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Open Letter To The National Confabists By Max Gbanite
March 17, 2005
“Change is constant," was one of the most profound statements of the 20th century made by the late sage; The Right Honorable Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first ceremonial President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And in recognition of the evolving changes around the world and Nigeria in particular, Generalissimo President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR., after consulting with his personal God, decided to hurriedly convene what he and his advisers termed; ‘A No-Go-Area National Political Reform Conference, also known as the National Dialogue or National Confab and which could be termed a Sovereign National Conference, in the sense that it is sovereign from the National Assembly -- the duly constituted authority empowered under the Constitution to undertake any reforms.
For the sake of this write-up, permit me to address you people as ‘Confabists.’ My sincere apology to those who may take exception to the name; all the same, let’s move on in the spirit of change.
As timely as the conference may appear in some circles, I still think that the methodology employed by the President may be faulted for lacking legislative backing, so to speak, especially, if the final resolution is to be adopted into the constitution by the National Assembly. Although the same President, according to the media, is known to have previously sneaked things into the Constitution without debate… but let’s see how far he intends to go this time around.
It seems Ramsey Clark had Nigeria in mind when he said that, “A great many people in this country are worried about law-and-order. And a great many people are worried about justice. But one thing is certain; you cannot have either until you have both.” These should be very serious issues of concern to you and us the masses, and you must ponder on them with seriousness. You must be altruistic and resolute by looking inwardly and probably ask yourselves questions like: what role does God --assuming you truly believe, worship, and fear God -- expect me to play or contribute for the betterment and upliftment of true democracy for the masses of Nigeria?
Some of you have been through similar exercises in the past, while a great many were critics or spectators. Perhaps one thing President Obasanjo and Chief Sunday Awoniyi are correct about, and a great majority of Nigerians want, is the indissolubility of our country. Instead we want to build a stronger nation. If you believe that Almighty God facilitated your emerging as a member of this confab, why is it not possible for the same God to use the British to amalgamate Nigeria in 1914?
It is equally the right of small-minded people under democracy to canvass for the breakup of Nigeria or, even for selfish regional reasons, advocate for what they call "true federalism." Those who attended or participated in Vision 2010 and in the 1995 political reform -- a similar confab but arguably more democratic in nature -- would attest that, of the one thousand or so memorandums received, none advocated for the breakup of Nigeria. Instead, they propagated unity, more participation in government, and a thorough economic revitalization program that, had it been followed by President Obasanjo-led government, would have done more for the masses than ‘NEEDS.’
However, be that as it may, in making your contributions and assertions, I recommend that you consider what Prince Charles (Prince of Wales) once said of a country. He said: “A country free enough to examine its own conscience is a land worth living in, a nation to be envied.”
Therefore, you must exercise your freedom of expression and conduct an ‘ALL-GO-AREA Conference’ by insisting on reviewing and studying all the past records of constitutional reviews: the 1953 Constitution that ushered in the independence; the cause of the abominable civil war -- for which the nation is still paying so dearly; the 1967 Aburi conference recommendation; the 1979 constitution report; the 1989 constitution report; Vision 2010 report; the 1999 constitution report, the Yusuf Mamman, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, and Governor Ahmed Markarfi committee reports; Oputa Panel report, etc. You must ask for every other available white-paper reports dealing with ethnic and religious conflicts in Nigeria, such as the Aguleri-Umuleri, Ife-Modakeke, Zango-Kataf, Shendam-Yelwa, Ijaw-Itshekiri-Urhobo, Ogoni-Andoni, Okrika-Ikwerre, Tiv-Jukun, Bachama, and all the other affected areas which included the boundary adjustment reports. With these reports on your hand, you will be better informed to make recommendations that will not haunt your conscience and dent your integrity in future.
RELIGION This issue has in the past and will probably in future continue to be a very sensitive matter if not properly deliberated on. The elites and some of you confabists, and various governments, have at different occasions fanned the ambers of religious bigotry to score cheap political points at the detriment of unsuspecting masses, who have remained victims of all types of religious enslavement. The era of divide-and-rule and artificial religious crises must be stopped for this country to emerge as a nation. Let individuals be encouraged to follow Almighty God in their own respective ways. You confabists must determine if Nigeria is or should truly be a secular nation. To move ahead as a productive and industrious nation, we must look at the already established nations like the United States, Britain, Russia, France, Canada, Scandinavian nations, and even Turkey, and find out what type of God they follow as a nation, or why they are greatly favored than us by the same God who created all things in the universe. While deliberating on this serious matter, one practical lesson of thought to be considered: If, for instance, one of you confabists while debating an issue on the floor collapses, and is rushed to the National Hospital, where the doctors on duty after examination determines that a blood transfusion is needed immediately. Do you think that the doctors would ask for blood that matches your color, height, ethnicity, region or religion? The answer is simply no. The doctors would ask for either your blood type or type ‘O’, devoid of any ethnic or religious sentiments.
