Guardian Nigeria
On the floor of the Senate, Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe collaborated Ningi’s claim, “We are all culpable. Some so-called senior senators here got N500 million each from the 2024 budget. I am a ranking senator.
I didn’t get anything. (Therefore,) No senator has a right to accuse Senator Ningi….” He was not allowed to tell Nigerians what happened as his microphone was switched off mid-sentence.
And five, General Danjuma Ali-Keffi petitioned President Bola Tinubu, alleging that on May 21, 2021, some generals sympathetic to the Boko Haram assassinated former Chief of Army Staff, COAS, General Ibrahim Attahiru. That the perpetrators were also arming terrorists with weapons looted from the military armories. This is in addition to embezzling the $1billion meant for arms procurement in the fight against terror.
A Board of Inquiry (BOI) headed by Ali-Keffi also uncovered that illegal gold mining in Zamfara State and fuel smuggling were associated with top military officers. This largely explains why the Nigeria military continues to fare badly in the fight against terrorists, insurgents and bandits.
Nigeria already restructured
The 2014 National Conference, organised by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, effectively restructured Nigeria through its resolutions. What is remaining is implementing them. A total of 492 members representing every nationality and interest sat for 120 days and agreed on over 600 resolutions through consensus.
Professor Lawrence Baraebibai Ekpebu, member and Deputy Chairman of the Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari-led Foreign Policy and Diasporan Matters Committee of the conference, explains in Nigeria: Averting Paradox of Development:
Twenty committees, comprising of tested professionals knowledgeable in matters entrusted to each committee, were raised to closely study the problems and proffer solutions.
For those asking what restructuring means, a list of the committees could help them, which includes (1) Agriculture and Water Resources Committee (2) Citizenship, Immigration and Related Matters Committee (3) Civil Society, Labour and Sports Committee (4) Devolution of Power Committee (5) Economy, Trade and Investment Committee (6) Energy Committee (7) Environment Committee (8) Foreign Affairs and Diasporan Committee (9) Judiciary, Law, Human Rights and Legal Reforms Committee (10) Land Tenure Committee (11) National Security Committee (12) Political Restructuring and Forms of Government Committee (13) Political Parties and Electoral Matters Committee (14) Politics and Governance Committee (15) Public Finance and Revenue Committee (16) Public Service Committee (17) Social Sector Committee (18) Religious Committee (19) Science, Technology and Development Committee, and (20) Transportation Committee.
The committees worked for six weeks to present their recommendations to the plenary. It is from these recommendations that were adopted as resolutions that the final conference report emerged. So, Nigeria is already restructured. What is to be done now is to implement the resolutions contained in the conference report.
Importantly, the conference report is to be implemented at three levels. First level contains resolutions only the president can implement by just appending his signature to them. Second level contains resolutions only the National Assembly Plenary can implement by a simple majority vote. And the third level contains resolutions Nigerians will give effect to by voting in a plebiscite. President Jonathan was stampeded out of office and never given the time to implement the conference report, which his successor, Muhammadu Buhari, refused to work on.
Conclusion
The latest attempt to review the military- imposed Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended) appears an exercise in futility. The ruling class is well aware of this, hence its liberality in allowing poor Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu to handle it. Kalu is an Igbo man from Abia.
The tribalists who control the mechanics of power will never allow an Igbo man preside over an all-important constitution review, if it is real. The whole truth is that this review is not necessary as the 2014 Conference took care of constitutional defects. Just implement the report.
But assuming what we are seeing is real, will the recommendations of the Kalu-led Committee be implemented at the end of the day? Will Nigeria emerge strong enough to check corruption, punish aliens who buy Nigerian citizenship as license to loot the country, punish generals for arming terrorists against citizens, curb the killing of Christians and enthrone equitable distribution of our commonwealth? What institutions will reform the behaviour of the ruling class or will the review only increase the number of laws? The philosopher would say, the more numerous the laws, the more corrupt the republic.
I am not competent enough to speak for 24 million Ijaw constituting Nigerian fourth major nationality. The leaderships of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), and Ijaw Kings and Chiefs are there to state our stand on important national issues. But going by all indications, this review is a red herring and must never be taken seriously by the Ijaw nation.
Nevertheless, I urge Ijaw and friends of the Ijaw nation to endorse the position of the Bayelsa State Elders Council (BSEC), contained in its memorandum on constitution review, dated 3rd April 2024 and signed by Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd) et al and His Royal Majesty King Alfred Diete-Spiff, the Amanyanabo of Twon Brass Kingdom and First Military Governor of Old Rivers State.
Concluded.
Akamande is Leader of Thought of Izon Ebe, he can be reached via:oweiak@yahoo.com.
