The constitution we need and how to get it— Ethnic nationalities, others

The constitution we need and how to get
it— Ethnic nationalities, others
on november 01, 2013 at 6:15 am in politics
BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE & GBENGA OKE
WITH only two of the six geo-political zones yet to
be visited by the Senator Femi Okurounmu-led
advisory committee on national conference, how
Nigerians want the national dialogue to be held and
what they want the new constitution to look like are
beginning to take shape
The zones that are still awaiting the committee are
North-West and North-East. In the last two weeks,
the committee has traversed eight cities spread
among four zones. The 13-man team started with
Akure (South-West) on October 18 and went to Jos
(North-Central), October 21; Minna (North-Central),
October 23; Calabar (South-South), October 25;
Benin (South-South), October 28; Enugu (South-
East), October 29; Umuahia (South-East), October
30 and Lagos (South-West), today.
Next week, the panel is expected to hit Sokoto
(North-West) on November 4; Maiduguri (North-
East), November 5; Bauchi (North-East), November
9 and Kaduna (North-West), November 11. It will
round off with a sitting in Abuja on November 13
before submitting its report to President Goodluck
Jonathan on November 20 as scheduled, according
to the six-week time-line handed the committee to
do its work on October 7, 2013.
Afenifere seek sovereign powers for confab
In Akure, Ondo State, the Pan-Yoruba socio-
political organisation, Afenifere, called for a “national
conference with sovereign powers” according to a
memorandum delivered by Chief Ayo Adebanjo.
“Nigerians must sit down and discuss their union
and agree on a federal constitution to guarantee
stability, justice, peace, real unity and development
borne out of autonomy for the constituent units,” it
said.
The group suggested that only a referendum should
alter any of the decisions reached at the confab.
Afenifere suggested that 100 delegates should be
elected from each of the six geo-political zones in
the country and the remaining 100 delegates should
represent special interest groups. And the 100
delegates from each zone should be elected on the
basis of 10 per cent representation for all
established ethnic nationalities in the zones.
“The remaining 90 per cent should emerge from
equal number of elected delegates from all
senatorial districts representing the traditional
ethno-geographical contents of the region.”
It canvassed a six-month time frame for the
conference.
Also, the Arogbo Ijaw Community in a memorandum
delivered by Chief Francis Williams, said that all
nationalities in the country should be considered
equal for the purpose of the conference,
irrespective of their population. It sought a
Sovereign National Conference “where all decisions
reached will have the force of law” which will not be
subjected to the consideration of the National
Assembly.
On its part, the Yoruba Unity Forum suggested a
total of 400 delegates for the conference, 60 from
each of the six geo-political zones and four from
the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
The YUF suggested that political parties should play
no role in the election or selection of delegates to
the conference and that the conference should be
given nine months to carry out its assignment.
The Pro-National Conference Organisation
(PRONACO) suggested a total of 600 delegates from
the six geo-political zones.
Conference must strengthen not dissolve Nigeria –
MBF
In Jos, the Plateau State Capital, the Middle Belt
Forum (MBF), in a position paper read by its
Chairman, Professor Jerry Gana, hoped that “the
conference will not be a gathering to discuss how to
dissolve our federation, but a patriotic platform to
finding durable and effective solutions to our
problems of nation-building” because “we are
resolute to come to the national conference to find
the best ways to ensure the unity, stability and
progress of Nigeria.”
In its recommendation, the forum said there was
need for Nigerians to live together in peace as one
nation, fiscal federalism, revenue allocation/
resource control, citizenship rights/protection of
minority rights, recognition of indigenes, creation of
states, fight against corruption, structure and
funding of local governments, management of
national economy and devolution of power among
others..
On the structure of the conference, it said “each
ethnic nationality should be represented at the
conference to ensure equity, social justice and self-
determination; each state should select/elect three
delegates from each of the senatorial districts and
the conference could sit for six months.”
Aliyu proposes 30 % derivation
When the panel stormed Minna, Niger State,
Governor Babangida Aliyu, proposed a hike in
derivation to 25-30 percent and a made a case for
the establishment of state police.
The governor advised that the national dialogue
should not be used as a platform to beat war drums
or sow seeds of disunity.
On the structure of the conference, he suggested a
900-delegate gathering with one representative
from each of the 774 local government areas; 100
participants to represent special interest groups and
another 36 representing traditional institutions.
While calling on the committee to critically examine
the derivation principle in revenue allocation, he
proposed 25 to 30 percent for derivation to oil
producing communities which he said should,
however, be channeled directly for the development
of the oil producing communities and not shared
among their leaders.
Governor Aliyu also kicked against the present
revenue sharing formula, saying that the 52.8
percent allocation to the Federal Government was
too much.
Calabar: Stakeholders canvass 50% resource
control, compensation for Bakassi ceding
In Calabar, Cross River State, Governor Liyel Imoke,
in a position paper, demanded compensation for the
ceding of Bakassi Peninsula by Nigeria to Cameroon
in compliance with the International Court of
Justice, ICJ ruling at the Hague.
Imoke, who was represented by his deputy, Mr.
