FG Tasked on Sovereign National Conference
From Amby Uneze in Calabar
Federal government has been advised to expedite action on the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) as this will address some of the problems facing the nation.
President, Supreme Akwa Ibom Community Association (SACA), Cross River State Chapter, Dr. Oscar Umoh and the National coordinator of the congress of popular Democracy (CPD), Dr. Edwin Madunagu, while speaking at two different fora, urged the Federal government to introduce measures that would cushion the harsh effect of poverty in the country.
While Umoh criticised government's unpopular policies, which according to him, are aimed at disintegrating the nation, Madunagu urged government to apply caution while dealing with the masses, since it was the same masses that voted them unto power.
Umoh said the current face-off between the State Security Service (SSS) and the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in the last election, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu as a result of Ojukwu's alleged support for the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) was as a result of the absence of a national conference, which should have addressed salient national issues.
Umoh said Nigerians needed to sit down and discuss the future of the country, adding that the whole episode show that all is not well with the country and something more positive has to be done.
He said "the whole episode to me is still a sign that all is not well with us, that we have to call a national Conference (NC) and discuss the way forward to Nigeria".
Umoh maintained that a national conference remained the answer to the true corporate existence of Nigeria, adding the face off was an indication that Nigeria must practice true federation.
"A situation where a agitations are coming from every section of the country shows that all is not well and warned that anything short of true political and fiscal federation meant Nigeria was waiting to explode."
"The only way for Nigeria to survive as a country is by being a true federal state with political or fiscal federation. Anything short of that is just time bomb. Nigeria is only waiting to explode with true federation."
He noted that the federal government should ensure that the SSS and other security agencies operate on the continues of democracy so as not to rock it.
But Madunagu observed that there are danger signals in Nigeria. As the "deregulation" of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) signifies doom for the country.
"First, the Nigeria Labour Congress was 'deregulated' millions of Nigerian workers were demobilized under the guise of "essential duties'. Then the right of the congress to mobilize Nigerian workers against increasing hardship and bad governance was denied then, the office of NLC President was declared legally non-existent. The very next day, increase in the price of petroleum products all were announced. In the midst of all these, the security police, called SSS, went into a new offensive against the people, breaking into media houses, destroying and removing equipment, e.t.c."
Madunagu said, "Not satisfied, SSS threat off its veils and became aversely political. We asked for a sovereign National Conference (SNC). It was denied. We asked for elections, we were given a parody".
"Now the Sovereign National Conference has become the National Conference of Ethnic Nationalities (NCEN) may we not move to a peace conference organised by self-serving "International Community"? High-profile assassination armed rebellions and passive resistance are dangerously developing before our very eyes, madunagu said.
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