This proposed national conference, healing balm or what?

[FMINigeria]

  By Sampson Ikemitang

For over a decade, Nigerians have continued to clamour for a Sovereign National Conference (SNC), a platform which is believed would avail them opportunity to discuss across the table, burning issues affecting their existence in the Nigerian State with a view to charting the way forward for the nation.

President Jonathan, poised to respond to the yearning and aspirations of the people, has inaugurated a 13-member Advisory Committee with a mandate to work out the modalities and make recommendations for the convocation of a national conference without a no-go-area clause as it was the case with similar conference held before in Nigeria.

Indeed, it is worthy of note that President Jonathan is all-out to make the difference by instituting enduring peace in place of the present security crisis at the home front.

It is pertinent to highlight that successive administrations have in the past, attempted to organize national confabs. For instance, the late Gen. Sani Abacha and former President Olusegun Obasanjo tried to bring Nigerians together to talk about the national question.

But, efforts by both administrations to manage and sustain the outcome of the confabs were unsuccessful because the entire process was shrouded in controversy and suspicions, following several no-go areas for the conferees.   As a result, the citizenry had grave misgivings.This eventually stalled their participation and the outcome was a nightmare.

While some see the proposed national dialogue as a welcome development, others view it as mere waste of time, energy and resources.  Whatever is the case, one would have thought that every well-meaning Nigerian would rally round the President, give him the necessary support in his quest to turn things around and deepen the unity of the country.  On the contrary, some elder statesmen, prefer to play to the gallery, fanning embers of disunity and extremism as they described the planned conference as diversionary, ill-timed and above all, they questioned the sincerity of the President to implement the outcome of the conference.

In fact, when I heard those who subscribed to the school of thought of Senator Bola Tinubu pushing for the proposed national conference to be sovereign or nothing else, one cannot but wonder whose agenda they were pushing for. Is it the country's agenda or selves?   I made this point because if calling for a sovereign national conference when the National Assembly exists is to say the least, calling for anarchy; invitation to breakdown of law and order.  The pertinent question to ask is who will oversee the other if both are allowed to assume sovereign status?

President Jonathan, in his Eld-el-Kabir message said: "Those who continue to say that the initiative is diversionary or aimed at promoting certain political ambition are in error."  I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. President.  If not, why should people begin to speculate the colour of the rain water on mere formation of the cloud?  I stand to be corrected.  But, this is practically impossible.

It cannot be gainsaid that since independence, this is the first time, a Nigeria leader has called for a national dialogue/conference without a no-go-area.    Therefore, Mr. President should at least, be commended for his bold and courageous step, rather than casting aspersions on such a no mean feat, in a bid to scoring political point.

However, in a move to allay the fears and suspicions of pessimists about the proposed national conference, the President has maintained that: "The decision is in line with his avowed commitment and firm belief in the right to freedom of expression and the right of all people in a democracy to make choices on how they wish to live and be governed", that he announced the plans for an "orderly national conversation on our problems and challenges."

Pundits have however, expressed latent fears that the outcome of the planned conference may go the same way of others, and, or be watered down by the National Assembly when it's taken to them for ratification.  Therefore, they opined that Mr. President should as quickly as possible move to amend section 9 of the 1999 Constitution which vests the power to ratify in the National Assembly.  According to them, this would pave way for the outcome of the proposed dialogue to be approved by the people in a referendum.

My take is that all Nigerians are enjoined to embrace the dialogue and think outside the box of ethnic jingoism, sectionalism, parochialism, religious bigotry and political sentimentality.

We must set aside all forms of acrimonies, discuss our bottled  hostilities and bitterness that have been allowed to fester over the years and are now threatening to shred  our corporate  identity, with a view to ascertaining lasting  peace and social justice for sustainable economic  growth and development.

The unity of our dear country remains sacrosanct and non-negotiable.  It is our democratic right to participate in every platform, such as the planned conference which is aimed at consolidating the gains of the country and navigating solutions to our socio-economic and political quagmire for the future good of our nation and  generations yet unborn.   Nigerians are implored to give the dialogue a chance.

Sampson Ikemitang is of the National Press Centre, Federal Ministry of Information.

Source: This proposed national conference, healing balm or what?
Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria