Southern political leaders invite their northern counterparts to sit down and discuss federalism

POLITICAL leaders from across southern Nigeria have invited their northern counterparts to sit down and agree to negotiate a return to the 1963 republican constitution or risk seeing the country descend into irreversible chaos.

Over the last two years, the debate about how Nigeria should be governed has been a hot topic, with numerous political commentators calling for a scrapping of the current federal allocation regime under which the economy is run from Abuja. Many communities have warned that if a deal on this cannot be reached, Nigeria should be dissolved and split into its component units.

Across southeastern Nigeria, Igbo secessionist groups are even calling for the recreation of the defunct republic of Biafra that existed briefly between July 1967 and January 1970. Last week, tension heightened after the senate rejected  bill calling for restructuring, leading many opponents of the status quo to declare this the last straw.

In a bid to ease the tension, however, the leaders of several southern pan-social groups have  floated the idea of a dialogue with northern leaders. Noting that the National Assembly’s rejection of the proposal for devolution was against popular demand, the southern leaders vowed to press on with their demand until the issue was brought to a conclusion.

These southern leaders who met under the aegis of the Southern Leaders Forum, in Lagos, included Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief AK Horsfall, Professor  Joe Irukwu, General Ike Nwachukwu, Dr Kunle Olajide, Dr Amos Akingba and Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw.  Also present were Sam Amuka, Senator Stella Omu, Col Tony Nyiam and Chief Guy Ikokwu among others.

Afenifere publicity secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said: “We do not want a Nigeria where any section will live as slaves of another but rather we want a Nigeria where all citizens irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliation are able to live their lives to the fullest and in happiness without let or hindrance. We hold dearly that anyone who is opposed to this vision is an enemy of Nigeria of our dream.”

Flaying the decision of the National Assembly to shoot down the proposal on devolution of powers during the recent constitution alteration exercise, he added: “Their decision reflects the deepest disregard for the popular demand for the freeing of more powers to the federating units from our shocking central government.

"Instead of devolving power, the National Assembly has now given us a stronger centre that will now conduct elections in local governments against extant provisions of the federalism. It is obvious that the National Assembly has taken itself out of the resolution of the Nigerian crisis by foreclosing devolution of power and unknown to the lawmakers, they have unwittingly given more ammunition to self-determination forces by attempting to collapse the restructuring column in the battle for the soul of Nigeria.”

Mr Odumakin added that Nigeria has gone through war once and it is not likely to survive another one. He stressed that the only way therefore to have a peaceful Nigeria is to have a country based on justice and equity for all Nigerians.

He added that in order to achieve this, there is need for sacrifices on all sides as the only insurance for peace and justice is equity. In order to achieve this, the southern leaders called for an immediate meeting of well-meaning leaders from the south and the north to find a way to save Nigeria from destruction and crisis.

According to Mr Odumakin, there is a need for an urgent return to the principles our founding fathers agreed as the basis for our independence. He added that this is the only way out for Nigeria as most sections of the country have lost faith in the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.