FEATURE ARTICLE

Olanrewaju AjiboyeMonday, January 31, 2005
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NATIONAL CONFERENCE: POLITICAL AND OPINION LEADERS ARE ABOUT TO PLAY TO THE GALLERY AGAIN


e are at it again. The present so called Yoruba leaders especially those wearing the progressive garbs and leaders of other regions are once again about to play into the gallery by attempting to embrace the proposed national confab, which will have representatives selected and with restrictions on topics for discussions.

There is nothing so fascinating in the proposed national conference if one considers the antecedents of such talks in the past and more especially, when the proponents are military egoists serving or retired and re-serving in different capacities.

One of the greatest tragedies is that people refuse to learn from history and that is why history continues to repeat itself. We can visit the past especially from the era of General Yakubu Gowon when there was still "honour among thieves". Part of the reasons for overthrowing Gowons's dictatorship was because he reneged on his government's promised handover date.

Murtala Mohammed the military successor to Gowon promised a return to democracy but he died before he could realise his dream. Ironically, the then General Obasanjo who succeeded him and handed over power after three years is the new convert to the idea of a national conference and his government has suddenly become the chief protagonist. Apart from other achievements he may be identified with today, what soared his personality profile was that singular act of handing over to an elected government, the quality of the hand over notwithstanding. However, I would challenge political science scholars, historians and researchers to embark on further studies on the handover. Was it free will? Was it a survival strategy? Could he have been able to hold on to power without dire consequences to his well being at the time? The said handover should be studied in juxtaposition with the fall of Gowon, the untimely death of Murtala Muhammed and a similar handover by Abubakar vis a vis the demise of General Sanni Abacha. Who among our military heads of state has shown not to love power? When Power slips off their hands, it is either by force or that there are signs of danger in their continued hold to power.

When Babangida seemed to have exhausted the aces in his cards, he realised the need to meet with the custodian of traditions all over the country to discuss national issues albeit his own survival.

In the days of Abacha also, his estranged second in command, Ayorunbo Oladipo Diya was given the assignment to meet with the leaders of different ethnic groups and the traditional rulers and again, the aim was to consolidate their hold onto power.


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During Abubakar's regime, he went out of his way to court the leaders of the pro-democracy groups long after the "owners" of political powers had met and concluded plans of the way forward to holding on to the political power. Abiola, the most important detainee who was central to the resolution of the political impasse that forced Babangida to step aside, and also sent Abacha to his grave remained in detention while some pro-democracy activists and political leaders were negotiating the way forward with the military regime. Chief Gani Fawehinmi clairvoyantly warned those who cared to listen then that Abiola should first be released unconditionally before any further talks. Unfortunately, some of the politicians did turned deaf ears, Abiola "died" just when he was to be released from detention.

Recent revelations from the Oputa report and newspapers report credited to Ore Falomo, Abiola's personal Doctor have exposed that the ostrich overtures of Abubakar in 1998 with the pro-democracy activists and politicians were just a ruse and a hoax. Abiola might not have died of natural causes. If Abiola had not died of natural causes, why was his death stage-managed? Was it to make easy the power calculus to favour its wielders? Again, the pro- democracy activists and political leaders were hoodwinked to achieve a political script.

In the beginning of his first term, President Obasanjo did not see the need for a national confab, his subordinates would argue then that the National Assemblies were up to the task of fixing what ever the problems were in the polity. What may have informed his sudden change of heart? When a government suddenly embraces an idea that is not its character to accept, then it becomes suspect.

The essence of all the above is just to remind the political leaders not to fall for the bait of a Conference hook line and sinker. About thirty political parties were registered to contest the 2003 elections and one of the conditions for registration then was that they should have registered offices in certain numbers of states of the country. By inference, these parties are major stake holders too in the polity and indirectly represent dissenting views. Regardless of whether they won but were denied, or never won any elections, they are assumed to have their own spread. When the federal government however, started the idea of the conference, only representatives of the party in government, the PDP were appointed to work out the modalities for the conference. It is therefore a project that is doomed to fail right from its conception.

The PDP represents a terrible fiasco in political party idealism in Nigeria and sadly enough, representatives from such failures are being saddled with the responsibility of organizing a conference to discuss Nigeria. If the National Assemblies dominated by the PDP members had justified the political "capital" (apology to President Bush) of their majority in both houses, the ghost of a national confab would by now no longer haunt us. The close to a billion naira to be expended in an exercise that would achieve parochial results should be deducted from their allowances. And it is definitely going to hurt if it is carried out because in the legislative chambers, money is discussed more than other issues of benefit to the hapless citizens of Nigeria. If not for the fact that the quality of the membership of the proposed conference will not have much difference from the current Legislative Assemblies, it would not have been out of way to advocate for the outright recall of majority of the members of the two National Assemblies as is presently constituted. And for the sake of the few that have found themselves in the midst of Executive Collaborators.

Readers should please search their minds and make a choice from the comments of two eminent personalities on the same issue. One is Chief Chukwuemeka Chikelu, the current information and national orientation minister and the other is Alhaji Lateef Jakande, a former governor and one time minister of works. They both ventilated their views on the proposed national confab.

Chikelu:

"whether delegates to the conference are selected or elected does not matter as whatever decision arrived at supersedes the composition."

Jakande:

"They are planning nearly a billion naira for a conference. I don't understand. I think if the government is very serious about holding a conference, this is not the way to go about it."

We should have a conference of delegates elected by their constituency. The way government is going about it does not even show any regard for other political parties. How can you defend setting up a committee and that committee is supposed to prepare for conference and the committee comprises only members of the ruling party?"

Chuwkuemeka Chikelu is serving as a minister on the authority and "legitimacy" obtained from the people through "election" by the government that appointed him.

The truth of the matter in this unfolding scenario is that we may not know what other purposes the conference is meant to achieve, but we definitely do know that it will not represent the true wishes of ordinary Nigerians. It is not too late for those so-called leaders of different ethnic groups that are becoming a beautiful bride to have see through the smokescreen and have a rethink. If only the federal government has the will to incorporate the PRONACON ideas on the ways to go about the conference, it would be a great political decision that can withstand the test of time, but this is just a wishful thinking. God save Nigeria.