Nigeria’s future must be negotiated to end ethnic strife ― Anglican Bishop

Bishop, Diocese of Ibadan South (Anglican Communion), Right Reverend Akintunde Popoola has reverberated calls on the federal government for negotiation of the future of Nigeria to end violent confrontations among ethnic nationalities.

According to Popoola, such negotiation was in the spirit of recognizing the right of the different ethnic nations to develop and enjoy available resources of the nation based on fairness, equity, truth and righteousness.

As contained in the Bishop’s charge delivered at the first session of the Eighth Synod of the diocese with the theme: “Paths of Righteousness”, Popoola said such negotiation was key to end forms of marginalizing, disenfranchising or discriminating others.

The clergyman called for a negotiated dissecting of Nigeria into ethnic nations having common goals, culture, ideas and language.

He stressed that any separation, restructuring or devolution of power must involve painstaking consultations and extensive negotiations with all constituencies and interest groups and the final decisions put to the public vote as a referendum.

Popoola however noted that each decision, through a referendum must get at least 60 per cent acceptance before it is implemented.

He however noted that the legislative arm of government will not initiate the process of negotiating the dissecting Nigeria into ethnic nations having sworn on an oath to keep Nigeria united.

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Popoola said, “The future of Nigeria must be negotiated. Our continued existence as a country must recognise and respect the right of the different ethnic nations within Nigeria to develop and enjoy available resources based on fairness, equity, truth and righteousness without marginalizing, disenfranchising or discriminating against others.

Anything else is a recipe for violent confrontations which will consume everyone. We pray those that should take action to listen and courageously do fiat.

“A negotiated dissecting of Nigeria into ethnic nations having common goals, culture, ideas and language is needed. This is however not an easy task with over 250 major tribal languages and hundreds of minor clans with different dialects and accents.

“We believe that any separation, restructuring or devolution of power must involve painstaking consultations and extensive negotiations with all constituencies and interest groups and the final decisions should also be put to the public vote as a referendum which requires at least 60 per cent acceptance before it is implemented.

“The much-touted refrain that such should be handled by the already elected legislative arm of government cannot produce any meaningful result because they are already sworn on oath to keep Nigeria united.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE