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Home |   About Us |   Contact Us |   Members |   Search |   Subscribe |   Disclaimer |   THE GUARDIAN CONSCIENCE, NURTURED BY TRUTH LAGOS, NIGERIA.     Friday, June 11 2004   news   editorial/opinion   politics & people   focus/record   business   sports   metro   capital market   weekend   golf weekly   Guardian Chat Click to join the chatroom Wada Nas backs national confab, decries insecurity From Adamu Abu, Kano FORMER Special Duties Minister, Alhaji Wada Nas yesterday joined eminent Nigerians calling for the convocation of a sovereign national conference to address the myriad of problems facing the nation. Nas, who served as a minister during the late Gen. Sani Abacha administration, told reporters in Kano that the conference is desirable, considering the need for the people to discuss the terms on which they will like to co-exist with one another. The former minister, who is the leader of the Peoples Salvation Party (PSP), suggested that the numerous crises rocking different parts of the country should first be resolved before the confab is convened. He said: "I am a new convert to the idea of the sovereign national conference, now I am calling for it. We are calling for it but there must be peace and stability before you call for this sovereign national conference. Without peace, nothing can be done or achieved in this country". On the possibility of the conference leading to the break up of the country, he said: "It depends on the outcome of the conference. If there is need to break up, why not We should break up then, but let us break up in peace and not in pieces". He decried the ethno-religious and other crises across the country, saying that they were precipitated by the fact that Nigerians no longer respect the cultures and religions of one another. His words: "What surprises me is the reason for these crises. This is the same Nigeria of the 60s, why didn't we have these crises at that time So, I have come to the conclusion that these crises are bound to happen because we have already lost respect for one another. "Once we do not respect one another, the cultures of one another and religions, definitely, these crises would continue". Enjoining those in leadership positions to emulate the qualities of Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr Nnamdi Azikwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, he stressed that Nigerians must learn to co-exist with one another, irrespective of religious and ethnic differences. Speaking on the role of traditional rulers and socio-cultural organisations like the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on tackling the crises, Nas remarked that they could do little to ensure peace in the country. On the declaration of a state of emergency in Plateau State, he said it was a welcome development, considering the fact that the unending crises in the state hold the potential of affecting the corporate existence of the country. He expressed support for the ongoing strike by workers in the country to protest recent increment in petroleum products' prices, saying the action would achieve the goal of forcing the Federal Government to revert to the old prices. Nas expressed displeasure with the President Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration for not doing enough to curtail the spate of violent crimes and killings across the country. He said: "Nigerians should reflect on the number of assassinations and violence during Abacha and now. During his time, it was basically the Ogonis against themselves. Today, the Niger Delta and the Middle Belt and of course, other areas have seen several cases of violence for one reason or another. What of assassination If we count two during Abacha, we must count 10 in this dispensation". He cited the assassination of Chief Bola Ige, Aminosoari Dikibo, Harry Marshal and attempts on the lives of governors of Adamawa, Benue, Niger, Lagos and Plateau states to buttress his assertions. � 2003 - 2004 @ Guardian Newspapers Limited (All Rights Reserved).  Powered by dnetsystems.net dnet�

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