- It’s time for the Federal Government to take another look at the confab report
Three years after the report of the National Conference convoked by the former President Goodluck Jonathan was submitted to the presidency, the resolutions have continued to generate interest across the country. Prominent members of the conference have insisted that the resolutions hold the key to peace, progress and unity in the land.
However, the executive branch of government, following the change of baton in 2015, has vowed to have nothing to do with the conference report, dismissing it as worthless. No sooner did President Muhammadu Buhari replace Dr. Jonathan than he declared that he had not as much as taken a look at the report.
Now that both houses of the National Assembly have decided to re-examine and debate the report, the presidency should reconsider its stance on the matter. It is obvious that we have come to a point in our national history when we ought to consider all suggestions on the way to move the country forward.
It is a fact that 492 Nigerians met, sponsored and funded by the government, to deliberate on how to douse the tension in the land, as well as boost economic productivity. We agree with the delegates that the efforts should not be wasted.
It is noteworthy that the resolution to adopt the report as a working document in the process of reviewing the constitution was unanimously adopted by the House of Representatives. At the Senate, a similar motion titled, “The need for national unity and peaceful co-existence” was passed. To underscore its importance, it was moved by the senate leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, and co-sponsored by all other 106 senators.
The message was not lost on Nigerians and ought not to be lost on the executive. We support the federal legislators’ demand for an official copy of the report and hereby call on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to forward it forthwith. The national question cannot be resolved by holding on to petty jealousy, ego and institutional rivalry. Both the legislators and the President were elected by the electorate to work together for the public good.
Having gone through the resolutions by the Justice Idris Lagbo-Kutigi-led conference; we are convinced that some of them are far-reaching enough to be considered in the national interest. The resolutions which were unanimously adopted include the decision to restructure the country politically and fiscally. It was decided to whittle down the powers accorded the Federal Government and strengthen the federating units. To this end, it was realised that more money be allocated the states, slicing down allocation to the centre from the Federation Account from 52% to 42%. It is obvious that distribution of power in the Nigerian federation is antitethical to the principles of federalism and this accounts to a large extent for the mutual suspicion and rivalry among the ethnic groups, and the unbridled struggle by groups and individuals to control the centre.
Of course there are other resolutions by the conference that we consider irrational and illogical. It is difficult, for instance, to understand what could have informed the decision to recommend creation of more states. Clearly, the existing 36 states are struggling to pay their bills, and many Nigerians, in view of this, are even calling for a politically difficult-to-implement decision, to adopt the six geo-political zones as federating units.
But, we insist that this should not stand in the way of kick-starting a conversation on the report. While we realise that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was vociferous in its opposition in holding the conference, now that it is in government, it should be sufficiently broad-minded to accept the fact that government is a continuum.
The Nigerian federation is today at the cross-roads; a closed mind would not help the cause of national development. The acting president should forward the document to the legislators without delay.
