The apex Igbo Socio-cultural Organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, says the road to a just and equitable Nigeria requires the immediate convocation of an independent Sovereign National Conference.
According to the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Jackson Omenazu, the gathering must encompass representatives from the over 350 unique ethnic nations that were criminally amalgamated by the British colonists.
He said: “They should be tasked with the monumental responsibility of drafting a new constitution that genuinely reflects the will and aspirations of the Nigerian people.
“Until such a conference occurs, the deeply flawed military-imposed 1999 Constitution which we consider a receipt for anarchy will continue to foster conditions ripe for disintegration, deprivation, fears, anger, and exploitation by a cadre of political elites, whose self-serving agenda stands in stark opposition to the collective welfare of the people.
“It is a matter of grave concern that the present Nigerian presidential system, as defined by the aforementioned constitution, singularly positions the president as one of the most powerful unchecked and unquestionable leaders in the world which is absurd and lacks acceptable democratic ingredients.
” Ohanaeze Ndigbo has observed with deep dismay that the leadership of the 10th National Assembly resembles a mere rubber stamp—an institution weakened by compromise, and thus incapable of performing its essential functions to check the excesses of the executive branch because most times they are constitutionally handicapped.
“In recognition of these disheartening realities, Ohanaeze Ndigbo emphatically entreats all advocates of democracy, patriots of decency, and lovers of Nigeria to rally vociferously for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference—not one subsidized or orchestrated by the federal, state, or local governments—but one that arises organically from the diverse voices of the Nigerian people, thereby allowing for the emergence of a truly sovereign constitution in which the people will sincerely pledge allegiance to willfully.
“It is critical to underscore that the proposal for a Sovereign National Conference does not seek to undermine the ongoing activities of the 10th National Assembly. Rather, it seeks to operate under the Doctrine of Necessity, where each of Nigeria’s indigenous ethnic groups should independently sponsor their delegates to the Conference.
” This initiative aims to facilitate the development of a Brand New People’s Constitution by the year 2025—one that is indubitably shaped by the people it governs.
“PROPOSED MYTHOLOGY FOR THE SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE.
- All the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria should nominate an equal number of delegates to the conference in respect of size, number, or geographical spread.
- The conferees should be sponsored by their ethnic group.
- The conferees should be at liberty to choose their venue, leadership, secretarial staff, committees and drafters.
- The conferees should be free to decide the type of security arrangements they desire and communicate the same to the IGP for implementation.
- The federal, state or LGA should not make any input in terms of logistics support to the conference.
- All the ethnic groups should decide their modus operandi in the selection of their delegates.
- No court in Nigeria is allowed to adjudicate on the affairs of any ethnic groups while the selection of delegates lasts.
This is because, before the arrival of the colonist, all ethnic groups had an internal traditional or religious mechanism for resolving their disputes. - Neither the president nor the National Assembly has the right to amend or vet the outcome of the SNC document.
- All the president is required is to proclaim or proclaim the outcome of the SNC as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We hope for a nation where all will be proud to say I am a Nigerian.”
