Stakeholders task Nigeria’s leadership on constitutional review for betterment of country

A Non-Government Organisation, Global Peace Foundation/Vision Africa collaboration have called on leadership of Nigeria to commence a process of constitutional review, if the country is expected to retain unity earlier known with

Penpushing reports that, the call was contained in a communique issued at the end of an inclusive, open dialogue, bridging the gap across ideological, political, ethnic, religious and cultural divides, held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja

The communique explained that it was conceptualized by the Global Peace Foundation and Vision Africa, as a strategy to understand the conflict dynamics in Nigeria, while the meeting looked out at the horizon to chart a path to peace and integral security in Nigeria.

‘The simple objective was to honestly and transparently come to the dialogue table or ‘conversation room, irrespective of our political leanings or ideologies – focusing first, on our common humanity’, the communiqué stated.

‘The purpose of the retreat was to bring stakeholders together to address critical issues and seek lasting solutions  to the grave challenges facing Nigeria, beginning from an affirmation of transcendent truths that define our  common humanity’.

‘As Nigeria, and indeed Nigerians, face an existential challenge, we circulated invitations to an intentional pool of key influencers, political leaders, regional leaders and leaders of separatist/agitating/self-determination groups; and high-level religious and civil society leaders, to address the conditions that foster unrest and radicalism globally – poverty, unemployment, social dislocation, cultural polarization, and a large demographic of disaffected and alienated Nigerian youths’.

‘This expanded meeting is a sequel to an earlier “Inclusive Security Dialogue Retreat” held at the Airlie Conference Center in Warrenton, VA outside Washington DC between the 18th and 20th October 2021, for select Nigerian key influencers, adopting the Chatham House rules in moderating the dialogue. Later there were consultations at the Capitol Hill with some members of the US Congress’, the body said.

‘The expected outcomes from the meeting include: an increased understanding of the root causes of conflict and violence affecting us | increased positive relationship between the Nigerian government and various agitating groups across the country, and | a refocus on the importance of universal principles and shared values as the glue for social cohesion and sustainable peace’.

Penpushing further reports that, the communique pointed out that, hunger and starvation in the land will get worse as continued violence and insecurity makes our farms unsafe for families whose basic sustenance is dependent on their yields from the farms.

‘Neglect of oil exploration communities and minorities will only deepen the threat to our security and unity. Underdevelopment and isolation cannot remain the strategy else they will be uncomfortable to remain with the concept of Nigeria’, the group emphasised

‘The role of religious leaders and pulpit managers (traditional, Christian, Islam) in our moral rearmament and collective reengineering is urgently needed to salvage our nation.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 our security.  Neither will the organized movement of street children and the disabled from one part of the country to another. We postpone dooms day if it is ignored’.

‘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’.

‘The 1999 Constitution is Oligo-military in nature and does not represent our collective interests; it needs to be re-negotiated by national ethics. A constitutional review process, enabling peace and social cohesion is necessary. Government shall therefore provide an environment where a new constitution  from the representatives of the people by the people and for the people would emerge’.

‘We emphatically call for the cessation of incitement, misrepresentation and distortion of the image of the other and of the neighbor. Instead, we must draw upon our religious traditions, and our understanding of what is best for our people’

‘Government must act sincerely as an unbiased arbiter to address insecurity headlong as the high prevalence of violent crisis, kidnapping, and fatal attacks in Nigeria are driven largely by social injustice and a failed economy’.

‘The church, the mosque, and traditional worshippers must as a matter of morality, step up to the responsibility of contributing to the collective reengineering and moral rearmament urgently needed to salvage our nation, 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’.

‘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 our 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 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’

‘The dialogue revealed that even in our divergence, there exists an area of convergence; we therefore commit to keeping the conversation room open for further dialogue so as to address and  resolve the common challenge that is deepening this divide.

Penpushing also reports that, the communiqué made available by Ogbeni Lanre Banjo, one of the stakeholders said notable personalities at the meeting include former President Olusegun Obasanjo and His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad  Abubakar III among others

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