Chief Boluwaji Alade Omodele is the president of Egbe OmoYoruba in North America, a body that has strongly canvassed a holistic restructuring of the Nigerian federation. In this interview with KUNLE ODEREMI, he lists some specific areas that deserve greater attention if the planned national conference must meet the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians. Excerpts:How auspicious is the timing of the proposed national dialogue and why?WHAT do you make of the planned National Dialogue?
The timing and the idea of a National dialogue is coming against the backdrop of a president who had consistently railed against the idea of a Sovereign National Conference, at a time he is locked in a fight for his political life with the rebellion within his party led by former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, and the G7 governors, as well as other silent loyalists to this group and his intention to vie for a second term as the president.
I have my fear like a lot of patriots that it may just be a ruse after all, but I believe a product of such a conference would be a rallying document on which we can advance a mass mobilisation for its implementation.
What specific issues should be addressed by delegates and why?
Every issue that affects Nigeria should be accorded a core issue status. The dialogue/conference should be set in a mode of resetting the button where every and all issues are discussed such as the terms of the co-existence of the ethnic nationalities that make up the country; re-structuring of the country that would take us away from the redundant and behemoth unitary system to a productive devolved power under a federal structure, regional autonomy, states’ rights, protection of religious rights, minority rights, respect and protection of the sanctity of the power of the people to determine and evolve a country that would work for the majority and not a few who have cornered the resources of the entire country and holding us hostage to their greed and avarices and a host of other issues.
What do you think should be the main criteria for representation, in view of the ethnic diversity of the country?
What specific issues should be addressed by delegates and why?
Every issue that affects Nigeria should be accorded a core issue status. The dialogue/conference should be set in a mode of resetting the button where every and all issues are discussed such as the terms of the co-existence of the ethnic nationalities that make up the country; re-structuring of the country that would take us away from the redundant and behemoth unitary system to a productive devolved power under a federal structure, regional autonomy, states’ rights, protection of religious rights, minority rights, respect and protection of the sanctity of the power of the people to determine and evolve a country that would work for the majority and not a few who have cornered the resources of the entire country and holding us hostage to their greed and avarices and a host of other issues.
What do you think should be the main criteria for representation, in view of the ethnic diversity of the country?
I wish we have a proper, non controversial documentation of the precise number of the ethnic components of Nigeria by [Nigerian] anthropologists without a sinister move of any major ethnic group to use it for numerical advantage at the conference like the Nigerian census figures which historically are not reliable because they have been highly inflated as a means to get a large share of the federal allocations. In view of this, I would suggest we have representations based on the existing geo- political zones making sure that delegates from these zones would emerge from the sub-units that make up these zones. An agreed number of delegates that would effectively represent the people without any group being discriminated against would lead to a good representation.
Some talked about national unity as one of the supposed settled matters concerning the Nigerian federation. What is your take on this and why?
Firstly, we have to recognise the right to self determination which is protected and guaranteed by the United Nations charter of peoples’ rights. I believe we should not be worried that such a conference would lead to the dismember of the country. The Nigerian people appreciate the problems that confront us and the motivation for the call for a national conference to address these problems. We are co-joined of a sort and you would realise that a lot of these delegates have wives, husbands, in-laws, business partners and professional colleagues who are from other ethnic groups so that fear would be well navigated.
Why are Nigerians still talking about national integration at the threshold of the country’s centenary anniversary?
The impact of the incursion of military rule cannot be ignored on how we got to where we are today: The concentration of power in the centre that leads to states becoming mere appendages that go to the centre every month with bowls in hand asking for a hand out! This has made the country one huge non-functioning entity with each ethnic group looking up to one of them becoming president with the hope of bringing development to their regions, nepotism and cronyism. This prolonged anomaly has left people to no other option than a call to address the reasons for our unfortunate failures and sordid condition. And the earlier we address the challenges, the better for us otherwise that call would persist another 100 years from now meaning the country would remain non-functioning.
Who should have the final say on the report of the conference and how?
This conference should be a conference for the people by the people and for the people. The outcome of the deliberations of the conference should be affirmed through a referendum/plebiscite. We need to remember that ours is a country that operates a “constitution” that claims to be a voice and aspiration of “we the people” which is dishonestly fraudulent because it is not true. We need a people’s constitution that would emerge through a process or an offshoot of the conference where the broad concepts and framework would have been discussed, agreed upon and affirmed by the people through a referendum, thus create a basis for a constitution which would be the peoples’ constitution.
Firstly, we have to recognise the right to self determination which is protected and guaranteed by the United Nations charter of peoples’ rights. I believe we should not be worried that such a conference would lead to the dismember of the country. The Nigerian people appreciate the problems that confront us and the motivation for the call for a national conference to address these problems. We are co-joined of a sort and you would realise that a lot of these delegates have wives, husbands, in-laws, business partners and professional colleagues who are from other ethnic groups so that fear would be well navigated.
Why are Nigerians still talking about national integration at the threshold of the country’s centenary anniversary?
The impact of the incursion of military rule cannot be ignored on how we got to where we are today: The concentration of power in the centre that leads to states becoming mere appendages that go to the centre every month with bowls in hand asking for a hand out! This has made the country one huge non-functioning entity with each ethnic group looking up to one of them becoming president with the hope of bringing development to their regions, nepotism and cronyism. This prolonged anomaly has left people to no other option than a call to address the reasons for our unfortunate failures and sordid condition. And the earlier we address the challenges, the better for us otherwise that call would persist another 100 years from now meaning the country would remain non-functioning.
Who should have the final say on the report of the conference and how?
This conference should be a conference for the people by the people and for the people. The outcome of the deliberations of the conference should be affirmed through a referendum/plebiscite. We need to remember that ours is a country that operates a “constitution” that claims to be a voice and aspiration of “we the people” which is dishonestly fraudulent because it is not true. We need a people’s constitution that would emerge through a process or an offshoot of the conference where the broad concepts and framework would have been discussed, agreed upon and affirmed by the people through a referendum, thus create a basis for a constitution which would be the peoples’ constitution.
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