As the debate on President Goodluck Jonathan\u2019s speech entered its third
\nday on Wednesday, focus started shifting from issues raised in the speech
\nto matters central to the National Conference and what to make of them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Opinions and counter-opinions flowed as delegates deliberated on issues of
\ncorruption, security, economic development or the lack of it, religion,
\nand ethnic nationality with focus on the minority and majority question.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
While some of the speakers suggested that corrupt officers, especially
\nthose in public service, should face death sentence, others agreed that
\neconomic development with the practical consequence of job creation will
\ncheck the issue of insecurity nationwide.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Former Secretary to Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae said
\nNigeria\u2019s problem started when the military, in 1966, murdered regional
\ngovernment which had served as a tonic for development of zones across the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He also stated that abolition of Parliamentary system of government where
\npower was with the entire cabinet and replacement with Presidential system
\nwhere powers lie with an individual had caused serious political crises in
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Femi Falana, SAN, in a moving contribution, said the Conference, though
\nnot sovereign, has provided Nigerians with a window of opportunity \u201cto
\nfind out why we are poor in the midst of plenty while a microscopic
\nminority of the population is rich and smiling to the bank.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He said corruption has endangered the corporate existence of Nigeria, and
\nadvocated political justice, social justice and environmental justice.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On the issue of ethnic minority and majority, Chief Edwin Clark pleaded
\nwith delegates to give it priority during committee discussions so that at
\nthe end of the Conference, existing controversies arising from it would
\nbecome a thing of the past.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He said the natural solution to the problem remains the realization that
\nno tribe is greater than the other, \u201cno one is a first class citizen, and
\nno one is a second class citizen. Everyone is qualified to rule this
\ncountry.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It was his view that in the absence of tolerance, the dream of nationhood
\nwould be difficult to achieve; \u201cif you are a southerner and the other
\nperson is a northerner, if you cannot live together, then there will be no
\nNigeria.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dalhatu Bashir from Jigawa State noted that at creation, Nigeria came with
\na promise and it was that promise that moved the country in the right
\ndirection.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
For instance, he said the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, an Igbo man was born in
\nZungeru in northern Nigeria, grew up in Igboland but went ahead to win
\nelection in the heart of Yorubaland.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It was his view that if at the end, the outcome of the National Conference
\nmakes it possible for any Nigerian living anywhere in Nigeria to have
\nequal rights of citizenship, then it would justify the reasons it was
\nconvened.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Describing the President\u2019s speech as stimulating, comprehensive and
\nforthright, Ibrahim Bunu said delegates should not fail to negotiate and
\nshould not negotiate out of fear since Nigeria belongs to everyone.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On security, Abubakar Chika Adamu from Niger State said, \u201cNigeria is at
\nwar with itself. Security remains our greatest challenge. We must stop
\nplaying politics with it. We here must do what we ought to do and leave
\nthe President to do what he has to do to solve this problem.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On corruption, he observed that Nigerians have moved from mere stealing to
\nlooting and have graduated from looting to mass looting. His suggestion
\nwas that a soft-landing should be created for those who stole public funds
\nto return them without being prosecuted.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must be serious about fighting corruption,\u201d said Magayi Dambatta;
\nadding that for Nigeria to succeed in this, there was need to reorganize
\nthe anti-corruption agencies followed by diligent prosecution.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A representative of Nigerian youth, Ben Dontoye demanded legal backing to
\nthe adoption of capital punishment against corruption. He believed this
\nwould be the only way to drive fear into people who have taken to corrupt
\npractices as a trade.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Former Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Coomasie cited the absence of
\nsincere leadership at different tiers of governance as one problem that
\nNigerians are worried about.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Added to this, he said, was the intolerable level of insecurity in the
\ncountry. He suggested that agencies constitutionally charged with
\nmaintenance of security in the country should be restructured and funded.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Retired General Muhammed Mansur Dan Ali informed the Conference that out
\nof the 36 states of Nigeria, 33, if not more have soldiers deployed to the
\nstreets.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He said the National Conference should recommend complete restructuring of
\nthe Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies for effective
\nperformance of their duties.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Senator Seidu Dansadau made one appeal in his comment: that Jonathan
\nshould ensure that the recommendations of the Conference are implemented
