The coordinating committee of the People’s Constitutional Dialogue initiated by Eminent Leaders of Conscience for Nigeria will be formally inaugurated on Tuesday, February 23.
The leadership of the National Consultative Front, NCFront, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Head, Public Affairs Bureau, Dr Tanko Yunusa.
According to Yunusa, the arrowheads of the national consensus building coordinating committee of the people’s driven National Constitutional Confab include Dr Olisa Agbakoba; Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed; Father George Ehusani; Dr Mrs Tokunbo Awolowo Dosunmu; Alhaji Buba Galadima; Hadjia Najatu Mohammed; Chief Mike Ozekhome.
Convoking a People’s Constitutional Conference for Nigeria, the group said, had become imperative for the Front’s leaders of conscience since the Nigerian government “appears to have lost every initiative and capacity to curb and douse the heightening civil strife, ethnic division and tension in the land before they degenerate into full blown civil war in Nigeria.”
“To this end, the objectives and terms of reference of this historic national consensus building committee shall be to engage all key stakeholders within the Nigerian project nationwide, facilitate robust national consultations and dialogue among them, Collate Memoranda and build consensus among Nigerian Stakeholders on various Nigerian national questions such as Proper and Acceptable federating units for Nigeria, Devolution of constitutional powers and appropriate governance system and structures for Nigeria, Citizenship, Indigenes – Settlers (Farmers – Herders) matters, Independent State Institutions & Commissions,” the group added.
Other objectives include the Justiceable rights of Citizens; Framework for State Constitutions; Policing, Military Operations; Democracy and Guidelines for Political Parties; Tenure of office, Judicial Reforms & Access to Justice in Nigeria; Parliamentary Reforms & Principle of Proportional Representations in Nigeria; Civil Service Reforms, Youth and women empowerments, Self determination principles; Referendum/Plebiscite, among others that may be duly proposed by Nigerian stakeholders in the process of the national consultations.
Those expected as delegates at the dialogue include representatives of Indigenous Peoples Groups, Civil Society and Professional Groups, Labour Unions, Religious Bodies, Political Parties, Persons Living with Disabilities Group, Youth and Women Groups, among others.
The coordinating committee is said to be expected to consult with selected eminent elders, among whom are Prof Wole Soyinka, Dr Ahmed Joda, Eminent Jurist, Prof Ben Nwabueze, SAN, Prof Ango Abdullahi, Chief Edwin Clark, Commodore Dan Suleiman and Chief Olu Falae, among others.