Should any amongst you continue to insist that his or her religion is and should be above the reform objectives, kindly ask them to show proof that theirs is the only religion accepted in heaven and, in the absence of that proof, religious issues must not be the basis for crisis; being humans and Nigerians at best under democracy should be considered paramount. Some of you may come to this conference representing diverse interest groups, I challenge you to look at the issues presented by each one of you with respect, as humans and Nigerians first and foremost, before your ethnic or religious interests no matter how difficult it seems; after all, some of you bear names like Adam/Adamu, Moses/Musa, Abraham/Ibrahim, Jesus/Isah, Jacob/Yakubu, Isaac/Ishiaku, and Mary/Mariam. This indicates that Almighty God is God and not Jewish, Christian, Muslim or any other religion. In that spirit, it is imperative that you debate every issue no matter how mundane it may appear, with proper articulation devoid of regional, ethnic,and religious sentiments before arriving at a decision in the spirit of Joseph Joubert who said, “It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.”
SOUTH-SOUTH Those of you who came to this conference with just resource control as your demand may be sentimentally right, but realistically illogical in their approach and methodology. While sharing in your sentiments, I also join Governor James Ibori of Delta State in asking the Warri-Urhobo people what happened to the two hundred and fifty million naira that was collected from Mobile Oil and given to them by the Governor for housing development. The money disappeared with the housing project into the pockets of the elites at the expense of the masses. Moreover, you confabists from South-South/Niger Delta must conduct a soul-searching exercise and boldly ask your respective State governors without fear to render account on how the current 13% derivatives funds from the federal government was spent while asking for more. You must ask for proof that the funds have been used to benefit the masses.
Although, in the interest of nation building I advocate for a two percent (2%) annual increase for the next ten years with a cap of thirty percent (30%) perpetual.
However, if you continue to insist that your states or region must be allowed to control the resources, then the Local Government Area should take control from the State, the Town from Local Government, the Village from the Town, and the Family -- on whose land the resource may come from -- should take control from the village council. So where and when does it end? What is more important at this point is to insist that all the oil-producing companies operating in the region be forced by the Federal Government to clean the already polluted lands, while they are encouraged to excogitate new methods of exploration that is less harmful to the environment and to the people that inhabit the areas. They should also be encouraged to set up industries with export potentials that can create jobs for the youths and emerging graduates from the region. SOUTHEASTYou must eschew bitterness and show tact in your deliberations. The problem of your region is not lack-of-producing a president for Nigeria, you must demand for serious federal-funded industrial presence amongst other issues. You must continue to show your leadership skills devoid of sentiments. After all, your people have demonstrably shown that they are the true Nigerians. They reside in every local government area of Nigeria and operate in every known market in the country. In other words, you are essentially the true and authentic Nigerians. However, General Muhammad Buhari, GCFR, while addressing the World Igbo Congress, in September 2004 in New Jersey, cautioned that, “You cannot eat with both hands in your mouth at the same time.” In other words, you cannot agitate to produce the next president and at the same time seek secession from Nigeria.
You must purge yourselves of the mentality of marginalization. You are indeed the most competitive and must remain doggedly so. However, you must learn the tactics of politics and negotiate your region back to national leadership. Going by what has been happening in Anambra State today, you will agree that it’s somewhat risky to have a vice president from your region that can be trusted. Your region in the eyes of other ethnic groups is on national record for the following: 1) Your son’s in the military were the first to stage a bloody coup d’état that engulfed the nation into civil war. 2) Your region recommended the current centralized government being practiced when the late General J.T.U. Aguyi Ironsi introduced Decree 34 into our Constitution, and the move cost him his life. 3) Your region is the first to have an elected governor of a State abducted by an ordinary citizen, allegedly in collusion with the Presidency. 4) Your region was the first state to allow terrorist activities by private terrorists against an elected Governor.
Can you see why other ethnic groups are circumspect about your moves? Rather than your take on federalism, you should instead be advocating for abolishment of non-indigeneship, so that your sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters residing in other parts of the federation should be allowed to participate in full political integration and be allowed to contest for office in any political party wherever they may reside, and their security to life and property and freedom of movement guaranteed.
SOUTHWEST You are the most beneficiary of Federal Government development might and industrial presence in Nigeria. You have produced a president twice, even if it’s the same man. The ideation behind your newly found ‘true federalism’ is consistent with your adherence to regionalism of the old. President Obasanjo, may God bless him for this deed, succeeded in bringing your region into national mainstream politics at last. The feat was started by the late founding father of Nigeria Dr. Herbert McCauley but was later suborned by the late sage Pa Obafemi Awolowo, quintessential regionalist and the epitome of ethnocentrism... without apologies to non. This is a fact. Pa Awolowo empowered the Western Region’s masses and the elites in the same manner with which Obasanjo is currently empowering the elites and their sons. Whilst Pa Awolowo regaled in ethnic separation, Obasanjo on the other hand plays the part of a nationalist and has succeeded, for now, in leading the West back to where they are supposed to be.
Your agitation for a regional federalism will not work; you are better off assimilating into the present state of Nigeria. You should by all means encourage your children to migrate and invest in other parts of Nigeria by building industries the same way other ethnic groups have invested and built industries in your state/regional economies. If you are truly sincere, ask your children what they feel about this mischievous attitude of ‘true federalism’; you may be shocked to know that they would prefer to remain in the present state of Nigeria, especially now that they feel empowered by President Obasanjo, than live in a regional Nigeria that you envisage.
NORTH You confabists from the old North, the new North and whatever is remaining as the North, must take the blame for not carrying forward the dreams of the late Sir Ahmadu Bello. Perhaps, due to personal aggrandizement and the need to be reckoned with, you allowed your strength to be decimated by agents of divisiveness. Some of you members that I have had the privilege to discuss some of these troubling issues with may want to blame President Obasanjo for the religious and ethnic crisis that has in recent times engulfed your region (unfortunately to the detriment of Ndiigbo living in your midst). But the fact of the matter is that you allowed Obasanjo’s agents to infiltrate your ranks, so you are to be blamed. Some of you have refused to prove to the rest of the nation that leadership can also come from their zone, until the timely intervention of His Excellency General Ibrahim B. Babangida, GCFR, and General Aliyu Mohammed, GCON, true Nigerians to the core who spearheaded the emergence of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
You allowed the western-axis media and even people within your midst to evoke silly words like "Core-North," "North-East," "North-Central," "North-West," "Non-North Middle Belt," "Northern-Christians," "Northern Minorities," etc. These are forbidden words under the great leadership of the Sarduana. During his era, a Northerner is simply a Northerner, whether from a Christian home, Islamic home, Middle-Belt, Hausa, Fulani, and all the other ethnic nations that inhabit the region. It appears that the Northern leaders of today decided to play to the gallery of ethnic separation, religious bigotry, and intolerance.
For your own good, you must search your souls and conscience and ask yourselves simple questions like: 1) Have we truly used the federal resources allocated to our region to educate the masses? 2) How come our region produces the highest rate of uneducated children in the country, despite the federally funded Basic Primary Education (BPE). 3) Why did our region allow the usage of words such as core-north, northern-minority, northern-Christian, State religion--Sharia, non-indigenes, and the more serious religious clashes between the Izalla and Suni Islamic sectarian to happen?
You must accept that Nigeria belongs to us all and refuse the ethnic/religious fundamentalism ideology of owning Nigeria; it will only be detrimental to the region.
You must reach out to your brothers in the Middle-Belt and make peace with them in the interest of togetherness. If your region allows the breakup of Nigeria, you will suffer more than the rest, and you better forget the hype being peddled by slow-thinking people about the sustainability of the North.
CONCLUSION You may be wondering what eventuated my writing this letter to you in the first place. Well, I am a true Nigerian from Igboland. The errors created by bad federalism, that today is being called true federalism, cost my maternal family twenty-five lives in Jos, Plateau State during the illogical and wicked era of the Pogrom. The Nigeria-Biafra War that followed subsequently caused my town to lose additional one-thousand lives directly and two-thousand lives as collateral effects of the war, and I have a mortar- shrapnel wound on my ankle, besides the long effects of psychological scares of the effects of war. If I were enabled to write the members of the then Eastern Consultative Council, the body that gave the then General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the power to lead us into a rather sad-ending war that ravished the region and set Ndiigbo back for decades, I would have protested against it.
