Restructuring: Nwabueze, Anyaoku, Adebanjo, others set for a consensus

NOTABLE statesmen and eminent leaders of thought across Nigeria, including Prof Ben Nwabueze (SAN), Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, General Alani Akinriade, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, among others have concluded plans to mobilise national consensus and popular harmony on the agitations for restructuring in order to forestall possible degeneration of the country.

Others include General Ike Nwachukwu, Mr Donald Duke, Prof Pat Utomi, Prof Kimse Okoko, Solomon Asemota (SAN), Obong Victor Attah, General Ebitu Ukiwe, Chief Harry Akande, Prof Akin Oyebode, Dr Kalu Idika Kalu, Chief Tola Adeniyi and Prof Sola Ehindero.

These feelers emerged last Thursday in Lagos as the leaders, who gathered for a media interaction, said they were currently consulting on how best to restructure Nigeria along the lines of democratic Federalism

Clarifying issues after the inaugural public intervention of the emergent pan- Nigerian movement, the group Head of Secretariat, Olawale Okunniyi, said on Sunday that a high- powered consultative team led by elder statesman, Prof Nwabueze, had already initiated a major tactical consultation across Nigeria to forge a negotiated consensus among critical stakeholders on how best to restructure Nigeria.

Okunniyi, who also heads the Nigeria Political Summit Group (NPSG), a clearing house for eminent political leaders of conscience in Nigeria, said regional youth groups as well as ethnic militias are also not left out of the ongoing national consultation.

According to him, the ongoing national consultation is aimed at facilitating a cohesive national movement around the agenda to restructure Nigeria on the path of democratic Federalism driven by a negotiated peoples’ constitution, to be democratically adopted by social movements and component federating parts of the country.

“This stakeholders driven initiative, under the auspices of Project Nigeria Movement is projected to surpass what PRONACO achieved under Chief Anthony Enahoro and Prof Wole Soyinka between 2005 and 2007; when PRONACO convened a major peoples’ national conference of ethnic nationalities and social groups in Nigeria, leading to the unanimous adoption of a draft people’s constitution for Nigeria on 26th August 2006.

“The good thing here is that President Muhammedu Buhari with The Buhari Organisation (TBO) was strategically involved in that former process, just as it is also instructive to note the unparalleled support of APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to the PRONACO process as a sitting governor in Lagos.

“It could, therefore, be reassuring to recall how both progressive leaders rode in the same vehicle into the open hands of Chief Anthony Enahoro and other leaders at the PRONACO Secretariat on June 12, 2006,” Okunniyi said.

Okunniyi said Prof Nwabueze, based on his very rich background as the only surviving holder of LLD in Law through examinations in Nigeria, among others qualities that stood him out, had been “mandated to lead the national consultation to facilitate a negotiated consensus among Nigerian stakeholders on the restructuring of Nigeria.”

He said that beside the members of the high powered consultative team from Southern Nigeria enlisted so far, other eminent persons from the zone that would work with Nwabueze include very vibrant youth and women activists, disclosing that the list of the Northern/Middle Belt team for the exercise was still being composed by the leaders of the North.

Okunniyi, however, lauded some Northern leaders of thought and statesmen, who he said had demonstrated positive disposition and readiness to negotiate national consensus on restructuring with stakeholders and leaders from other parts of the country.

In particular, Okunniyi commended the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar and the leaderships of both Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on their latest disposition to the agenda for democratic Federalism in Nigeria, and equally applauded former Vice President Atiku Abubakar “for his vigorous country wide ideological campaign and fraternal support for the restructuring of Nigeria towards the path of real democracy and proper federation.”

Speaking further, Okunniyi said the Labour movement and other social groups in the country had also been listed for strategic consultation and mobilisation before a major interface with the Federal Government on the modalities for the restructuring of Nigeria.

He added that in response to the new initiative, the PRONACO Secretariat would meet next week after which it would be expected to brief Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, who is the group surviving arrowhead, about its plans.

He, therefore, gave kudos to Nwabueze for being able to win the confidence of militant groups, including Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), Yoruba self-determination groups, Ijaw youths among others, “with reference to eliciting a rare buy in on Thursday from Nnamdi Kanu, the Leader of IPOB to support the restructuring agenda based on the blueprint presented to the nation by Nwabueze in Lagos.”Okunniyi also lauded some Northern Leaders of Thought and statesmen, who he said had demonstrated positive disposition and readiness to negotiate national consensus on restructuring with stakeholders and leaders from other parts of the country.