Arewa Leaders, Others Fault National Conference Modalities

Posted by admin Arewa House, Headlines Friday, January 31st, 2014

Say Confab Will Fail

AREWA elders have rejected the modalities released by the Federal Government for the conduct of the proposed National Conference, alleging that from all indications, the national dialogue may eventually snowball into a tool for President Goodluck Jonathan to drive home his Presidential ambition in 2015.

Besides, former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa urged Nigerians and the opposition parties to reject the National Conference, saying that the modalities of the government for the conference have shown that President Jonathan is playing a script for his 2015 Presidential ambition.

Members of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) who reacted to the government’s modalities for the National Confab through the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anthony Sani, Friday said. “Though ACF does not believe the solution to our national malaise lies with the National Conference, as long as they say it is possible for the National Conference to further the cause of a united whole Nigeria, there should be no qualms.

“Let the deliberations in the conference calm people’s nerves. But we wonder whether the three months will be enough for thorough and robust deliberations needed for the desired result to come to pass.

“In any case, let the nominees be Nigeria’sfirst eleven who are endowed with not only public intelligence, but also with patriotic courage”.

On his part, Musa, who is the leader of the Conference of National Political Parties (CNPP), faulted the way and manner President Jonathan has handled the proposed national confab, saying that with the release of the modalities by government, “it has now confirmed the agenda that Jonathan is nursing towards 2015”.

Musa further averred: “We are not only criticizing the modalities, but the composition of the delegates has also justified our own rejection of the national conference; and we see it as a political manoeuvre with respect to 2015 elections.

“It is also a diversion from the massive failure of the President. The conference would not achieve anything and would even be an insult to Nigerians. Remember that the President should at the moment be held responsible for the negative state of the nation, because as President, under the prevailing circumstances, he is expected to correct the wrongs”.

According to Musa, “he has not corrected any wrong. And therefore, he is part and parcel of the cause of the negative state of the nation which the national conference is supposed to deal with. How can this person who is guilty of the situation which the conference is to deal with, call for the conference, appoint the committee to decide the modalities, announce the modalities and appoint the delegates to the conference?

“How can this conference be relevant in any respect? This conference ought to be one of elected delegates. But what we have now is selected delegates. I therefore call on Nigerians to reject this conference and dissociate themselves from it.

“I call on the APC which is the opposition to the government and which is even more than an opposition as far as the National Assembly is concerned, to reject the national conference, boycott the national conference.

“If the President attempts to finance the conference through sources outside the budget, like Obasanjo did, then the National Assembly should consider the possibility of impeaching the President for gross misconduct. Because, as the President, he cannot finance anything outside the budget. That would amount to gross misconduct”.

Speaking in the same vein, spokesman of Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Prof Ango Abdullahi described the proposed conference as President Jonathan’s conference and not Nigerians’ conference. He questioned the rationale behind government’s modalities, insisting that if the government knew it would not consider the views of the majority of Nigerians, the Femi Okoroumu-led committee shouldn’t have wasted time and public resources in moving round the country to collate the views of the people.

“The modalities show that the government is taking Nigerians for granted. Obviously it is going to be another jamboree, waste of public resources and job for the boys. It is going to be worse than the previous in all ramifications.

“It is for the PDP governors and the President who have lion share in the nominating and appointing delegates. This is another exercise in futility and it may be marred by confusion, compromise and intimidation. It is an avenue to settle those who will campaign for President Jonathan in 2015, because everything is being dictated according his whims and caprices,” Abdullahi said.

To the National Chairman of United Peoples Party (UPP) Chief Chekwas Okorie, said the timetable for the conference is a clear recipe for failure.

He said: “I thought the government would have done everything possible to ensure that those who were skeptical about the conference are proved wrong. But it appears that government by their action has proved them right. I had expected a conference that would be dominated by ethnic nationalities, but instead the numbers of ethnic nationalities are abysmally low. This will not aspire any hope in Nigerians.

“The geographical area called Nigeria is an enforcement of the British colonial masters. It was not created by the consensus of the various ethnic nationalities that made up of Nigeria. This conference would have served the purpose of how the various ethnic groups will decide how to relate to one another”.

But to the former Minister of Health, Prof A.B.C Nwosu, there is nothing wrong with the modalities for the conference. He enjoined Nigerians to participate in the conference, arguing that the country cannot make meaningful progress in a federation where the structure is grossly defective.

“It is our collective responsibility to make the country great. Nigerians should go there to debate the future of the country, especially the structure, derivation, citizenship and nation- building,” he said.

Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Edo State, Mr. Kenneth Imansuangbon said it is better for Nigerians to dialogue, not minding the modalities for such dialogue. He opined that it is important for Nigerians to come together and discuss, especially at this crucial time.

According to him, most countries in the world today are not talking about tribes or ethnic nationalities. Rather, they emphasize good governance, equality, fairness and people.

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