charting the way forward, I have decided to set up an advisory committee whose mandate is to establish the modalities for a national dialogue or conference. The committee will also design a framework and come up with recommendations as to the form, structure and mechanism of the process.
The full membership of the committee will be announced shortly. I expect its report to be ready in one month, following which the nation will be briefed on the nomenclature, structure and modalities of the dialogue.”
The committee will among other things consult with all relevant stakeholders, make recommendations to government on structure and modalities for the proposed national dialogue, make recommendations to government on how representation of various interest groups at the conference will be determined and also advise government on a legal framework for the national conference and any other matters that may be related or incidental to the proposed conference.
Barring any sudden change of arrangement, the 13-member committee will be inaugurated by the President on October 7 at the State House. The members, according to a release by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim include renowned legal icon, Prof Ben Nwabueze, Dr. Akilu Indabawa, (Secretary), a former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof. George Obiozor; Senator Khairat Gwadabe; Senator Timothy Adudu, Col. Tony Nyiam (rtd) and Prof. Funke Adebayo. Others are Dr. Mairo Amshi, Dr. Abubakar Sadiq, Alhaji Dauda Birma, Mallam Buhari Bello and Mr. Tony Uranta. The body is to be chaired by Senator Femi Okurounmu, and it has one month within which to complete its assignment.
Expectedly, varied reactions have continued to trail the announcement. While some stakeholders applauded the decision as a welcome development, others have dismissed it as a diversionary tactic to shift peoples’ attention away from the current crisis rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). These cynics particularly based their argument on what they termed as “inauspicious timing of the announcement”, saying it is going to be another talk jamboree.
Since its creation by the British colonial government barely a hundred years ago, Nigeria as a state has been consistently bogged down by incessant separatist agitations by different ethnic nationalities. People are often too quick to refer to the entity as a mere geographical expression. This is more so since efforts by successive governments, both military and civilian, to address the perceived lopsidedness in the existing federal arrangement have all been stonewalled.
Jonathan lamented this much in his address adding “In truth, Nigeria is still work-in-progress and we are challenged everyday to keep building in spite of the various obstacles we face. History has proven that nations take time to evolve. We should rejoice in our democracy, because it enables us to be united by our differences, not destroyed by them.
And there is no more crucial time for us to be united than now. The threats we face may be real and immediate, but we are not alone in this regard. It is a difficult season for much of the world’s industrialised or developing; rich or poor. What matters are the lessons we learn, the wisdom we demonstrate, and the victories we snatch from the jaws of possible defeat. This is a time to pull together behind the national cause: the cause of our freedom and our future. We must rekindle the spirit of Nigeria, to ensure that every democrat and every lover of peace in this great nation continues to live in a free, peaceful and secure Nigeria.”
“As men and women in leadership, we must continually focus on service, duty, responsibility and the next generation, not the next election. Those who are elected to govern at all levels must focus on improving the lives of our people, not selfish ambition. This is no time for the harmful clutches of parochial sentiments and the politics of bitterness, impunity, arrogance and unhelpful indiscipline. We must stand as one, with absolute commitment and resolve to resist any force that threatens us and the sanctity of our union,” he said.
If successfully convoked with a unanimous resolution, Jonathan will be the first Nigerian President to give the country a constitution that truly derives its source of authority, as supreme law, directly from the people. Several critics have said the 1999 constitution lacks direct inputs from the people.
In spite of amendments by the National Assembly, many stakeholders have maintained that what the country needs for sustainable peace is a brand new constitution fashioned by the people . Besides the imperfections in the constitution, there is also the need to address the prevailing insecurity and other socio-economic and ethnic problems confronting the polity through a national conference.
So, the general belief is that the immediate convocation of a national conference of the 389 ethnic nationalities would douse the tension in the polity and also provide opportunity for the various interest groups to take a second look at the basis of their existence as a nation. “We have done our own research and we have in this country 389 ethnic nationalities. We need to bring these nationalities around a conference table to discuss how we are going to live together as one country – in peace, in stability, in security – as one country with the aim of achieving national unity”, said Nwabueze.
Concerns and debates
As the committee is about to commence its work, debate is already raging on the best modality to evolve a workable constitution. According to Nwabueze, the first step towards the making of a new constitution is to repeal Decree 24 which brought into being the existing 1999 constitution. By so doing, the present controversial document will cease to exist. Thereafter, a fresh constitution which would derive its authority from the people can then be enacted.
His words: “Repeal Decree 24 and the constitution will disappear and you enact a brand new constitution, which would derive its authority from the people. That was done in 1963 when we adopted the Republican Constitution to replace the Independence Constitution. That 1960 Constitution was also a schedule to British Order-In -Council just as the 1999 Constitution is a schedule to Decree 24.”
