BY DAPO AKINREFON

Balarabe Musa
Nigeria is on the verge of becoming a failed state in almost every respect. The only exception is by the virtue of God and the virtue of us, Nigeria remains one country and we hope it will continue to remain. But that is very doubtful because of the contradictions in the country.

Before the First Republic and during the colonial times, we had responsible leaders. They were nationalist and dignified and credible, can we say so now? That is the root of our problems. If the leaders we had colonial time, inspite of the nature of colonialism, have remained in one way or another, we certainly would not be where we are now.

Inspite of our riches and wealth, we are now one of the poorest countries in the world. Our responsibility as we gather here is to continue the process of reversing the situation from a negative situation to a situation where there is hope like we started during the 1960s.

Femi Fani-Kayode

Olu Falae

In 1958, as a prelude to independence, our leaders went to London to negotiate a political covenant that will be the bedrock of independence of our country. What emerged from it was a genuine federal constitution.

The Englishman was not a fool when he agreed to a genuine federal constitution for Nigeria; at the last count we have 484 ethnic and distinctive groups in Nigeria and the only way to give such a plethora of nationalities was the giving of a federal constitution which will allow the individualities of each group in the federal country.

And so, we had the federal constitution, every region had its own coat of arms and amoral bearings. Every region had an ambassador in London; we had four ambassadors to London and not one. As a student in Ibadan, I studied four constitutions: the federal, north, eastern and western Nigeria. Everybody did his own thing at his own pace and in accordance to his own priority.

But in 1966 the military came and threw away that constitution. We deserted that constitution, but we must go back and find that covenant and re-establish it so that we can once again have genuine federating regions in Nigeria so that no group should want out of Nigeria.

This military constitution will not and never fit Nigeria together. If they don’t allow us to have SNC, this type of meeting on a rotational and continuing basis, must become our roving national conference.

Ben Nwabueze

I am here in two capacities: one as chairman of the Patriots and here also as chairman of Project Nigeria. We are here for the same reason and one purpose. We are faced with the same challenge to discuss Nigeria, that’s what we are here for.

We are not here to discuss the disintegration of Nigeria; we are here to ensure that Nigeria remains one. That is the mission of the Patriots, that’s what we stand for. The convening of a sovereign national conference is the only solution to our problems; we must all sit together around a table, all ethnic nationalities in the country.

We can’t have a solution to our problems without ethnic nationalities sitting together and agreeing on the terms in which we must live together as one country. That is the issue.

Audu Ogbeh

How is it that instead of being each other’s keepers, we have become each other’s killers? How is it that we have emerged to barbarism without passing through civilisation? How is it that our economy has collapsed? How is it that all our factories have become church houses where Christians do business?

How is it that importation of food costs $20 billion annually? How is it that the naira which in our lifetime was N1:50 is now N166 to one dollar? How is it that today we import everything down to toothpick? How can this country make any progress if we remain what we all are, sycophants, too timid to challenge arrogant authorities?

As far as I am concerned, two things are going wrong here. The issue of true federalism has been mentioned. There has to be production in every state, there has to be addition to the economy and not collection of cheques every month.

QUOTE: How can this country make any progress if we remain what we all are, sycophants, too timid to challenge arrogant authorities?

Edwin Clark

I have listened to the lamentations of eminent Nigerians about the country. It is true that by 1958, we all voluntarily agreed to have a federation, but we have not told ourselves where we went wrong. What is happening?

Is it when A is in power that all is well with Nigeria?  Are we now in a Nigeria where people cannot live freely wherever they like; so the point is where did we go wrong? We had a meeting particularly in 1960 and 1963, where the 3 leaders of the 3 regions agreed that there should be a federation where everybody must be equal and resources must be shared equitably.

Again, I ask where we went wrong. In 1963, it was agreed that 50 percent of revenue made in the country should be reserved by the regions if you are the producer. It was also agreed that every region should be allowed to develop itself at its own pace; but today the reverse is the case. The impression we have is that there is only one government; that is the federal government.

What are the state governors doing? If they were performing their duties, we won’t be having the crisis we are currently having. Each governor is supposed to be the chief security officer of his state; but what have they done?

Mike Ozeokhomhe

The name Nigeria was given to us by colonialists, it was imposed on us, we never agreed to sit down together, to live together and on which terms we should live together. This is the basis of the programme we have been having and we are still having till today.  Before 1966, we had true federalism in Nigeria.

We had three regions: the northern, Eastern and Western region, then on the 14th of August, 1963, the Mid-Western region was created by popular referendum, to make it four regions in Nigeria. Each region had its own constitution and then, we had a federal constitution; each region was allowed to develop according to its strength and according to its pace.

That was why the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was able to introduce free education at all levels, set up University of Ife, built the Liberty Stadium, and built the Cocoa house in Ibadan. But today, we have a lopsided federal system where the federal government collects all and the state governors go cap in hand.

QUOTE: But today, we have a lopsided federal system where the federal government collects all and the state governors go cap in hand.

Idika Kalu

We should not really presume to go into details discussing some of these issues. We need to sit down and talk; it has been said in many ways. There are some people who have fears that such statement implies some notion of breaking up the country.

That very fear really confirms the need to sit down and allay the fears of all such people. There is no nation that can solve its problems. We are here to hearken to the voices of all Nigerians that there should be peace and security; peace with justice, peace within the law.

There should be the rule of law and that applies to every segment of this country. That means there should be an acceptable constitution which is where all these things are derived from. We need to have a constitution. Unless we have a sovereign national conference, sovereign in the sense not to displace any existing government.

Those who are opposed to this must be enemies of progress and enemies of this nation. This request addresses the fundamental issue of all Nigerians irrespective of where they come from.

