*Warns: Nigeria postponing doomsday, if… 

By Luminous Jannamike, ABUJA

Eminent Nigerians, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, have warned that except the Federal Government changed its attitude towards the problem of marginalisation, and also fix the failing economy, the country will continue to suffer insecurity. 

They expressed this view in a communique issued on Wednesday at the end of an inclusive security dialogue, jointly organised in Abuja by the Global Peace Foundation and Vision Africa.

READ ALSO:

APC accuses PDP of playing dangerous politics with banditry

Aside from ex-President Obasanjo and the Sultan of Sokoto, other attendees were the President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev.  Samson Ayokunle; 96-year-old Alhaji Tanko Yakasai (OFR); the Secretary-General, Arewa Consultative Forum, Alhaji Murtala Aliyu; the Spokesman, Northern elders Forum, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed; the Secretary-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ambassador Okey Emuchay (MFR); the Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum, Chief Audu Ogbeh; the President, Vision Africa, Bishop Sunday Onuoha; the Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi; the former Governor, Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah; the Chairman, Middle Belt Forum, Dr Pogu Bitrus; and a representative of Biafra Group, Udeh Christian-Iwuagwu.

They also warned that Nigeria would be postponing doomsday if the government continued to ignore the youth and the education sectors in its national development programmes

The communique reads: “High prevalence of insecurity in Nigeria is driven largely by social Injustice and a failed economy; hence fueling continued agitation by the country’s young alienated generation. Government must act sincerely as an unbiased arbiter to address insecurity headlong.

“Hunger and starvation in the Land will get worse as continued violence and insecurity make our farms unsafe for families whose basic sustenance is dependent on their yields from the farms.

“National Development without a focus on youths and the education sector, and intentional intergenerational collaboration between the elite and the youths, may not augur well for our security. Neither will the organized movement of street children and the disabled from one part of the country to another. We postpone doomsday if it is ignored.

“Neglect of oil exploration communities and minorities will only deepen the threat to our security and unity. Underdevelopment and isolation cannot remain the strategy, else they will be uncomfortable to remain with the concept of Nigeria.

“Government at all levels must revisit and show a sincere effort at understanding the core issues of dissidence and self-determination in Nigeria, rather than incarceration, bullets and counter-attacks as government responds to agitations and unrest.

“The role of religious leaders and pulpit managers (traditional, Christian, Islam) in our moral rearmament and collective re-engineering is urgently needed to salvage our nation. We must draw upon our religious traditions and our understanding of what is best for our people.

“A National Reconciliation Conference, that allows the principles of fairness, equity and justice; with an immediate consideration of legitimate agitations, and a collective effort to de-escalate the conflict and violence across the nation can no longer be ignored.

“Government, as a matter of urgency must convene a national reconciliatory conference where we can all address the underlying issues of our challenges in order to quell the mistrust-fueled agitations and crisis before the entity called Nigeria collapses.

“The 1999 Constitution is Oligo-military in nature and does not represent our collective interests; it needs to be renegotiated by national ethics. A constitutional review process, enabling peace and social cohesion is necessary. 

“We call on the Government to begin a process of constitutional review in order to amend and rework it, drawing on our previous constitutions, amongst other things, to synchronise and harmonize the laudable principles they embody. This will ensure, not one-off solutions, but lasting change.”

Vanguard News Nigeria