http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59968:nigerians-demand-constitutional-conference-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559
Nigerians Demand Constitutional Conference
PREPONDERANT opinion on how Nigeria could come out of the climate of fear imposed by the terrorist Islamic sect, Boko Haram, seem to favour an urgent return to a constitutional conference, where the demands of all segments will be put on the table and future of the federation renegotiated.
Opinions sampled by The Guardian were united in their demand to free the federation from sectional and parochial demands by group or persons, and to allow the country function under a typical federal constitution.
Even from unlikely diplomatic quarters, the opinion is that the implication of the climate of fear, does not favour the country, both in the immediate and long term. Therefore, solution must be found now as the image and fortune of the country in the international community has taken a turn for the worst.
Ambassador Ayo Adeniran, Nigeria's former envoy to Venezuela, now with the National Defence College, Abuja, is worried that diplomatic gains made so far by the country have been endangered. He said, "The assistance which Nigeria has been seeking at the multilateral level has unfortunately been jeopardized. This country still has myriads of problems and challenges that she cannot solve alone, without the international community coming to her assistance."
On the way forward, he said: "Given the salience of the issues agitating the minds of the various segments of our country, the time has come for us to collectively determine our future in the federation. Should we continue this way or there should be a sovereign national conference as adumbrated some years back? The beauty of federalism is that any state could determine the way it intends to participate in the federation, excluding raising it's own army, police printing of currency or foreign policy. Those who do not want to be educated should not force the rest of the country to imbibe ignorance and retrogression. Those who want development of their states could carry on as long as their policies do not run into conflict with the central government in this case, Federal Government." Adeniran thinks the Nigerian entity as encouraging impunity of some of its component units.
He gave a warning: "Let me add here that no segment of the society has a monopoly of violence and criminality but decency, decorum, the rule of law and societal norms must prevail all the time. We should not stress this hiatus too far because it has its ramifications for the corporate existence of our fatherland."
Ambassador Joe Keshi, technocrat and former permanent secretary of the ministry of foreign affairs also gave a realistic insight into the damage that has been inflicted on the image of the country.
"The situation is grim but there are remedies that can obviate the scare if Nigeria learns and acts on the present spur (bombing). Yes, it is still a spur because it should change the way we think. After a reasonably credible elections adjudged to be free and fair by the international community, you need to understand that those who want to visit most often do not have a fine knowledge of the distance between the city the bombing took place and the city they want to visit, all they see watching the situation on television is Nigeria.
You also know that capital is a coward and it keeps a reasonable distance from areas perceived as unstable.
"But we must move beyond assurances and seen to be taking proactive measures to curb the growing impunity against the country, as our inability to do so compounds the poor perception of the country as a zone of insecurity."
Frederick Fasehun, founder and leader of the Yoruba self-determination militant group, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), said there is no better time than now to restructure the country. He said, "We know our fundamental problems, let us approach the problems right from the roots. Let us re-order the nation. Those who have taken up arms against the nation are obviously angry about the country. Let us sit down and identify the source of their anger."
Speaking in the same light, both Adeseye Ogunlewe, former minister of works and Gani Adams, coordinator of OPC want the problems addressed at the conference.
Ogunlewe said, "It is a warning, the American government has said Nigeria must be prepared against disintegration and our problem lies in the structure of our government. My suggestion is that we have to sit down and rearrange our structure. More powers and more money must be dedicated to the local government. What we have now will never allow this country to survive."
Adams said, "The only way is to convene a Sovereign National Conference. The issue of Boko Haram needs a political solution, not by drafting in military to the scene. How many people would the military kill?
With Sovereign National Conference, Boko Haram and others would purge what is in their minds. It is better for us to jaw jaw than to war war. It is only an SNC that can solve the problem; it is not about the amount of money we budget for amnesty."
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