‘Implement confab report’
WORRIED that the stability of the nation was almost compromised during the 2015 elections by unguided utterances of some politicians, former Director-General of the Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Professor Epiphany Azinge, has urged the implementation of the report of the National Conference.
Azinge made the call over the weekend in Lagos in a lecture titled: “2015 Election: Implications for Nigeria’s Democracy” at the eighth Antony Cardinal Okogie Annual Lecture/Foundation where he stressed the need for Nigeria to heal the wounds of the 2015 elections which polarised the country along ethnic and religious lines.
He noted that the report of the National Conference should be looked into by the present administration with a view to restructuring the country to allow for lasting unity adding, “In fighting extremism, we must not lose sight of the fact that ours is a fractured nation that needs restructuring. Nigeria’s democracy will remain shaky unless we address the issue of restructuring the nation. I subscribe to the view that the report of the National Conference cannot be swept under the carpet.
“Government of the day is invited to look at these reports and take advantage of the resolutions and recommendations contained therein. Our democracy will be best served by adopting aspects of the conference report that will help in restoring stability to our polity by virtue of restructuring.”
The erudite scholar further said that for future elections in the country to be more credible, free and fair, there was also the urgent need for INEC to review the issue of delimitation of constituencies.
Azinge continued: “I have had cause to argue elsewhere that the inability of INEC to delimit constituencies even when it was obvious that the constitution prescribes for a periodic review of the constituencies every 10 years, is for me a fundamental lapse. Bear in mind that the constituencies that we incorporated in the 1999 constitutions were created by military governments. Undoubtedly, these constituencies are skewed in favour of certain parts of the country. There was therefore the need to adjust these constituencies 16 years after inauguration of the 1999 Constitution and the birth of the Fourth Republic.”
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4 Comments
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You cannot expect PMB to consider the implementation of the ‘CONFAB REPORT’. A beneficiary of the ‘skewed constituencies’ PMB would instead enhance the STATUS QUO.:- million miles away from his CHANGE MANTRA.
I doubt if PMB and the present leadership will implement the National Confab report; but any right thinking person should ordinarily implement it.
Two very good and relevant points if we are to be honest to ourselves in moving Nigeria forward in the right direction. Implement the 2014 national confab recommendations and review the electoral constituencies to reflect the true nature of the population distribution. Of course, it must be noted that the sincerity and genuineness of the Buhari administration will to a large extent be judged by how well the President handles these two issues.
We will review and take appropriate action.