The clamour for restructuring of the country dominated the South East Summit, yesterday, with stakeholders recommending a single tenure of six years for president with five vice presidents representing the rest geopolitical zones.
Former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who presented the position of the zone said the present structure of Nigeria was not sustainable.
He indicated the readiness of the South East to work with any political party within the context of a transformed Nigeria that will work for every Nigerian.
“Ndigbo want a Nigeria that works. We want a national conversation to rework Nigeria. We demand for a new constitution; a Constituent Assembly should be constituted; thereafter the National Assembly should repeal the relevant clauses of the constitution,” Soludo stated.
He explained that the proposal was the aggregation of memoranda received from hundreds of Igbo groups and think-tanks home and abroad.
He reiterated the commitment of Ndigbo to a united federation but noted that in the restructuring process, the current presidential system of government with bicameral legislature should be retained.
He further said that each region should have its own constitution, which shall be consistent with the constitution of the Federal Government.
“If the state structure is retained, the six geopolitical zones should be the basis for sharing political, economic and other things.”
Other highlights of the recommendations were that an additional state be created for the South East while local governments should be expunged from the federal constitution.
They also want equality of the six geopolitical zones enshrined in the constitution so that infrastructure, appointments and revenue sharing would be based on equality of zones.
Aside calling for the decentralisation of the police, Ndigbo also asked that fiscal federalism be included in the constitution and the present Federal Character Commission replaced with a Merit and Equal Opportunities Commission to allow every Nigerian the latitude to attain his or her height.
Meanwhile, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has assured that the senate would pass the South East Development Commission Bill within the next two weeks.
This was as leader of the South East Caucus in the Senate, Enyinnaya Abaribe and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark demanded immediate declassification of the Ingenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation.
Ekweremadu said he would lead the push for a bill to set up a Constituent Assembly for the purpose of reworking Nigeria, once the bill was ready.
“In the senate, in the next week or two weeks, the South East Development Commission bill will definitely be passed by grace of God. Let also add that furtherance of what was agreed today, that we in the National Assembly, will continue to network with our brothers and sisters in other parts of Nigeria in order to arrive on sufficient consensus on the issue of restructuring. No part of Nigeria could do it alone; we need to talk to ourselves, we need to network, we need to explain, need to carry everybody along in this exercise, let them understand that it’s the best for everybody, it’s a win-win situation.”
Abaribe who moved the motion for the adoption of the South East’s position on restructuring as presented by Prof. Soludo, said there was need for urgency on the issue.
Tobi Okechukwuof Awgu/Aninri Federal Constituency seconded the motion while Anambra Speaker, Rita Maduagwu called for voice vote, which was unanimously adopted it.
In addition, leader of Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF), Chief Clark, wondered why herdsmen marauding with arms were not tagged terrorists while IPOB members who did not bear arms were deemed terrorists.
In his contribution, Governor Willie Obiano said Ndigbo have paid the supreme price for the unity of Nigeria.
“In the past 58 years, Ndigbo have worked tirelessly with fellow Nigerians to lay the foundations for a better federation and a more perfect union. We have made the most sacrifices and more often than not, we have also paid the supreme price for the unity of this country. But we have made these sacrifices in the belief that in the contemporary history of mankind, the road to nationhood is often paved with the blood of patriots. Indeed, Ndigbo have paid the price for Nigeria’s greatness. We paid in blood. We paid in full.”
Chairman of the occasion, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu asked the summit to take cognisance that vitually all parts of Nigeria have accepted the compelling urgency for political restructuring which according to him was what the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu went to Aburi to demand and not secession as wrongly portrayed in some quarters.
“Today in many parts of the Nigeria, there is insecurity of lives and property. We think that Nigeria requires immediate restructuring in other to avoid a situation similar to what happened in 1967. A restructured Nigeria will be very strong, united, peaceful and very prosperous country,” he said.
Iwuanyanwu called on leaders of the north from were the herdsmen and Boko Haram who have been on rampage in the country come from to emulate the leadership of Igbo land and call their people to order, stressing that had the Igbo leaders allowed the youths who were restive over the injustice of Nigerian government on Igbos to carry arm and go on rampage, Nigeria would not have contained anyone by now.
-Sun
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