Eminent Nigerians from various socio-cultural, religious, ethnic, political and other groups have predicted that Nigeria may be heading for doom with the rising insecurity across the country which is a strong threat to its existence.
Led by the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, they observed that the existential challenges being faced in Nigeria were not receiving adequate response; hence the situation is escalating, thereby, widening the gap of disunity.
Few weeks ago, the Eminent Nigerians met in Abuja, at an Inclusive Security Dialogue Retreat, where they raised the alarm over the worsening state of security in Nigeria, warning that if care was not taken urgently, the situation could snowball into full anarchy that might consume all.
The meeting was attended by former President, Olusegun Obasanjo; Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar; elder statesman, Edwin Clark; Muslim Cleric, Sheik Gumi; representatives from the Ohaneze Ndigbo, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Middle Belt Forum; CAN and several other groups.
The communiqué of the meeting signed by the participants and made available to the media indicated that Nigeria is faced with serious security challenges that might have devastating effects on its collective existence.
In the communiqué, they agreed that high prevalence of insecurity in Nigeria was driven largely by social injustice and a failed economy, thus fueling continued agitation by the country’s young alienated generation.
They predicted that hunger and starvation will get worst as continued violence and insecurity make farms unsafe for families whose basic sustenance was dependent on yields from their farms.
They also raised the alarm that neglect of oil exploration communities and minorities will only deepen the threat to security and unity, while underdevelopment and isolation cannot remain the strategy, else they would be uncomfortable to remain with the concept of Nigeria
They highlighted the role of religious leaders and pulpit managers, notably, traditional, Christian, Islam, in moral rearmament and collective re-engineering, stressing that it’s urgently needed to salvage the nation.
They insisted that national development without a focus on youths and the education sector, and an intentional intergenerational collaboration between the elite and the youths may not augur well for collective security; neither will the organized movement of street children and the disabled from one part of the country to another.
They stressed that National Reconciliation Conference that allows the principles of fairness, equity and justice; with an immediate consideration of legitimate agitations, and a collective effort to de-escalate the conflict and violence across the nation can no longer be ignored.
They said that the 1999 Constitution is oligo-military in nature and does not represent the collective interest of Nigerians, hence the need to be urgently renegotiated by national ethics.
They insisted that a constitutional review process, enabling peace and social cohesion is necessary, urging the Government to provide an environment where a new Constitution from the representatives of the people by the people and for the people would emerge.
Meanwhile, on consensus, the participants called for cessation of incitements, misrepresentations and distortions of the image of one another, and draw upon religious traditions, and understanding of what is best for Nigerians.
They charged the Government to act as an unbiased arbiter to address insecurity headlong insisting that the high prevalence of violent crisis, kidnapping, and fatal attacks in Nigeria are driven largely by social injustice and a failed economy.
However, they suggested that the Church, Mosque, and traditional worshippers must, as a matter of morality, step up to the responsibility of contributing to the collective re-engineering and moral rearmament urgently needed to salvage Nigeria, in fulfilling their roles as religious leaders and pulpit managers.
“Government, as a matter of urgency must convene a national reconciliatory conference where we can all address the underlying issues of our challenges and hateful statements/agenda that successive governments have ignored to address; this convening should be organized in order to quell the mistrust-fueled agitations and crisis before the entity called Nigeria collapses,” they said.
They insisted that the 1999 Constitution does not embody the principles of justice, fairness and equality, on which every democracy is founded. Thus, it does not fully protect the rights and interests of Nigeria’s diverse constituencies.
“We call on the Government to begin a process of constitutional review, amend and rework the constitution, drawing on previous constitutions, amongst other things, to synchronize/harmonize the laudable principles they embody. This will ensure, not one-off solutions, but lasting change.
“Government at all levels must also revisit and show sincere effort at understanding the core issues of dissidence and self-determination in Nigeria, rather than incarceration, bullets and counter-attacks as government response to agitations and unrest,” he added.
(Daily Sun)
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