Today, you as the Confabists are challenged to influence the fate of Nigeria for the betterment of the next generation. In doing your duty you must remember what US Senator John Glenn, a former astronaut said when asked by the press why he was going to orbit the space; he replied, “My view is that to sit back and let fate play its hand out and never influence it is not the way man was meant to operate.”
You must be bold to accept that the current American presidential system that we practice is the best for our multi-ethnic and religious nation. The problem seriously lies with the actors and the way they play the game, not the system.
You must insist that the established constitution of the federation be practiced and obeyed in its entirety at all levels: the Local Government, State and Federal level. There must be a clear devolution of powers; the executive must not tamper with the powers of both the legislature and the judiciary. The immunity clause should be removed entirely or be adjusted or moderated to grant immunity only on frivolous lawsuits, especially civil matters. But the issues of murders and more serious economic crimes like corruption should be adequately investigated and prosecuted where the evidence collated proves to be affirmative.
The legislative arm of government must be encouraged to be non-partisan and independent of the executive in all its activities, except when the need for national coordination of matters arises.
The judiciary must be encouraged to reform and purge itself of corruption and incompetent judges, and it must be truly encouraged to be independent of the executive and the legislative arm of government.
Without digressing, let me refresh your memory with an excerpted foreword written about the United States Constitution by the late Warren E. Burger, Chief Judge of United States Supreme Court, 1969-1986, during the Bicentennial (200 yrs) celebration of the Constitution. He wrote:
“Ever since people began in tribes and villages, they have had to balance order with liberty. Individual freedom had to be weighed against the need for security of all. The delegates who wrote this constitution in Philadelphia in 1787 did not invent all the ideas and ideals embraced, but drew on wisdom of the ages to combine the best of the past in a conception of government of rule by ‘We the People’ with limits on government to protect freedom.
This Constitution was not perfect; it is not perfect today even with amendments, but it has continued longer than any other written form of government. It sought to fulfill the promises of the Declaration of Independence of 1776, which expressed peoples’ yearning to be free and to develop the talents given them by their Creator.
This Constitution creates three separate independent branches of government, with checks and balances that keep the power of government within the boundaries set by law. This system does not always provide tidy results; it depends on a clash of views in debate and on bargain and compromise. For 200 years this Constitution’s ordered liberty has unleashed the energies and talents of people to create a good life”.
The essence of this excerpt is to show that no Constitution is perfect or permanent. Your deliberations must encourage and empower the future generation legislators to make amendments that will benefit the governed.
You must draw inspiration from the past electoral laws like two-party system; this system, though aborted, produced two Muslims as President and Vice-President for the federation without rancor. Option A4, equally produced an almost perfect rig-free-election devoid of thuggery and political brigandage normally associated with certain parts of the country.
The issue of rotational presidency should be abolished. Nigeria needs a person capable of leading the nation regardless of their ethnic origin. Ask yourselves if you or your children got graded by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) because of their ethnicity, religion, or size, or is it because of yours and their capabilities. Please don’t reduce the capability of the office of the presidency. It is not a contract that must be awarded; it must be earned.
On the matters of economic reforms, you must go back to the policies of Structural Adjustment Program (SAP), ‘Vision 2010,’ and National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS); therein lies the proper economic strategy for the nation, and you must ask Professor Bolaji Aluko to loan you a copy of his last lecture on debt repayment presented at the last Weekly Trust Annual Lecture series; it makes an interesting read. The lecture probably stirred the current National Assembly to ask President Obasanjo to refrain from further payment to IMF, Paris and London Clubs.
You must also be prepared to accept the fact that the current National Assembly may not adopt your resolution. Some of you have already registered your fears and have even started clamoring for a national referendum to enable the passage. Is it not very selfish for you to operate a conference based on appointment without the consent of your constituency, and turn around to request a referendum from the same constituency who did not ask or nominate you to represent them? We are indeed waiting to go to court if necessary.
I truly commend you all for accepting the challenges to be part of this reform movement, a movement Nigerians hope will transform their political participation to choose their representatives themselves without molestation from political thugs, the elites, and other negative forces. Nigerians hope to transform their economic opportunity for the best; give them a good sense of security and a chance to be better productive citizens of a nation.
In wishing you Confabists the best; may the Almighty God, the Most Benevolent, and the Most Merciful grant you all the wisdom to do your best for the nation without being antagonistic of each other. May HE allow those of you whose mind operate at GIGABYTES speed to respect those who are either operating on DOS, WORD-PROCESSOR or MANUAL TYPEWRITER speed.
Long live the democratic Federal Republic of Nigeria. Long live the United States of America and her democratic values.
Let freedom reign all over the world.
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