Spokesperson of Project Nigeria (Nigeria Consensus Group of eminent political leaders in the country) and a delegate of the Pro-national Conference Organisation (PRONACO) to the National Conference, Comrade Olawale Okunniyi has advised the National Conference to raise a strategic intervention team to explore the possibility of isolating issues generating violent bloodletting and other forms militancy across the country.

President Jonathan, Senate President David Mark and other at the scene of the blast at Nyanya , Abuja, Monday. Photo: Olamikan Olugbenga.

Okunniyi, while condemning the bomb blast, which claimed several lives in the early hours of Monday at Nyanya, Abuja on the floor of the Conference on Tuesday, said it was high time the Conference  lived up to its real essence which is to negotiate and neutralise political discontent throwing up violence and bloodletting in the country.

He said since all shade of interests, mandates and diverse experiences, which can empathise with issues bordering on insurgency and militancy are represented at the confab it may be instructive and expedient for the conference to help negotiate the end of the bloodletting and violence in the country.
His words: “Time is of essence, the country by what we have witnessed so far is at war with itself.

The country is sitting on a keg of gun powder. The issues propelling insurgency and militancy in our land are purely political and economic in nature and therefore require more political solutions than military.
”The ongoing National Conference is expected to serve as a political clearing house and conflict

management mechanism for the country and therefore should be utilised most dynamically to negotiate and secure national stability and constitutional sanity for the country as it is evident that this is the best government can do given the present circumstance.”

Okunniyi said the conference must be process-led and people-driven to achieve political stability and credible constitution for the agitated peoples of Nigeria.

“This confab certainly needs every support and ample time to save the country from its deep rooted animosity and present precipice,’’ he said, adding that if the ongoing confab fails to arrest the growing tension and horrendous bloodletting among political parties and diverse interests in the country before the 2015 elections, the country may be forced into a most explosive season of all times, capable of signaling of the end of Nigeria.