1. In search of a solutionThe various groups demanding a sovereign national conference or at worst a national confab to discuss the issues cut across the six geo political zones. They are made up of prominent citizens who have made their marks ' politicians, lawyers, activists, religious leaders, monarchs and members of the academia.They are all unanimous in condemning corruption, insecurity, poor state of infrastructure and inability of successive governments to develop the country. They see the root cause of Nigeria's problem in the presidential system which is too costly and which has been run in a very corrupt manner and argued that there is no way that corruption can be fought without changing the legislative system.The demand for restructuring became a serious national issue after the annulment of the June 12 elections judged to be the freest ever in the country. Ever since, the running of Government has been growing from bad to worse from each successive government. The January 2012 oil strike was the climax in recent timesTo address restructuring, the South West leaders in 1994 put up a memo to the Abacha National Constitutional Conference Commission. Section 21 of the memo reads: 'we are convinced that the cause of Nigeria's federalism will be well and truly advanced if we return to the pre-1966 evolutionary path ' a balanced federal structure which recognizes fully the legitimate claims of all ethnic groups for self determination and where no single entity among the federating units will be strong or powerful enough, both in terms of size and population as well as resources, to be viable, self-reliant and dynamic.Other relevant factors include the homogeneity of each federating unit, geographic continuity among the units of a region and demonstrable willingness to be together. In pursuance of the principle of self-determination and in the interest of the sustainability, any state or community shall have the opportunity to decide, through the democratic process, the region of its choice in the light of these criteria'. But the memo was not addressed.While it is also true that some pressure groups of eminent and outspoken stakeholders in the polity have since the June 12 episode emerged and never relented on their call and demand for a better deal, the Jan. 1st 2012 unexpected fuel hike protests nearly brought Nigeria to her heels and made the doubting Thomases feel that perhaps there was something in the 2015 prediction.The various pressure groups that cut across the six geo-political zones confronted the Government and nearly cut short the prediction date. Such groups included- NADECO, earlier led by Chief Ajasin and used to fight the Abacha military Government to a standstill, resonated following the fuel crisis and Boko Haram insurgency- PRONACO (Pro-National Conference) founded by Chief Anthony Enahoro- NSG (National Summit Group) convened and chairmaned by Prof. Pat Utomi; and included Balarabe Musa; Prof Nwebueze, Falae, Ogbeh etc.- SNG (Save Nigeria Group) prominent amongst whom were Wole Soyinka, Tunde Bakare. Henry Boyo, Dr. Joes Okei-Odumakin, representing different groups)Then from Nigerians in the diaspora came this emotional headline: 'This house must not fall' published in the Nigerian Tribune of Wednesday Jan. 25, 2012 by some foreign based Nigerian nationals, Prof. Mojubaolu Olufunke Okome, Brooklyn College, City University of New York USA, Prof Olufemi Vaughan, Bowdoin College, USA; Dr. Wale Adebanwi, University of California, Davis, USA; and Dr. Pius Adesanmi, Carleton University, Canada acting for and on behalf of the Committee of Concerned Nigerians. They anchored their argument on the fact that despite 'the ending of the protests and the industrial action' of Jan. 2012, fundamental questions raised by the civil uprising remain unresolved'. They said further that 'Boko Haram has not only continued to ridicule the nation's security apparatuses, but has rendered President Jonathan inarticulate about its sources and strength' and submitted that this and other factors indeed 'constituted an indication of the urgent need to rethink the bases of the social contract between the State and Nigerian citizens' through 'the process of convocating a national conference' which 'must end in a comprehensive restructuring of the Federation such that it would prevent Nigeria from experiencing what happened in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria between 1967 and 1970 or is happening in Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.'But while most articulate stakeholders in the Nigerian Project agree on the need for a dialogue, to save the country from a total collapse, they are divided as how to achieve it:- Some canvassed the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) to restructure the country into a true federal state ' NADECO, MONACO, NSC. for example.- Some canvassed that a national conference would be sufficient ' Alex Ekwueme former Vice-President, for instance.- Some argued that a sovereign national conference would lead to the disintegration of the country; and would rather prefer the use of the National Assembly to bring about the desired changes in the Constitution (some National Assembly members and the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy MRDD led by Malam Danjuma Mohammed).- Some doubt if the NA whose members are beneficiaries of the corrupt system can be trusted with the responsibilities of effecting a (sincere) change. Such groups include the CLEEN Foundation led by Mr. Innocent Chukwuma and the S.W. and S.S leadership that went to see Jonathan- But most agreed, however, that the country needed one form of dialogue or the other whose outcome must not be tinkered with by the government. 2. Between the red sea and the deep blue sea Even though David Mark President of the Senate declared that calls for SNC should be channeled to the National Assembly for the Constitution amendment to handle, anchoring his submission on section 4(2) of the powers granted them in the 1999 Constitution, the respected clergy Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi while speaking for the South-West and South-South zones told the President, 'The vast majority of our people are demanding a new constitution which will be of their own making. The changes required to the 1999 Constitution cannot be effected through the processes of legislative alone because they are fundamental and extensive'. But, as a matter of fact, David Mark was not even speaking the minds of all members of his party in the Senate. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Senator Abdullahi Adamu a PDP stalwart publicly said 'The SNC is long overdue for us as a people to sit down and decide how we want to be'. Nor is the situation better in the Lower Chamber where already there is a cross fire between the PDP and ACN members. While the image maker of the House Hon. Zakari Mohammed PDP was of the opinion that 'an SNC will bring a whole lot of confusion,' and that the 'House is the only avenue for any constitutional amendment', Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the ACN caucus leader, without undermining the integrity of the House, reasoned that 'if the national consensus is to write and produce a new Constitution, then such will be outside the preview and mandate of the National Assembly.' But as the battle rages on, some northern political leaders in a communiqu released by Dr. Junaid Mohammed after a meeting of eminent northerners including the governors of Niger and Jigawa States, Dr. Muazu Babangida and Alhaji Sule Lamido, former Senate President Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, some former ministers and a former chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council Professor Nur Alkali, had stated the readiness of the North to accept the calls for the restructuring of the polity. to be continued'Arogbofa is a Social critic, Political analyst and Literary Critic. He wrote in from Akure
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