Restructuring: Nwabueze, others to meet over North’s position

…May propose people’s constitution for Nigerians
…’We won’t leave any stone unturned in our democratic request’

Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Eminent leaders of thought, under the aegis of Project Nigeria Movement, led by elder statesman Prof Ben Nwabueze, SAN, will next week meet to consider the emerging position from the North on the restructuring of Nigeria.

This was confirmed through a notice sent out by the Head of Secretariat of Project Nigeria Movement, Mr Olawale Okunniyi, to the Leaders of Thought at the weekend. The body of eminent persons are expected to meet in Lagos to consider among others, emerging position from the North as well as the plan to initiate a southern synergy to interface with the Northern Leaders over the restructuring debate.

The Daily Times recalls that that a group of Northern leaders of thought named Friends of Democracy released a northern proposal on the Restructuring of Nigeria last week and called on the country to return to a 12 states structure among other proposals.

Okunniyi, who also doubles as spokesperson for the Pro- National Conference Organisation, PRONACO, an organisation initiated under the leadership of the late Chief Anthony Enahoro and Prof Wole Soyinka which convoked the first and only independent Peoples’ National Conference in Nigeria between 2005 and 2007, similarly hinted of an ongoing consultations by PRONACO Action Group, PRAG, led by Alhaji Shettima Yerima and others in the youth organ of PRONACO on how best to facilitate the proposed peoples driven independent National Conference on the Restructuring of Nigeria; in the event that all efforts to make Federal Government address the restructuring agitations fail.

The Daily Times also recalls that PRONACO had last month announced that it has already adopted its 2007 Peoples Constitution as working document for its proposed Peoples National Conference scheduled to commence in January, 2018.

He said: “We are not leaving any stone unturned in this matter of democratic constitutional restructuring, which is conceived to help the country achieve political stability and economic prosperity of the diverse peoples of Nigeria. So all efforts and initiatives in this regard are already being synchronised to ensure productive outcome”.

He also stated that the secretariat of Project Nigeria Movement has already commenced informal talks with the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) secretariat as well as some members of the Friends of Democracy from the North on how best to move the ongoing debate and process of restructuring forward.

Okunniyi, while also confirming that plans are underway for a formidable coalition of Southern Leaders, disclosed that PNM secretariat is already setting up machineries for an inclusive platform of both Northern and Southern Leaders of Thought to negotiate the restructuring of the country towards a new people’s constitution for Nigeria “The date for the Pan Nigerian meeting will be announced soon,” Okunniyi added.