Efiok Cobham, also called for a new revenue sharing
regime in the country where the states would take a
lion share of 45 per cent of the revenue, local
governments, 35 per cent while the Federal
Government takes 25 per cent
The governor advocated for the adoption of true
federalism and called for 50 per cent derivation. “On
derivation, our position aligns with that of the entire
South-South states to the effect that the constitution
be amended to read that a state on whose territory
oil is extracted be entitled to not less than 50 per
cent of the entire proceeds from exploitation and
exploration”.
Several other groups that made presentations to the
Committee also advocated for the restructuring of
the revenue formula with the states taking control of
their natural resources by having a greater
percentage of the revenue.
The Obong of Calabar, Ekpo Abasi Otu in his
presentation said the dialogue should be at three
levels: ethnic nationalities, geopolitical zones and at
the national level. “Two hundred delegates from
each of the geopolitical zone, which also would
include pressure groups like ASUU, MBA, NUJ, and
others should first talk at the ethnic level, from
there to the geopolitical zone before heading to the
national level and at the end of the dialogue, the
decisions reached should not be subjected to the
ratification of the National Assembly but remain
sovereign,” he suggested.
South-south seeks two more regions,
parliamentary system
In Benin, Edo State, the Midwest Consultative
Forum, led by former governor of old Bendel State,
Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, aside backing resource
control, called for the adoption of part-time
parliamentary system, creation of additional two
regions- a Midwest region out of the present South-
South and a second one from the Middle Belt,
making eight regions in the country.
On the composition of the conference, the forum
suggested that a delegate should be picked from
each of the 389 ethnic groups in the country, with
the total delegates not exceeding 460.
The forum said: “There should be no imposition of
delegates by governments. Ethnic groups should be
allowed to appoint their representatives themselves.
The conference should not last longer than six
months.”
The MCF suggested that the Federal Government
should continue to be in control of defence,
currency, customs and foreign affairs, while the
states should be allowed to control their resources
and take charge of many other ministries currently
under the Federal Government.
It said: “We are also going to discuss fiscal
federalism because it is our believe that revenue
formula should be reviewed to be based on revenue
generation not revenue allocation, so that you can
keep a substantial part of whatever you generate
from your region and contribute to the central
government.”
Ndigbo want equal representation
In Enugu, the apex and umbrella body of Igbo socio-
cultural organsiations, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, advocated
equal representation of 60 delegates from each of
the six geo-political zones.
On the structure and composition of the
conference,Ohanaeze President-General, Chief
Garry Igariwey, said: “We advocate equal
representation of each of the zones covering all the
ethnic nationalities – women, labour unions,
religious groups, youths and the persons with
disability. The political parties should not play any
role in the selection of the delegates because we
have more than 50 ethnic nationalities in Igboland.
“To ensure its legality and integrity, the legal
framework of the conference should be instituted
through an act of the National Assembly. The
executive should send an executive bill to the
National Assembly to legalise the conference.” he
said.
On time-line, Igariwey suggested that the
Okurounmu panel should conclude its assignment
by November; the National Assembly should
process the enactment of the Conference Act in
December; the delegates’ conference should sit
between January and April; the new constitution
should be drafted in May; referendum on the new
constitution should hold in June; and the
administrative restructuring of the new constitution
should take place between July and September.
He said there should be no ‘no-go-area’ on the
issues to be discussed which should include the
structure of the country, the form of the
government, tenure of office, devolution of power,
revenue sharing formula, fiscal federalism,
derivation, distribution, citizenship, armed forces
and other security agencies to improve the security
of lives and property.
In like manner, stakeholders in Umuahia, Abia State,
sought equal representation of the zones at the
confab. They said the representation should not be
based on ethnic nationalities.
Governor Theodore Orji urged the committee to look
at “salient propositions that will foster unity in the
country” from the avalanche of submissions that
they would receive.
The Governor said that the conference must among
other things resolve the issues of Nigerian civil war
and the marginalization of the people of South East
in the politics of the country; resource control and
equity in sharing of the nation’s resources; and the
conflict created by the Mamman Nasir boundary
demarcation committee.
The governor said that the outcome of the
conference should “form the basis of the Peoples
Constitution and that it should be adopted through a
plebiscite.
The position of Abia State was presented by Prof.
Joe Irukwu, a former president-general of
Ohanaeze.
Irukwu said that he “ hoped that there will be the
political will to implement the outcome of the
conference”, warning that if the problems bedeviling
the nation continue to drift “Nigeria can’t be great”.
The suggestions from the state which Prof. Irukwu
gave include equal representation at the conference
based on the six geo-political zones.
“Abia people said that they are opposed to ethnic
representation because has over 200 ethnic groups.
we suggest selection to be on six geo-political
zones”, Irukwu said and proposed further that
between 60 to 100 persons to be selected from
each zone. He suggested that ethnic nationalities,
civil society groups and people with disability from
the various zones be included.
He also proposed that a chairman and six vice
chairmen be appointed to handle the conference,
but added that the zone that produced the chairman
would not have a vice chairman.
On its part, the Igbo National Council suggested
membership of the conference should be through
election organized by INEC.