In the opinion of Dr Tunji Abayomi, also a constitutional lawyer, the National Assembly can exercise legitimate power given to it by the people by passing a law that will set in motion the process that will give birth to a peoples’ constitution. He said: “Because they (lawmakers) have been given delegated power to make law, they can bring a law legitimately which will enable the people to give to themselves a constitution. In doing so, they can set a parametre that certain number of people should come from each local government and meet in a constitutional convention. It doesn’t matter whether you call it sovereign or constitutional conference.
The important thing is to give the people a constitution they want. So, they can pass a law that will enable the people to give themselves a constitution by setting out parameters on how the convention would be brought about. Once they set out the parameters, the people will meet to decide on the type of constitution they want and how they want to be governed.”
The issue of fair representation is also one of the basic questions now agitating the minds of many concerned stakeholders.
There is apprehension that some sections of the country might still want to take advantage of their numerical strength to influence major decisions just as they did on the issue of derivation formula during the last Political Reform Conference organised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. It has therefore been suggested that all states should have equal representation for fairness and equity.
Past conferences and shortfalls
Notwithstanding the divergent opinions expressed by stakeholders, there is a consensus that convocation of a national conference would bring about an enduring peace in the polity. Many people are however, skeptical that the fresh initiative may go the way of the previous ones, if the process is not devoid of partisan politics. Between 1977 when the Constituent Assembly put together by the military government produced the 1979 constitution and now, no fewer than four conferences had been organized to address some of the nagging national questions, but none has successfully settled the incessant separatist agitations by the various ethnic nationalities. The most recent of these was the National Political Reform Conference of Former President Olusegun Obasanjo which ended up in fiasco because of his third term agenda.
Prior to that, the General Ibrahim Babamasi Babangida-led military government had set up a Constituent Assembly to evolve a new constitution. The effort also went up in flames with the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election presumably won by late business tycoon, Chief M. K. O. Abiola.
President Goodluck Jonathan’s goodwill message for this year’s independence anniversary tickled the fancy of most Nigerians who have been yearning for restructuring of the polity in line with genuine federalism. In his national broadcast on October 1, he alluded to the imperative of ethnic nationalities coming together to debate the future of Nigeria and how to guarantee peaceful coexistence. The decision, he said, was based on persistent agitations by well meaning Nigerians for a national dialogue. The latest of these was the pressure from Prof Ben Nwabueze-led Patriots which insisted that there must be a national conference before the next general election.
His words: “Fellow Nigerians, our administration has taken cognisance of suggestions over the years by well-meaning Nigerians on the need for a national dialogue on the future of our beloved country. When there are issues that constantly stoke tension and bring about friction, it makes perfect sense for the interested parties to come together to discuss. In demonstration of my avowed belief in the positive power of dialogue in charting the way forward, I have decided to set up an advisory committee whose mandate is to establish the modalities for a national dialogue or conference. The committee will also design a framework and come up with recommendations as to the form, structure and mechanism of the process.
The full membership of the committee will be announced shortly. I expect its report to be ready in one month, following which the nation will be briefed on the nomenclature, structure and modalities of the dialogue.”
The committee will among other things consult with all relevant stakeholders, make recommendations to government on structure and modalities for the proposed national dialogue, make recommendations to government on how representation of various interest groups at the conference will be determined and also advise government on a legal framework for the national conference and any other matters that may be related or incidental to the proposed conference.
Barring any sudden change of arrangement, the 13-member committee will be inaugurated by the President on October 7 at the State House. The members, according to a release by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim include renowned legal icon, Prof Ben Nwabueze, Dr. Akilu Indabawa, (Secretary), a former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof. George Obiozor; Senator Khairat Gwadabe; Senator Timothy Adudu, Col. Tony Nyiam (rtd) and Prof. Funke Adebayo. Others are Dr. Mairo Amshi, Dr. Abubakar Sadiq, Alhaji Dauda Birma, Mallam Buhari Bello and Mr. Tony Uranta. The body is to be chaired by Senator Femi Okurounmu, and it has one month within which to complete its assignment.
Expectedly, varied reactions have continued to trail the announcement. While some stakeholders applauded the decision as a welcome development, others have dismissed it as a diversionary tactic to shift peoples’ attention away from the current crisis rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). These cynics particularly based their argument on what they termed as “inauspicious timing of the announcement”, saying it is going to be another talk jamboree.
Since its creation by the British colonial government barely a hundred years ago, Nigeria as a state has been consistently bogged down by incessant separatist agitations by different ethnic nationalities. People are often too quick to refer to the entity as a mere geographical expression. This is more so since efforts by successive governments, both military and civilian, to address the perceived lopsidedness in the existing federal arrangement have all been stonewalled.
