P
ProfRem
Guest
Nigerian elder statesmen met in Lagos on Thursday to discuss restructuring of the country and their perspective about it.
At a press conference, the Group of Southern Leaders of Thought, an association of elder statesmen, said a negotiated restructuring, implemented through a new Constitution, is the best assurance for the realisation of one Nigeria.
The group, led by Professor of Law, Ben Nwabueze, said although a majority of Nigerians are committed to the indivisibility of the country, they need to be given an opportunity to negotiate the conditions.
Here are some of their visions for a restructured Nigeria:
- A truly federal system is the system appropriate to the situation of a country, with a vast expanse of territory, comprising a great diversity of ethnic nationalities, with divergent interests and outlooks
- The group conceive restructuring as requiring, modified as necessary, the restoration or re-establishment of the kind of federalism that existed under our 1960/1963 Constitutions. That is the central object or purpose of restructuring.
- The essential purpose of restructuring is to enable the component ethnic nationalities, grouped together by affinity of culture/language or territorial contiguity, to govern themselves in matters of internal concern, leaving matters of common concern, not overwhelmingly extensive in their range, to be managed under a central government constituted in such manner as to ensure that it is not dominated by any one group or a combination of them.
- To ensure justice, fairness and equity to all in the management of matters of common concern. It assures an optimal measure of self-determination or self-government consistent with the territorial sovereignty of the country.”
Members of the group include Emeka Anyaoku; Ayo Adebayo; Kimse Okooko; Alani Akinrinade; Ndubuisi Kanu; Ike Nwachukwu; and Donald Duke.
Others are Victor Attah; Gbenga Daniel; Solomon Asemota; Kalu Idika Kalu and Pat Utomi.
The rest of the members of the group are Elliot Ugochukwu-Ukoh; Tony Killa; Harry Akande; Promise Adewusi; Sola Ehindero; Akin Oyebode; Adewale Adeoye; Chigozie Ubani; and Olawale Okunniyi.
At a press conference, the Group of Southern Leaders of Thought, an association of elder statesmen, said a negotiated restructuring, implemented through a new Constitution, is the best assurance for the realisation of one Nigeria.
The group, led by Professor of Law, Ben Nwabueze, said although a majority of Nigerians are committed to the indivisibility of the country, they need to be given an opportunity to negotiate the conditions.
Here are some of their visions for a restructured Nigeria:
- A truly federal system is the system appropriate to the situation of a country, with a vast expanse of territory, comprising a great diversity of ethnic nationalities, with divergent interests and outlooks
- The group conceive restructuring as requiring, modified as necessary, the restoration or re-establishment of the kind of federalism that existed under our 1960/1963 Constitutions. That is the central object or purpose of restructuring.
- The essential purpose of restructuring is to enable the component ethnic nationalities, grouped together by affinity of culture/language or territorial contiguity, to govern themselves in matters of internal concern, leaving matters of common concern, not overwhelmingly extensive in their range, to be managed under a central government constituted in such manner as to ensure that it is not dominated by any one group or a combination of them.
- To ensure justice, fairness and equity to all in the management of matters of common concern. It assures an optimal measure of self-determination or self-government consistent with the territorial sovereignty of the country.”
Members of the group include Emeka Anyaoku; Ayo Adebayo; Kimse Okooko; Alani Akinrinade; Ndubuisi Kanu; Ike Nwachukwu; and Donald Duke.
Others are Victor Attah; Gbenga Daniel; Solomon Asemota; Kalu Idika Kalu and Pat Utomi.
The rest of the members of the group are Elliot Ugochukwu-Ukoh; Tony Killa; Harry Akande; Promise Adewusi; Sola Ehindero; Akin Oyebode; Adewale Adeoye; Chigozie Ubani; and Olawale Okunniyi.