"The Patriots", a group of eminent persons from southern Nigeria led by Professor Ben Nwabueze, yesterday failed to convince leaders of the north that the way forward for the nation is a sovereign national conference (SNC) of ethnic nationalities. The SNC idea was roundly rejected by the northern leaders who averred that the problem of Nigeria was simply a failure of leadership.
At the meeting that took place at the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre, Abuja, the northern leaders insisted that the problems of the ordinary people of the north were not different from those of the ordinary people of the south and could be properly addressed and solved by a purposeful leadership, not a conference of ethnic nationalities which objectives remained unclear.
Prof Nwabueze, who led four other members of "The Patriots" including Senator Felix Ibru and Ben Obi, had invited the northern leaders to a meeting to discuss matters of national interest but ended up presenting only one agendum: to convince the northern leaders to support the idea of a sovereign conference.
A source at the meeting said the northern leaders maintained that the purpose of a national conference remained unclear.
In the end, however, a committee headed by Malam Adamu Ciroma with Senator Ben Obi as secretary was constituted to look into the issues and to design a way forward for the nation.
Apart from Malam Adamu Ciroma, the northern leaders at the meeting included Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, Professor Jibril Aminu, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, Mallam Abba Kyari, Hajiya Naja'atu Mohammed, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed and Alhaji Yerima Abdullahi.
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The Hausa/Fulani Leadership is scared to hell whenever SNC comes up in any discussion.After all the status quo favours the Hausa/Fulani muslims.With their surplus States,inflated demography and federal character in place,the country is virtually their Estate.
I believe that those in 'the Patriots' want the SNC to break the hold of Abuja, reform the three or four regions we had in the 1960's, and have greater autonomy so each region will then have more power to govern and generate revenue. The same idea is currently being advanced in the United States with the secessionist movement, which is aimed at breaking the hold Washington D.C. has over the states. This is understandable since most states are currently dependent on Abuja for their revenues, and this is indeed stagnating development in the country. If we should copy anything from America, this may very well be it needed. However, contrary to what Mr. Dougmel said, the Northern leaders have a legitimate point as well. Although I believe the patriots have a pure heart about the aims of the SNC, this country has a culture of politicians and individuals from both North and South that use religion and ethnicity to divide or unify the public for personal gains. This is what led me to oppose the SNC in the past. Regionalism is still on the minds of a lot of people, and some canvassing for the SNC will try to possibly destroy this nation for their own consolidation of resources using this and ethnicity/religion. Such people have to be neutralized if they come up. That is the only way in my mind that the SNC could be positive for the future of this nation. This should be aimed at breaking the hold of Abuja's control while remaining one Nigeria, not about ethnic and regional divisions.