Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Wednesday advocated national conference as a response to save Nigeria and address her internal challenges.
Anyaoku made the case at the 4th Bola Tinubu Colloquium, which was held at Expo Centre, Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos though said the unity of Nigeria “is not negotiable”.
The colloquium, which was chaired by Anyaoku, was graced by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tanbuwal, former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mohammed Uwais, National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Bisi Akande, Sir Maitama Sule, former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, Governors Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Senator Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) among others.
Anyaoku, who described his opening remark as a political bill, also advocated true federalism with six federating units rather than 36 states, which he said, made the country spend her 74 per cent on expenditure.
According to the diplomat, to return to true federalism, we need six federating units rather than 36 states. If the states must remain, they will become development zones within the six proposed federating units.
He identified national insecurity, with the growing armed attacks by Boko Haram, raging debates on revenue allocation formula and declining standard in education as key challenges to Nigeria's unity.
To address these challenges, Anyaoku said the 1999 Constitution should be reviewed through a well-directed national conference to redesign the country’s architecture of governance.
“If we are to arrest the present destructive competition and if we must repair the collapse in our society, we should get the national government to reach a consensus to devolve key responsibilities such as internal security, police, education, health and economic development,” he said.
Speaking also, Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State said Tibubu had lived a life of service to Nigeria and humanity.
He said in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Malam Danladi Ndayebo, that: “I have followed your contributions as a businessman, politician and administrator in the last two decades where you earned yourself respect on issues of economy, democracy and human rights.
“Worthy of note are Tinubu’s contributions to debates in the National Assembly as a Senator during the botched third Republic, his rapid transformation of Lagos State as Governor between 1999 and 2007 and now as the leader of the opposition,” the statement added.
Also at the colloquium where a book; "Asiwaju: Leadership in Troubled Times", Sir Maitama Sule, a First Republic minister, canvassed a non-violent revolution similar to what Indira Ghandi led in India.
He wondered what "has gone wrong with Nigeria. Nigeria was not like before under Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamidi Azikwe and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello".
He added that Nigeria "was in the same category with countries like Brazil and India. India has made it today. Brazil has made it also. What has gone with Nigeria?"
He allied with Anyaoku with respect to the challenges bedevilling Nigeria, saying the institution of family "has broken down; corruption is rife in our society; and frustration is everywhere".
On this note, Sule said: "I am calling for non-violent revolution, the kind of which Indira Ghandi championed in India. We need people to embark on non-violent resistance. We simply need cultural revolution".
Fashola, who spoke 'Managing Change in a Post-military Era', said the state has been able to sustain the reforms in the state spearheaded by Tinubu when he was governor due to continuity in both personnel and policy making.
He said the government at the national level was making little progress for the main reason that people who know little about governance have been placed in the apex of governance.
He added that two years tenure for ministers and policy makers can only encourage policy inconsistencies
"We are inheritors of a very rich legacy built under Asiwaju, if we betray that legacy; we would not only let ourselves down, but the entire black race"
Fashola said, Asiwaju "has built a lot of love much more than you can measure and followership much more than you cannot define, but your followers asked me to tell you that, though they know that you cannot love all of them equally, you will love some more than the others, but you should always learn to do justice fairly.
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