President Goodluck Jonathan has
approved the membership and terms of
reference of the Federal Government’s
Advisory Committee on National
Dialogue/ Conference.
A terse statement on Tuesday night in
Abuja by the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Senator
Anyim Pius Anyim, named a Senior
Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Ben
Nwabueze, as one of the 13 members of
the committee headed by Senator Femi
Okurounmu.
Others are Dr. Akilu
Indabawa,Secretary; a former Nigerian
Ambassador to the United States, Prof.
George Obiozor; Senator Khairat
Gwadabe; Senator Timothy Adudu, Col.
Tony Nyiam (retd), Prof. Funke
Adebayo, Dr. Mairo Amshi, Dr.
Abubakar Sadiq, Alhaji Dauda Birma,
Mallam Buhari Bello and Mr. Tony
Uranta.
The committee which has one month
within which to conclude its assignment,
will be inaugurated by Jonathan at the
State House on October 7.
The committee’s terms of reference
are: 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 is also 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 any other
matters that may be related or
incidental to the conference.
Jonathan had in his Independence Day
broadcast on Tuesday, said he decided
to set up the advisory committee to
establish the modalities for the national
dialogue or conference.
“I expect the report to be ready in one
month, following which the nation will
be briefed on the nomenclature,
structure and modalities of the
dialogue/ conference,” he had added.
The announcement was well received by
the pan-northern socio-cultural
organisation , the Arewa Consultative
Forum, the Afenifere, Ohanaeze
Ndigbo, the Ijaw National Congress and
the two Peoples Democratic Party
factions.
Although the Afenifere, Ohanaeze
Ndigbo, the INC and the PDP factions in
their separate reactions did not give
conditions for supporting dialogue, the
ACF did.
The ACF advised against the dialogue
taking the form of a Sovereign National
Conference.
The ACF National Publicity Secretary,
Mr. Anthony Sani, told one of our
correspondents in Kaduna, that an SNC
would amount to a vote of no
confidence in the nation’s democracy
and its institutions.
He added that the forum had nothing
much to say at “this formative stage of
the committee until when the name,
content, shape and scope of the
dialogue are made public.”
Sani said, “When I am asked to react to
Mr President’s decision to set up a
committee on how to organise a
national dialogue as to the appropriate
name, scope, content and direction, I
begin to wonder what to say.
“You would note that ACF has made it
clear that it is not opposed to a national
dialogue so long as the aim is to
strengthen the unity and diversity of
this country, since the concept of
nationhood presupposes that the people
can come together and unleash their
synergy by living up to collective
challenges for public good, provided such
a dialogue is not in the form of SNC
that amounts to a vote of no confidence
in our democracy and its institutions,
which no group has the right to do.”
Both Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo
said they were ready to make
submissions to the committee once
invited.
Afenifere advised that the proposed
national dialogue should focus on true
federalism so that the issue of
allocation of the country’s resources
could be well tackled.
Its Secretary, Chief Seinde Arogbofa, in
an interview with one of our
correspondents, said, “We don’t have
to pre-empt the terms of reference of
the committee. We must appreciate the
head of state for allowing Nigerians to
talk about our problems.
“We should be talking about issues of
security, youth unemployment and the
right structure. We believe that with a
true federal system, all other things will
automatically fall into place. The issue of
resources will be taken care of if we
have the right federal structure.”
The Secretary General of Ohanaeze
Ndigbo, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, told one of
our correspondents that “all peace-
loving Nigerians must commend”
Jonathan for the initiative.
He said, “He has pulled Nigeria back
from the brink. Jonathan has saved
Nigeria by choosing a forum for talking
rather than shooting. It is a welcome
deviation from the past when former
Presidents were foot-dragging on the
issue.
“Let us restart our association
envisaged in the 1914 amalgamation
statement. Let us kick- start the system
so that all Nigerians can very truthfully
say they are Nigerians.”
The Ohanaeze secretary general said
the national conference would “ bring
an end to the abracadabra in the
country since 1966,” since it would give
the people the opportunity to “discuss
and say how we are to relate with one
another.”
Also, the INC advised that the national
conference should be used as an
opportunity to discuss all the problems
affecting the unity of the country.
The spokesman for the congress, Mr.
Victor Borubo, said there should be no
limitations to what should be discussed
when the national dialogue eventually
holds.
He said that resource control,
devolution of power, structure of the
country and issues on the Exclusive and
Residual lists should be among the
things that should be discussed at the
conference.
Borubo added, “There should be no
limitation to what should be discussed at
the conference as we expect those to
represent Nigerians to discuss
devolution of power, structure of the
country, resource control and issues on
the exclusive and residual list.
The NLC, through its Secretary-
General, Mr. Chris Uyot, said, “We
applaud the President for seeing the
need for a conference because we
believe in participatory and inclusive
government.
“Any form of dialogue or discussion
points to a positive and an inclusive
government and we support it. We
think it is a good idea which should be
encouraged.”
Also, the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP said
the President had through the decision
demonstrated that he derived his
mandate from Nigerians.
It hailed the President for anchoring
the theme of the independence day
broadcast on the road map to a secure
future for the nation, which it said was
not only unique but an eloquent
expression of his determination to
bequeath a transformed Nigeria.
The party, in a statement by its
National Publicity Secretary , Chief Olisa
Metuh, said by taking a definite stand
on national dialogue and setting up a
committee led by Sen. Femi Okurounmu
to fashion out the structure and
modalities for the conference, the
President has shown he is a listening
leader.
The statement reads in part, “Nigerians
listened to their President as he humbly
relegated accomplishments and beating
of the chest. We saw the President
assuming the place of an ordinary
Nigerian, in his pains, fears and
uncertainty about the future. This is
very commendable.
“We are pleased that the President
listens and leaves Nigerians in no doubt
that their opinions matter.
Also, the New PDP led by Alhaji
Abubakar Baraje, said there should no-
go areas in the work of the committee.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Chief
Chukwuemeka Eze, in an email to one
of our correspondents, said, “We see
the clamour for a national dialogue as
timely and appropriate as there is an
urgent need for Nigerians to come
together and discuss matters affecting
them as well as the way forward.
“We, therefore, welcome Mr.
President’s announcement in his
Independence Day broadcast about the
establishment of a committee to advise
him on the modalities for the holding of
the conference,” the New PDP said.
Source: punchng.com
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