ON THE PROPOSED CONFERENCE ON POLITICAL REFORMS IN NIGERIA
The National Conscience Party (NCP) salutes the undying spirit of the Nigeria people, who have over the years recognised the importance of dialogue amongst the nationalities that make up Nigeria, its classes, labour, professional and civil society groups amongst others to chat a way forward for th expedited realisation of the country’s potentials. We believe that Mr. President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, is perhaps one of the last persons to be persuaded about the desirability of the conference and it is a matter of regret that not much of a thought appears to have been given by the government to the well reasoned views of the earliest proponents of the idea.
We believe that from the name — conference on political reforms in Nigeria the scope of what government has in mind is already defined. We find that scope too limited. While it may be that political reforms are needed in Nigeria, it is the view of the NCP that the nation is in dire need of economic, social and cultural reforms.
In the light of the rot that pervades the entire landscape, rather than a cosmetic tinkering here and there, it seems to us that the kinds of comprehensive reforms needed in Nigeria are so fundamenta1 as to be revolutionary in proportions. We recall with fondness and take our cue from the so called minority report of the 1978 constituent assembly authored by Dr. Segun Osoba and Dr. Bala Usman, which to a large extent informed the contents of the Fundamental Objectives and Objective Principles State Policy as contained in Chapter II of the 1979 Constitution. These ideals were also reproduced in the present 1999 Constitution but again shorn of enforceability through the courts.
We of the NCP believe that this is the major bane of Nigeria as a country and that among the fundamental tasks confronting the Nigerian people as a whole are the following:
(a) How do w breathe life onto the fundamental objectives a detective principles of state policy; which detail out the popular and progressive position. On education, healthcare, housing, unemployment, women, children, the aged, and the disabled amongst other. How do we empower the masses of the Nigerian people to enforce and legally compel public office holders at all levels to make the realisation of these objects the reason for the existence of government.
(b) How do we free the Nigerian economy from continued foreign manipulation?
(c) How practically do we attain social equality that is real in our national life?
(d) What institutional or administrative structures do we put in place to realise the above?
We of the NCP believe that the above issues, the resolutions on which, should form the basis of a new constitution, are so weighty that no Nigerian ought to be left out of the process of their being considered.
It is in this regard that we advocate that even those who cannot participate directly at the conference should have reserved for them the right to have the ultimate say through a popular referendum. We are not in doubt as to where sovereignty lies, that is, with the people of Nigeria as a whole, certainly not with any public office holder who possesses a limited mandate. Few years ago quite a member of governors were referred to as "Owambe Governors" by Mr. President, this was on account of the fact that they had not demonstrated sufficient seriousness or much appreciation of the cumbersome responsibilities of governance.
Mr. President was only recognizing a fact that the Nigerian people had come to know. Between then when the observation was made, and now, we don’t see any qualitative change in attitude on the part of the governors that has enhanced their standing in the estimation of the Nigerian people. Why should such a bunch be now accorded the privilege of nominating these to partake in the examination of such serious issues. The record of Mr. President himself is charactrised by a relish in the naked display of powers, he rightly or wrongly associates with the office he occupies, not necessarily the attendant responsibilities. The NCP cannot fathom what constituency Mr. President personally represents or what interests he seeks to protect as to entitle him to 50 out of 400 delegates to the conference.
We urge Mr. President to revisit the resolutions and communiques and emanated from the numerous conferences organised by his then Ota-based African Leadership Forum . We are sure he will find that leadership is a privilege, the principal obligation of which is to mobilise in an all inclusive manner, the creative energies of the led, to attend to collectively defined goals.
Rather than being fixated, the NCP believes, that the situation calls for a review and it is not too late for Mr. President to retrace his steps and yield to the popular position.
Meanwhile, the NCP supports the idea that various groups and nationalities should commence the process of in house debates and formulation of positions. We are persuaded that through that process, the most articulate and those who will not sell out their group’s interests will earn for themselves the respect of members of their constituency which will elect them as worthy delegates to the conference.
