Elder statesmen renew call for SNC
By RAZAQ BAMIDELE
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
The two-day national summit where eminent Nigerian leaders dialogued on the state of the nation kicked off in Lagos yesterday with calls for Sovereign National Conference (SNC). All the discussants at the summit which took place at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja unanimously agreed that the conference was long overdue, just as they labelled antagonists to the confab as enemies of Nigeria.
While declaring the summit open, Chief Tony I. Uranta debunked the insinuations that the summit was government initiative, explaining that the initiative is borne out of long desire to move Nigeria towards restructuring of the polity to foster true federalism.
In his welcome address, the moderator of the summit, Prof. Pat Utomi expressed sadness that the country was at the brink of collapse, insisting that something must be done to arrest the dangerous trend like that of 1967.
He was of the belief that if a country that was blessed with resources was wallowing in abject poverty that has become a scandal, something drastic should be done for the country described as bastion of economic growth in Africa.
Former Kaduna State governor, Balarabe Musa regretted that the country is moving towards becoming a failed state in every respect due to a lot of contradictions in the polity inspite of her huge resources.
The solution, according to him was to reverse the trend through restructuring the polity by convocation of SNC, saying, anybody who holds a contrary view is deceiving himself.
Speaking in the same vein, former finance minister, Olu Falae called for going back to the pre-independence constitution of 1958 which he said was a political covenant that gave the country true federalism.
He tasked the audience to look for the 1960 genuine constitution thrown away where every region had its own constitution and own envoy abroad.
Professor Ben Nwabueze (SAN) added in his own contribution that the purpose of the summit is how to save Nigeria and not to discuss disintegration, asserting that the only solution to our problem is SNC to ensure we remain one.
He said, we need to sit down and talk, explaining that we all wear the shoe and we know where it pinches.
The 82 years old lawyer said, whoever wants to prevent this is an enemy of Nigeria, just as he declared that the decision of the SNC would be taken to Abuja to deliver it to Mr. President and the National Assembly, without minding tear gas by the security agents.
“Anybody who wants to stop us should be prepared to kill all of us,” Nwabueze concluded.
Chief Audu Ogbe who concurred with earlier speakers wondered why Nigerians that are supposed to be each other’s keepers become each other’s killers.
Ogbe admitted that the only solution was SNC where the mode of living together would be discussed.
Chief Edwin Clark in his submission also advocated for a genuine federalism, where everybody must be equal and resources shared equitably.
According to him, all Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities in the country must sit down round a table to discuss the basis of how to live together, saying the stage we are now is for solution and not lamentations.
Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu in addition to SNC allayed the fears of those thinking that the process would break the country.
He pointed out that it was through that process that justice would lead to peace and security would be guaranteed, saying peace without the law and acceptable constitution where all these would find accommodation.
Former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode expressed the fears that without SNC, Nigeria could go the way of India and Sudan that broke into three and two respectively.
According to him, the colonial masters deliberately amalgamated some nations so that they would start to fight and kill themselves after independence, saying India, Sudan and Nigeria that were so amalgamated.
Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife described the summit as God ordained, suspecting that Jonathan emergence, as president might be God hands in his life to transform the country to Nigeria that we want.
Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana enthused that since those who unleashed the police on us in 1990 are here today, it is a testimony that the time has come for the much desired SNC.
Both Dr. Fredrick Fasehun of the OPC and Chief Missioner of Ansarud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdurahan Ahmad also concour that SNC would go a long way to bring social justice to the country.
The summit ends today.
