By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor & Clifford Ndujihe
LAGOS—The presidency is to incorporate other constitutional reforms into its proposal for a single term for the President and governors as part of its moves in deepening the fabrics of national unity and federalism, it emerged yesterday.

The proposed constitutional amendments, including a makeover of the revenue allocation formula and the strengthening of the anti-corruption institutions are part of President Goodluck Jonathan’s plans for erecting a lasting legacy and building on the goodwill from the successful conduct of the 2011 elections.

The fresh proposals notwithstanding, a group of eminent political stakeholders at a meeting in Lagos yesterday, called on the President to advance the cause of political reforms in the country through the enactment of a Constitutional Convention Commission to independently coordinate an autonomous process for making an inclusive peoples’ constitution. The eminent statesmen said the move which could address all conflicts in the country could be achieved through the invocation of a Doctrine of Necessity. While commending President Jonathan for his bold efforts in engaging the Boko Haram group and articulating the single term proposal for presidents and governors, the group nevertheless said the problems of the country were now more than the solutions being proposed by the President.

STATE VISIT—President Goodluck Jonathan (right) and Mr Alexande Barro Chambrier, Gabonese Minister of Mines, Oil and Gas, Special Envoy of President Ali Bongo Odimba during a visit to President Jonathan at the State House, Abuja, yesterday.

Those at the meeting hosted by second republic presidential candidate of the Nigeria Advanced Party, NAP, Dr. Tunji Braitwaithe included Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, Ms Anne kio-Briggs, Dr Frederick Fasehun, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, Olisa Agbakoba (was represented by Victor Madu), Wale Okunniyi, Malam Shetima Yerima, Shehu Sani (who was represented), Prof Bayo Williasms and Dr Tunji Abayomi.

Sources disclosed yesterday that in line with the broader vision of a lasting legacy, constitutional experts working with the presidency are said to have identified as many as 50 sections of the 1999 Constitution to be amended to put the President’s visions on a better footing. The proposed amendments could be effected before the commencement of the next round of electioneering campaign to fit in with the government’s plans to ensure a free and fair poll in 2015 it was further gathered.

Among the 50 issues being proposed for tinkering in the proposed amendments are revenue allocation, the enactment of true federalism and the strengthening of the nation’s anti-corruption institutions, notably the Independent Corrupt practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The momentum for the proposed reforms it was learnt flowed from the recommendations of past constitutional and political conferences in the country. Among those specifically named yesterday were the reports from the Citizens’ Forum for Constitution Reform(CFCR) which prepared a draft Constitution, the Pro-National Conference(PRORONACO) Peoples Constitution, the Abacha Constitution of 1995, the report of the National Political Reform Conference of 2005 and the 1999 Constitution.

“Looking at the performance of the last election, some people are of the view that If we strengthen the accountability institutions, the nation could make do with what we have on ground now. The views are still coalescing,” the source disclosed yesterday.

In their communiqué yesterday, the eminent group while describing the single term proposal as skewed said:

“ That the President’s proposal though made in good faith and also one of the key issues to be considered in the much desired constitutional political overhauling of the country, cannot take precedence in the effort to overcome the democratic challenges currently being faced by the country if the nation is to find a genuine resolution of its nation question. So we of the Project Nigeria – National Consensus Group call on President Goodluck Jonathan to quickly initiate a process of national negotiation in form of a bill that can be enacted into law by the National Assembly to bring about a popularly constituted National Consensus Commission or Constitutional Convention Commission that can independently coordinate an autonomous process for making an inclusive peoples’ conflict resolution constitution for Nigeria.”

“ That NCG discussed and unanimously adopted both the roadmap to popular constitutional restructuring of Nigeria and the draft bill thereof presented by the chair of the strategy team of Project Nigeria. We have however resolved to mobilize all Nigerians with the content of this new bill and also launch this great movement in the existing six geopolitical zones of the country in our determined resolve to engage both the president and the National Assembly in their latest attempt to take a look at the constitutional and democratic structure of Nigeria.”

“Finally, we wish to counsel that if the present regime feels handicapped by the provisions of the 1999 constitution to bring about a constituents’ assembly or a constitutional convention, then it behooves Government, at this crucial stage of our turbulent history to safely invoke the same DOCTRINE OF NECESSITY, which was the popular bastion for its assumption of power in the dying days of the ‘cabal’. This becomes critical for the purpose of bringing about a negotiated national stability and prevents a situation where Nigeria’s over stretched ‘goodluck’ suddenly goes up in flames.”