We believe it would be a monumental waste and unpardonable for government to go ahead with its preconceived ideas a1ready suspected as anchored on a hidden agenda for self succession in the mould of the infamous General Abacha’s so called constitutional conference. Mr. President is reminded that the idea of a Sovereign National Conference predates his 5 years in office and that if he does not agree to the demands of the Nigerian people, the clamour will continue and sooner or later we the Nigeria people will organise our own, odds and all.
Certainly the National Conscience Party will not be a part of any orchestrated charade.
ON THE LABOU POLICY OF THE OBASANJO GOVERNMENT AND ITS IMPLICATION FOR THE WELL BEING OF HE NIGERIAN PEOPLE
We recall with the adness the grave consequence of just suspended strike of the Resident Doctors which claimed over 20,000 lives due to the official indifference and insensitivity of government to the issue raised by the doctors. We note that this has become a recurring decimal whereby strikes that are supposed to have been apprehended and averted are allowed to degenerate to loss of precious lives and serious damage to the economy before the issues raised are addressed.
In this regard we recall the strikes embarked upon by ASUU and the openly announced position of government in a publicly declaration by Mr. President, that the best way to deal with workers on strike is to wear them out. The nation could also have been spared of much agony had the Obasanjo Government reasoned with LASCO in a timely manner over the crises generated by the last fuel hike.
While we commend the patriotism of NARD, we call on the government to preempt strikes by apprehending issues before they get to crises levels.
ON THE ECONOMY
The NCP notes with great pains that as a consequence of the ongoing commercialization and privatization of publicly owned enterprises, hundreds of thousands of workers continue to lose their jobs and are sent to the abyss of the unemployment market. We cannot reconcile this with government’s acclaimed poverty alleviation program.
It is sad to note that under the Obasanjo government, publicly owned enterprises in which the nation has invested fortunes over the years are being sold to a handful and a few so called "cor-investors." This run contrary to the fundamental objective and directive principles of state policy that the wealth of the nation shall not be concentrated in th hands of a few. We condemn this development wholeheartedly.
We cannot also but recall the history of the privatization programme of the Nigerian government which at inception in 1988, gave rights to purchase a certain percentage of rights in workers, trade unions, market women, universities and other civil society organizations companies and enterprises listed for privatization and placed limitations on the quantity or of shares that can be acquired by any individual.
ON EDUCATION
We observe with great concern that allocations in the 2005 National Budget do not appear to have taken cognizance of the obligations imposed on the Nigerian Government by the Child’s Rights Act No 26 of 2003 provided free and compulsory primary and Junior Secondary School education. We cannot countenance a situation where government ignores duties imposed on it by law under any guise. We note that the future of millions of Nigerian children is what is at stake. Having regard to the so called oil windfall, this becomes completely inexcusable.
In the same vein we condemn the privatization of hostel accommodation in the nations tertiary institution and the attempt to increase tuition. We find unstatesmanly and unpardonable the resort by government to blackmail the Vice Chancellors to enforce these clearly retrogressive policies.
ON THE RETIREMENT OF THE FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE TAFA BALOGUN
We are amazed at the magnitude of the allegation of fraud and embezzlement levelled against Mr. Balogun. We wonder why it has taken this long for such to come up and whether this sordid record can be divorced from the role the police under him played during the 2003 elections. Without prejudice to the on- going investigations, we say that the time has come to institutionalize mechanisms that empower all stakeholders in any enterprise to democratically monitor and safeguard the collective interest over monetary allocations.
We have seen past revelations which never saw the light of day and insist that this time around, nothing but a public trial will do.
ON THE SEARCH FOR A PRESIDENT FOR NIGERIA
We are disturbed by the undue attention being given to certain personalities who have expressed ‘interest in being candidate for the post of the president of Nigeria, without any regard being paid to the issues that confront the nation which the occupancy of the office of president will be called upon to tackle.
It does not appear that there is a scrutiny of the suitability of such person vis-à-vis the numerous problems that confront the Nigerian people.
We dare say that Nigeria needs not just a president but a type of leadership not just at the level of president but across the board.
Fundamentally we need a system that guarantees accountability and responsiveness to the electorate. We discourage the debate on personalities and clamour for issue based campaigns.
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