Frightened by threats to Nigeria’s corporate existence, renowned economist, Professor Pat Utomi and other eminent citizens, are proposing an all-inclusive political summit to rescue the country.
The plan, which has been underway for months, is to start with serious consultation with major stakeholders in the six geopolitical zones making up the country.
The consultation, which will begin from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, will move to Lagos for the South-West zone, and later to South-East, North-East, North-West and lastly, South-South.
It was learnt that business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and a former governor of Cross Rivers State, Mr Donald Duke, have been proposed as joint chairmen of the all-inclusive summit to be held in Abuja.
Some of the other senior citizens proposed to play a key role at the two-day summit are former presidents, vice-presidents, senate presidents and speakers, as well as governors.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, Professor Ben Nwabueze and Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule are also expected to play a key role.
Lately, the country has been inundated with calls for the restructuring of the country and in fact the implementation of the final report of the 2014 national Conference, with some Nigerians saying it could resolve some of the inherent issues in the core challenges confronting the country.
The proposed all-inclusive summit, which was earlier scheduled to begin on January 23 at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, was rescheduled to enable the conveners fine-tune the agenda.
Professor Utomi, Professor Jubril Ibrahim and Professor Kule Shettima are among the arrow heads of the committee saddled with facilitating the summit.
The gathering is coming about 23 years after a similar exercise in Lagos was held under the administration of late General Sani Abacha at the height of the agitation for the de-annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential poll.
The conveners of the latest summit said it became imperative because of the socio-economic and security issues, including insurgency, unwholesome activities of herdsmen and cattle rustlers, as well as ethno-sectarian killings, militancy and kidnapping in parts of the country.
They hope to use their wealth of experience, spanning a large sphere of endeavours to evolve an agenda capable of “rescuing the country from the brink of collapse.”
A leading figure behind the summit, which is under the platform of the Nigerian Political Summit Group (NPSG), Comrade Wale Okunniyi, confirmed to our correspondent that the event with the theme, National Political Understanding and Reconciliation, would lead to the evolution of a “broad and viable platform capable of rescuing the country from the valley of uncertainty.”
He added: “The motive and under currents of our moves is to complement the good governance of the country at the Federal level and to provide rescue support for the country’s economy out of the current recession.”
Most of the conveners are distinguished professionals, scholars, politicians, especially with integrity and pedigree.
A former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, is proposed to deliver the keynote address.
Meanwhile, Professor Utomi will, this week, lead a delegation of the group to Kaduna State on a fact-finding mission on the recent killings in Southern Kaduna.
The visit, according to group, is part of its intervention plan at reconciling the affected communities.
In the meantime, persons and politicians are expected to converge on Ibadan, the Oyo State capital next Saturday for a colloquium organised by a political group, the Yoruba Patriots Movement (YPM), to chart a new course for the South-West.
The theme of the colloquium is Resetting the Yoruba Nation’s Agenda for Rapid, Systematic and Sustainable Development, to be delivered by a former Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Olu Falae.
upe, and Otunba Seinede Arogbofa (CON) with Chief Bisi Akande as chairman.