\nand not allowed to go the way of other recommendations in the past.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He said it was time for delegates to strip themselves naked, \u201cnot just to
\nsay that we believe in the indivisibility of Nigeria but to practically
\ndemonstrate it.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
His position was supported by Professor Godini Dara who insisted that the
\nlofty ideas and recommendations expected at the end of the Conference must
\nbe implemented to free Nigeria from the grips of economic apartheid.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On corruption, he said there was need to establish ethical standards; and
\non the economy, Dara strongly urged the President to free Nigeria from
\nwhat he called the witchcraft of the World Bank while industrialization
\nshould take the front seat both in budgeting and planning.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Both Illiya Danga and Burus Daleng remarked on the courageous decision of
\nthe President to go ahead with the Conference in spite of oppositions and
\nwished that with the same courage, the President would implement the
\ndecisions of the Conference without fear or favour.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sale Dauda from Bauchi State attributed insurgency in every part of the
\ncountry to the failure of states and local government who he said were
\ntotally dependent on what the federal government would do instead rising
\nto their responsibilities of providing leadership and governance.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He said in some parts of the country, it has become difficult and even
\nimpossible to buy a piece of land for the purpose of building a church for
\nworship and that those responsible for such prohibition were the elite.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Francis Doukpolagha from Bayelsa State told the Conference that the
\nfailure of the Nigerian State stemmed from the fact that democracy has
\nbecome government of the people by the people but not for the people.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ignatius Kevin Edet lamented what he called inequality and imbalance in
\nthe creation of local government areas in the country and urged the
\nConference to use the opportunity of the dialogue to correct the anomaly.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He suggested the application of capital punishment as a check against
\ncorrupt practices by public office holders, a position enormously
\ncanvassed for by other speakers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Correct census as a basis for revenue sharing and infrastructural
\ndevelopment was suggested by Charles Edosomwan, SAN, from Edo State who
\nalso emphasized that \u201cwe need to put power in the strata of government
\nthat is close to the people.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Veteran journalist, Ray Ekpu, said the President\u2019s speech constituted a
\nnew thesis for the reconstruction of Nigeria and that Nigeria as it is
\ntoday requires a new architecture.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ekpu noted that Jonathan seemed like someone who does not want \u201cthis house
\nto fall,\u201d still he said the house called Nigeria was too rickety and
\nweather-beaten to be left on the wish list of a permanent structures.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ekpu said for a country that has had 14 different administrations in 53
\nyears, \u201cthat is cyclical stability. There is no way a country can grow in
\nthis manner.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
For Chief Chris Eluemunoh from Anambra State, \u201cthe Igbos have no other
\ncountry than Nigeria; therefore the unity of this country is paramount to
\nus. This unity must be anchored on equity and justice.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dr Osahon Enabulele of the Nigerian Medical Association proposed a massive
\nnational health policy that would cater for the health needs of the rural
\ndwellers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In addition, the NMA chief suggested that \u201ca time has come for us to look
\nat the mental and medical fitness of our political leaders,\u201d as a way of
\nensuring that they are fit and proper to occupy public offices.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dr Silas Eneyo from Rivers State likened Nigeria to a building with
\ncollapsed pillars and advised: \u201cLet us not pretend to be painting a
\nbuilding whose pillars are collapsing.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It was his view that the pillars of any federation lie in its justice and
\nequity system and that the Conference has provided the delegates
\nopportunity to rebuild the house with sound ideas and recommendations.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Gary Enwo Igariwe said Nigeria has been bleeding for sometime, has gone on
\nits knees and though it wants to stand, it was actually going down. He
\nurged delegates to identify reasons for conflicts and address them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He cautioned against selective solution, \u201cwhen you solve a problem in a
\nparticular area and ignore the ones in another area, you have not done
\nanything; you are merely relocating the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He said most of the problems can be easily resolved through restructuring
\nof the country; advising that delegates should leave their ethnic
\nstandards and discuss Nigeria.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Professor Eddy Erhagbe told the delegates that for Nigeria to move ahead,
\nthe bottom-line remains good governance because \u201ccorruption is not
\nregional, it is not ethnic; corruption is an elite conspiracy.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As the debate on President Goodluck Jonathan\u2019s speech entered its third day on Wednesday, focus started shifting from issues raised in the speech to matters central to the National Conference…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n