NOW, all eyes are on the opening of the 2014 National Conference, which has been dubbed by some Nigerians as “Jonathan’s” Confab. But it does not really matter what appellation it is given, what is of paramount interest to most Nigerians is what it is out to achieve.

National Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Mr. Peter Ameh, has described as unfair the domination of the forthcoming National Conference by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and four other political parties.

Given the prominent role the Itsekiri ethnic nationality play in the socio economic well-being of the country, it was a shock to many Itsekiris that not one of them was nominated among the 492 delegates to the conference.

There will be display of tempers, outpouring of invectives, recriminations and lamentations.
There have been consultations across the country as the South-west is making spirited efforts to reach out to the South-east, South-south and the Middle Belt to build a consensus.
For the Jonathan administration, the turn around by the opposition may have saved the conference from credibility problem since the Yoruba have been the champion of national dialogue.

IF Nigerians had taken the prescriptions of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, on fiscal federalism, regionalism and devolution of power to the federating units, the country would have frog-jumped the unending search for a people’s constitution and the attendant socio-economic and political retardation.