Believed to have founded the Yoruba self-determination militant group, the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) purportedly after efforts at getting Nigerians, representing various divides, on a roundtable to discuss the structure and basis of the country's unity failed. Dr. Frederic Fasehun, in an interview with KAMAL TAYO OROPO, insisted that the nation has no alternative to a national conference, saying that positive feelers on such call from opinion leaders in the northern part of the country is an indication of the inevitability of the conference if the country must surmount its economic and ethno-religious challenges.As one of those who have been in fore-front for convocation of national conference to trash out the nation's problem, what do you make of seeming similar call from those in the northern part of the country'A few people saw into the future of this country; and we knew that this country will not move an inch towards integration without a national conference.A national conference that will restructure, re-order and that will re-design the country, so that unity of the country may be fostered and Nigeria may be accorded with fortitude to grow, develop and progress. So that every Nigerian will have the pride, beating his or her chest anywhere proclaiming he or she is a Nigerian.We saw it, but the powers that be would not comply with our wishes. Now that the country is moving towards dangerous depth as a result of various crises, those who were hostile to the idea have suddenly realized that without a national conference to plan the future of the country, we might not have a Nigerian for them to talk about. That's why they have changed their minds, knowing fully well that Nigeria stands to gain from the fallout of a national conference.We are running a constitution that is not actually a constitution but a decree forced down our throats by military men led by General Abubakar Abdulsalami. What we currently call a constitution is Decree 24 of 1999 and it doesn't fulfill the attributes of a constitution by any means.A constitution predates the government; it should be written by the people; formulated by the people; and if there is any dispute, it is a document that be open to a referendum.Every Nigerian now knows that without coming together, tabling our problems and preferring solutions, that there may be no Nigeria to talk about; everyone is now realizing this.Yet, in spite of the supposedly desirability, some still feel that such a conference may ultimately lead to the break-up of the country. How do you address such fear'There have always been certain no-go areas when such discussion are embarked upon. We may, ab initio, agreed that under no circumstance may Nigeria be prescribed for a break-up. But the, if we are truly running a democracy, if any group wants to secede; even after writing a good constitution, such a group should be allowed its wish. The same thing happened in Ethiopia. That country wrote a new constitution allowing provisions for any group that want to secede to feel free to do so; and that's what gave birth to Eritrea and relative peace they have been enjoying in that part of the world.From your knowledge of the structure and challenges of the country, are you convinced that Nigeria is ripe for disintegration'While there many crises deviling the nation, I still want to believe that they are resolvable. But as a matter of fact I think Nigeria has been very resilience. There are nations that didn't experience as many crises we are now experiencing that have broken up. But fortunately, we are resilience and Nigerians love their country. And they want their country to stay on.I think personally nobody will wants Nigeria to break up. If you want Nigeria to break up, what would you do with Uche Mohammed' What would you do with Babalola Chukwumerige'So we are not saying Nigeria should break up but we want a democratic constitution; a constitution that would take care of the people. The constitution we are running now has nothing about youth, gender, women, old people; that's not a constitution.Yet, Nigeria of 2012 is not Nigeria of 1993; there is now a democratic government in place and a National Assembly with constitutional powers of making laws. That we are now under a democratic Government where there is a National Assembly in place. Cant these institutions be trusted to address some of these p[problems bedeviling the country'They are very unqualified to do it. Nigeria has over 450 ethnic nationality groups. But in the National Assembly they don't represent more than 50 of such groups. They don't represent Nigeria. In the National Conference we are talking about, every ethnic group should be represented. We are looking towards democratic society, which should include every ethnic nationality group.Surely, they are not qualified to write or amend the constitution. They are supposed to make laws based on conclusion that has been arrived in a constitution preceding their office.For now, Nigeria has no constitution as it were.But it also does appear that the Government at the centre, seem to be very reluctant about the National conference. What would be your specific advice to them'Well, they should give way to a well-conducted National Conference. Sovereignty belongs to the people, not the government and they should be no mistake about it. these characters are therefore for the number of limited time but the nation and the country is there forever.They were fighting over the word 'sovereign' in the past. We have now dropped 'sovereign'; though sovereignty belongs to the people, and there should be no mistake about it; it does not belong to the government. These characters are just there for just a limited time; but the country is there forever.So, let the people write a constitution and let the National Assembly subject itself to such a constitution.
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