Femi Fani-Kayode

I will like to disagree with our father and eminent personality in the person of Chief Clark when he spoke about soldiers on the streets of Lagos. There is a distinction between putting soldiers on the streets of the Niger Delta cities that are been burnt and places in the north where Boko Haram is striking and killing people and putting soldiers on the streets of Lagos where people are exercising their democratic rights. Having said that, there are a number of issues we really need to tackle. I am very worried for the future of this country.

People are being killed night and day and I am using this forum to call on this government to show strength when it comes to the issue of Boko Haram. No dialogue, no discussion, enough is enough; it is time for the full force of the federal government of Nigeria, not just go after Boko Haram, but those that are behind them. I stand with everyone that thinks that we need to have a sovereign national conference and I call on every Nigerian to stand up and say enough is enough.

QUOTE: People are being killed night and day and I am using this forum to call on this government to show strength when it comes to the issue of Boko Haram. No dialogue, no discussion, enough is enough

Charity Shekari

I come from Kaduna State; my children come from Plateau State. We are talking about the sovereign national conference but let us not forget that people like me come from the north but we are not from the north. As we talk about the sovereign national conference, what are the real motives of those rejecting and not wanting the sovereign national conference? What also are the real motives of those that are insisting for the sovereign national conference?

For as long as we keep personal, ethnic, sectional, regional and religious biases within us behind us and we come frontally to say things when are motives are different, we will have a problem.

We need a solution and that solution is that we must sit together and when we are sitting, everybody should be taking cognizance of certain things. When the centre cannot hold, things will fall apart. Whatever we want to do, let us call what we want to call it, we need to talk, we need to sit.

Alabo Graham Douglas

I want to cast your minds to some few years ago when the inequities and injustices prevailed in the country. The word marginalization was on the lips of every Nigerian. The youths became very restive and decided that they must have a form of correction especially in a place where there were no infrastructural developments whatsoever. A situation arose what Nigerians referred to as militancy.

When it got to such a height, when it affected the marrow of Nigeria, the leaders decided to talk. We cannot be myopic to the issue of Boko Haram and that we don’t know the operators. My advice is to support those who have advocated that we must sit together at a national conference.

Ankio Briggs

I will not and do not intend to sacrifice who I am and my region for the sake of Nigeria because nobody else is prepared to sacrifice their region for my people. We all together must form and rebuild a Nigeria that is equal irrespective of number of where you come from.

I do not want to deceive myself and I will not be deceived to think that because I am a Nigeria, therefore I will deny my ethnicity.  We are different people that make up this country and we should be proud of that difference; and we should enhance that difference. And not use that difference to manipulate others.

The late Yar’Adua did not resolve the Niger Delta crisis because of his love for the Niger Delta people, he resolved it because Nigeria needed the oil that came from the region. We must put together a Nigeria that brings together all the resources, that belongs to all Nigerians from all the 36 states.

There are resources in every single state of the federation and therefore, it is about time to bring everything to the table. I am highly offended by the comments of Sanusi that people are killing their fellow human beings because of derivation.

Chukwuemeka Ezeife

Many of us saw the hand of God in the emergence of Dr. Jonathan as the president of Nigeria; it may be the manifest destiny of his presidency to transform Nigeria into a country that works. There is no way he can do it without a restructuring of this country.

All Nigerians need one Nigeria except those who are ignorant. We need a country that works. The six geo-political zones should become the federating units. We can choose between unicameral or bicameral legislation. Nigeria is a blessed country. The message cannot be lost; sovereignty resides in the people.

Femi Falana

When we started this struggle for a sovereign national conference in1990, some of those who set the police on us are here with us today. When we are gathered discussion a critical issue of this nature, we must be frank with ourselves; we must be honest with ourselves.

Every state in Nigeria is lazy; every state in Nigeria is parasitic. Every state in Nigeria can be made productive if we get the structure right. I believe that ours is a wonderful country but when we are talking of the structure, we must talk of poverty.

Over 70 per cent of our people today live on less than N300 a day. We are wasting so much on irrelevant things and all of us, at the end of the day, we must have irreducible minimum standard of operations. When anyone has been charged with killing people, we must politicize it; when anyone has been charged with looting the treasury, we must not politicize it.

The National Assembly is opposed to any form of conference; they believe that they are in charge of our affairs. We will need to mobilize them and let them be assured that we are not about sending them packing and their jumbo allowances for now.

Yakubu Alkali

I am very glad that I have been given consideration to say something no matter how I stumble. I want to say that I am a product of an Igbo cook to a Reverend Father in my village that is not on the map of my local government.

To me as a security officer, we owe a responsibility to our country Nigeria. Nigeria remains the greatest nation on the globe. We are not invested with all sorts of calamities all nations witness across board. We are peace loving people, we can accommodate each other and that is why we are here to speak our mind to one another. We must wake up.

What is security? Security is about telling your child from home the truth of life. Many of us are living on falsehood and that is what is responsible for insecurity. Legacy bequeaths legacy, equity bequeaths equity and we are here storming. I say this because the worst human being in Nigeria is a police officer but that is not true. A country begets the type of institutions or structures it wants.

I have never taken bribe for over 30 years I have been in the force from anybody and I have never demanded bribe from anyone.

I see hope – Obong Victor Attah

If I did not see hope, I would not be here. I see a lot of hope and not only hope, I see a positive result coming out that will make Nigeria better, easier to govern. We will have better governance and people who are sincere in making progress and helping the country to make progress.

Yerima Shetima, President Arewa Youth Consultative Forum We have been in the forefront of those against Boko Haram.