Saraki, Babangida Back National Confab, Scapping Immunity Clause
FROM ABIODUN FAGBEMI, ILORIN
FORMER Nigerian Military Ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida, (rtd) and Second Republic Senate Leader, Dr. Olusola Saraki yesterday at a separate forum in Ilorin supported the clamour for the convocation of a National Conference in Nigeria as a panacea for its socio-political problems.
Babangida, who paid a condolence visit on former Works and Housing Minister, Gen. Abdulkareem Adisa (rtd) over the recent demise of his father, Alhaji Bakare Adisa, said the agitation from Nigerians and Federal Government's recent reaction to it, should be lauded as democratic developments.
But for Saraki during a courtesy call by Babangida at his Ilorin private residence, the conference, as agreed to by the government, should involve grassroots population and various strata of the society, before it could be meaningful.
Fielding reporters' questions after the visit, Babangida, accompanied by Haliru Akilu and former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Alhaji Hamzat Abdullahi, expressed his unalloyed support for the continued unity of Nigeria.
According to him, "I think the president is responding to the calls and the yearning of the people. That is why I will be in support of the modality as long as it promotes understanding I think that is fine."
Calls for a National Conference dominated the polity, since, the beginning of the present democratic arrangement. But the Federal Government, which initially looked indifferent on the clamour, recently gave its nod to it.
Speaking on the continued retention of Section 308 of (1999) Constitution in the Nigerian legal system, the former military ruler said majority views favoured its expurgation from the constitution.
He said: "I think from reading your newspapers there is a general consensus by the Nigerian public that such a clause should not exist and I support it."
For Saraki, "it is important for us to have the National Conference. We need to go back to the drawing table to see how we should be governed.
Besides, the former senate leader, said the conference should dwell on how the 1999 constitution should be overhauled, as he canvassed a true federation that would enable each state to have its own constitution.
"I am a man of history, the conference should go back to the grassroots, Lawyers, students, Journalists and some others should all be involved. We should sit down and determine how to move forward," he added.
On the immunity clause, Saraki said the section had been grossly abused.
For him, the criminal aspect of the clause should be reviewed so that persons initially exempted could be criminally held liable if found guilty.
Saraki, who canvassed veritable party system under the present democracy, said only where the supremacy of the party is upheld can democracy blossom.
Meanwhile, more comments and criticism have been trailing the inauguration of panel by the Federal government on the proposed National conference for dialogue on burning national issues.
Dr. Wale Omole, National Co-ordinator, Peoples Problems and Solutions (PPS) a non-governmental organisation and rights group, faulted the nominees of the panel, "saying with such composition, nothing better can come out of whatever they mighty agree with."
According to Omole, a panel with such an important assignment should not be chaired by a serving governor who in our opinion has much to do in term of governance than heading such as panel.
Besides, the appointment of the Kaduna State governor Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi as the chairman of the panel, the inclusion of his Ondo State counterpart, serving ministers and National Assembly members cast a lot of doubt on the inauguration of the panel," Omole declared
The group's opinion is that such panel should be composed of members of the academic community Trade Union, right group and businessmen.
Similarly, the Lagos State commissioner for Rural Development Dr. Tola Kasali while lauding the setting up of the panel also faulted its composition.
Kasali was of the opinion that the nominees should not have been made of the core "presidential friends," rather all segments of the society must have been involved.
"Nobody is undermining the integrity or capability of the panel members. But one would have expected the Federal government to widen the scope of the panel members to the outsiders specifically to include the intelligentsia, those that are not politicians.
Besides, he advised the president not to use the panel as a smoke screen to keep the advocates of the national sovereign conference at bay.
"Every reasonable Nigerian is interested in the outcome of the Oputa Panel which disclosure the Federal government had foreclosed.
So, the president should show determination to convince the people that he really meant business."
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