KINGSLEY EBERE
The Apex Igbo Sociocultural Organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has called on the Federal Government to convene a Sovereign National Conference as a road map for just and equitable Nigeria.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the group’s National Publicitity Secretary/Spokesman, Chief Chinenyeze Thompson Ohia, stated this at the weekend.
He said that the conference will encompass representatives from the over 350 unique ethnic nationalities that was criminally amalgamated by the British colonists.
He stated that the conference will be tasked with the monumental responsibility of drafting a new Constitution that genuinely reflects the will and aspirations of the Nigerian people.
“Until such a conference occurs, the deeply flawed Military-imposed 1999 Constitution, which we consider a receipt for anarchy, will continue to foster conditions ripe for disintegration, deprivation, fears, anger and exploitation by a cadre of political elites, whose self-serving agendas stand in stark opposition to the collective welfare of a populace that has endures untold suffering but has painfully remained silent due to imposed constitutional barriers.”
“It is a matter of grave concern that the present Nigerian Presidential system, as defined by the aforementioned constitution, singularly positions the President as one of the most powerful unchecked and unquestionable leaders in the world which is absurd and lacks acceptable democratic ingredients.”
“This phenomenon, symptomatic of the constitution’s fundamental defects, leads to a scenario where accountability and checks on executive power are tenuous at best.”
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo has observed with deep dismay that the leadership of the 10th National Assembly resembles a mere rubber stamp—an institution weakened by compromise, and thus incapable of performing its essential functions to check the excesses of the Executive branch because most times they are constitutionally handicapped.”
“It is with this sobering context that we recognize the forlorn prospects of the Assembly delivering a constitution that resonates with the needs and demands of our beleaguered citizenry whose sovereignty truly belongs to.”
“We have pretentiouslly lived together for over 100yrs. Enduring a cohabitant relationship that has defied all reasonable concept as a people due to absence of a people’s Constitution.
We have literally helped the colonist to foist on ourselves an alien Constitution with its attendant sad consequences.”
“In recognition of these disheartening realities, Ohanaeze Ndigbo emphatically entreats all advocates of democracy, patriots of decency and lovers of Nigeria to rally vociferously for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference—not one subsidized or orchestrated by the Federal, State, or Local governments—but one that arises organically from the diverse voices of the Nigerian people, thereby allowing for the emergence of a truly sovereign constitution in which the people will sincerely pledge allegiance to wilfully.”
“It is critical to underscore that the proposal for a Sovereign National Conference does not seek to undermine the ongoing activities of the 10th National Assembly. Rather, it seeks to operate under the Doctrine of Necessity, where each of Nigeria’s indigenous ethnic groups should independently sponsor their delegates to the Conference.”
“This initiative aims to facilitate the development of a Brand New People’s Constitution by the year 2025—one that is indubitably shaped by the people it governs.”
PROPOSED MYTHOLOGY FOR THE SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE.
1. All the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria should nominate equal number of delegates to the conference inrespect of size, number or geographical spread.
2. The conferees should be sponsored by their ethnic group.
3. The conferees should be at liberty to choose their venue, leadership, secretarial staff, committees and drafters.
4. The conferees should be free to decide the type of security arrangements they desire and communicate same to the IGP for implementation.
5. The Federal, State or LGA should not make any input in terms of logistics support to the conference.
6. All the ethnic groups should decide their modus operandi in selection of their delegates.
7. No court in Nigeria is allowed to adjudicate into the affairs of any ethnic groups while the selection of delegates lasts.
“This is because before the arrival of the colonist all ethnic groups has internal traditional or religious mechanism in resolving their disputes.”
8. Neither the President nor the National Assembly has right to amend or vert the outcome of the SNC document.
9. All the President is required is to proclaim or promogate the outcome of the SNC as the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Furthermore, we call upon President Tinubu to utilize the democratic tenets he ostensibly upholds to empower the Nigerian populace to seal their own constitution.”
“This administration has already initiated meaningful transformations, including the reversion to the national anthem that resonates with the ethos of the nation and the indirect endorsement of regionalism through the establishment of six Geopolitical Development Commissions for the six zones.”
“The proposed 2025 National Census presents an opportune moment to integrate ethnicity and religion as fundamental components necessary for a comprehensive national representation which we hope will produce an acceptable national statistical data for economic planning and development.”
“However, it is imperative that President Tinubu acknowledges that without the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference—one which allows Nigerians to author their own governing document—the deep-seated flaws of the 1999 Constitution will persistently threaten not only Nigeria’s national unity but also the stability of our democracy.”
“This is a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s historical narrative. President Tinubu possesses a unique opportunity to effect transformative change, to alleviate the enduring hardships faced by our citizens, and to etch his name into the annals of history as a leader who championed a Sovereign National Conference aimed at birthing a constitution authored by the indigenous peoples of Nigeria themselves.
We hope for a nation where all will be proud to say I am a Nigerian.”