Jonathan lamented this much in his address adding “In truth, Nigeria is still work-in-progress and we are challenged everyday to keep building in spite of the various obstacles we face. History has proven that nations take time to evolve. We should rejoice in our democracy, because it enables us to be united by our differences, not destroyed by them.
And there is no more crucial time for us to be united than now. The threats we face may be real and immediate, but we are not alone in this regard. It is a difficult season for much of the world’s industrialised or developing; rich or poor. What matters are the lessons we learn, the wisdom we demonstrate, and the victories we snatch from the jaws of possible defeat. This is a time to pull together behind the national cause: the cause of our freedom and our future. We must rekindle the spirit of Nigeria, to ensure that every democrat and every lover of peace in this great nation continues to live in a free, peaceful and secure Nigeria.”
“As men and women in leadership, we must continually focus on service, duty, responsibility and the next generation, not the next election. Those who are elected to govern at all levels must focus on improving the lives of our people, not selfish ambition. This is no time for the harmful clutches of parochial sentiments and the politics of bitterness, impunity, arrogance and unhelpful indiscipline. We must stand as one, with absolute commitment and resolve to resist any force that threatens us and the sanctity of our union,” he said.
If successfully convoked with a unanimous resolution, Jonathan will be the first Nigerian President to give the country a constitution that truly derives its source of authority, as supreme law, directly from the people. Several critics have said the 1999 constitution lacks direct inputs from the people.
In spite of amendments by the National Assembly, many stakeholders have maintained that what the country needs for sustainable peace is a brand new constitution fashioned by the people . Besides the imperfections in the constitution, there is also the need to address the prevailing insecurity and other socio-economic and ethnic problems confronting the polity through a national conference.
So, the general belief is that the immediate convocation of a national conference of the 389 ethnic nationalities would douse the tension in the polity and also provide opportunity for the various interest groups to take a second look at the basis of their existence as a nation. “We have done our own research and we have in this country 389 ethnic nationalities. We need to bring these nationalities around a conference table to discuss how we are going to live together as one country – in peace, in stability, in security – as one country with the aim of achieving national unity”, said Nwabueze.
Concerns and debates
As the committee is about to commence its work, debate is already raging on the best modality to evolve a workable constitution. According to Nwabueze, the first step towards the making of a new constitution is to repeal Decree 24 which brought into being the existing 1999 constitution. By so doing, the present controversial document will cease to exist. Thereafter, a fresh constitution which would derive its authority from the people can then be enacted.
His words: “Repeal Decree 24 and the constitution will disappear and you enact a brand new constitution, which would derive its authority from the people. That was done in 1963 when we adopted the Republican Constitution to replace the Independence Constitution. That 1960 Constitution was also a schedule to British Order-In -Council just as the 1999 Constitution is a schedule to Decree 24.”
In the opinion of Dr Tunji Abayomi, also a constitutional lawyer, the National Assembly can exercise legitimate power given to it by the people by passing a law that will set in motion the process that will give birth to a peoples’ constitution. He said: “Because they (lawmakers) have been given delegated power to make law, they can bring a law legitimately which will enable the people to give to themselves a constitution. In doing so, they can set a parametre that certain number of people should come from each local government and meet in a constitutional convention. It doesn’t matter whether you call it sovereign or constitutional conference.
The important thing is to give the people a constitution they want. So, they can pass a law that will enable the people to give themselves a constitution by setting out parameters on how the convention would be brought about. Once they set out the parameters, the people will meet to decide on the type of constitution they want and how they want to be governed.”
The issue of fair representation is also one of the basic questions now agitating the minds of many concerned stakeholders.
There is apprehension that some sections of the country might still want to take advantage of their numerical strength to influence major decisions just as they did on the issue of derivation formula during the last Political Reform Conference organised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. It has therefore been suggested that all states should have equal representation for fairness and equity.
Past conferences and shortfalls
Notwithstanding the divergent opinions expressed by stakeholders, there is a consensus that convocation of a national conference would bring about an enduring peace in the polity. Many people are however, skeptical that the fresh initiative may go the way of the previous ones, if the process is not devoid of partisan politics. Between 1977 when the Constituent Assembly put together by the military government produced the 1979 constitution and now, no fewer than four conferences had been organized to address some of the nagging national questions, but none has successfully settled the incessant separatist agitations by the various ethnic nationalities. The most recent of these was the National Political Reform Conference of Former President Olusegun Obasanjo which ended up in fiasco because of his third term agenda.
Prior to that, the General Ibrahim Babamasi Babangida-led military government had set up a Constituent Assembly to evolve a new constitution. The effort also went up in flames with the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election presumably won by late business tycoon, Chief M. K. O. Abiola.
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