The umbrella body of northern Nigeria, Arewa Consultative Forum, has said the proposed sovereign national conference may not achieve the goals for which it will be convoked.
It said the problem with the country was not the constitution, federal structure or form of government but the lack of political will by stakeholders.”
The Publicity Secretary of the forum, Mr. Anthony Sani, in an interview with our correspondent on Friday, noted that contrary to some not opinions, the North would not oppose a national conference, as long as Nigerians wanted it.
He said, “I have told you that SNC amounts to passing a vote of no confidence on our democracy and its institutions, which no group has the right to do. I honestly do not know how they hope to ensure that all ethnic nationalities will be represented, considering that there is no consensus on the number of ethnic nationalities let alone how they can be represented to the satisfaction of all.
“I say this because some people talk as if the current legislators are representatives of not people but ghosts.
“If Nigerians want a national dialogue, who is ACF to say no, more so, the resolutions of the conference must still go through the legislature in order to find accommodation in the constitution.
“ACF has made it clear that the problems of Nigeria has nothing to do with soundness of the laws but with the unwillingness of the operators to live up their responsibilities. And this has been brought about by the collapse of national ideals, moral values and total collapse of social contract among groups and individuals.”
Sani added that people do not know that those who seek to redefine democracy outside its three elements of liberty, justice and common decency are trying to redefine the truth or evil.
At the plenary last Tuesday, the Senate President, Mr. David Mark had said, “Sense of discontentment and alienation in some quarters has fuelled extremism, apathy and predictions of catastrophe for the nation.”
“A conference of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities, called to foster frank and open discussions of the national question, can certainly find accommodation in the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution which guarantee freedom of expression, and of association. It is welcome.”
