*Cautions COAS over abuse of Nigeria’s constitutional powers
*As Nwabueze group fixes Oct1 for summit on Nigeria’s constitutional future
By Ezeocha Nzeh (Abuja) and John Silas (Lagos)
Pan Igbo socio – political association, Ohaneze Ndigbo yesterday, knocked the nation’s Chief of Army staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, over his threat to declare a state of emergency in the South east.
General Buratai had on Wednesday threatened to declare state of emergency in any South east state where security officers are attacked. The threat came on the heels of protests and criticism that trailed the recent killing of unarmed members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), by security agents.
This is just as the Pro National Conference Organization (PRONACO), a Pan Nigerian Movement, led by Prof Ben Nwabueze has said that it has fixed Nigeria’s independent day, October 1 for a summit between the North and Southern parts of the country to deliberate on the nation’s constitutional future.
It posits that for Nigeria to mend its fences and remain as a united entity, there must be a consultative forum, where the North and South must sit to agree on its constitutional future.
The group disclosed that it has therefore fixed Nigeria’s independent day, October 1 for a summit between the North and Southern parts of the country to deliberate on the nation’s constitutional future
Reacting to the threat, Ohaneze Ndigbo in a statement issued Wednesday by its Acting National Secretary, Prince Uche Achi Okpaga warned the Chief of Army staff and the Nigerian military to desist from further threat to the South east, noting that General Buratai lacked such powers to issue a political threat on the zone.
“The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been drawn to a statement credited to the Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai, threatening to impose a state of emergency in the South East if Governors of the states allowed any further attack on security forces in the states, a statement he has not denied.
“While Ohanaeze Ndigbo decries violence in any form in the states, it takes particular exception to an open threat and warning to South East governors who by the country’s constitution are chief security officers of their states but are lame ducks in practice as all security commands come from Abuja.”
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which described the threat as particularly provocative, regretted that General Buratai and his security agencies have overlooked the on-going killing spree in the North Central, North West and North East, “which have become theatres of war and where army posts and bases have been subjected to incessant attacks by the Boko Haram, ISWA/ISIS, bandits and Fulani herdsmen, killing and maiming Nigerian soldiers,” only to focus on the South east which has remained relatively peaceful.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo also wonders where the Army Chief derives the power to issue such a threat which under the country’s constitution can only be carried out by the National Assembly on demand by the President.
“It is highly surprising that an Army Chief, who was watching as the governor of Katsina State was negotiating and taking pictures with armed bandits would turn round to threaten to impose a state of emergency in states where unarmed citizens are agitating against the harsh and inhuman conditions they have been subjected to by their country.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo believes that the threat by General Buratai is a vindication of the belief that the South East is being regarded as a conquered territory, exemplified in the army of occupation stationed in the area.
“It is also a glaring example of the reckless impunity of public officers and a tacit manifestation of the vacuum in governance at the federal level.”
Ben Nwabueze led group fixes Ocober1 for summit on Nigeria’s constitutional future
Pro National Conference Organization (PRONACO), a Pan Nigerian Movement, has said that for Nigeria to mend its fences and remain as a united entity there must be a consultative forum, where the North and South must sit to agree on its constitutional future
The group disclosed that it has therefore fixed Nigeria’s independent day, October 1 for a summit between the North and Southern parts of the country to deliberate on the nation’s constitutional future
The group, which consists of eminent jurists and elder statesmen maintained that Nigeria requires a new citizen driven constitution for equity, reconciliation, stability and progress is a citizens-driven and process led People’s Constitution instead of what it described as “the ritual of piecemeal constitution amendments by the National Assembly.”
The group, in a statement from its secretary, Olawale Okunniyi, applauded groups like Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Yoruba Summit Group (YSG) and some former leaders of the country for endorsing this position which it noted was championed by late Chief Anthony Enahoro, Prof Wole Soyinka, Prof Ben Nwabueze, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Prof Kinmse Okoko, Solomon Asemota, SAN, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Chief Olu Falae, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Gen Alani Akinriade among other eminent statesmen, jurists and other leaders of thought on the panacea for the Nigerian national question.
The statement reads in part: “For the avoidance of doubt, it will be recalled that the People’s National Conference, PNC convened by PRONACO in 2005 under the chairmanship of Late Anthony Enahoro, ably assisted by Prof Wole Soyinka, practically demonstrated and created a model of legitimate procedures for arriving at a popularly owned people’s Constitution for Nigeria, when about 200 nationality groups in Nigeria converged for 18 months in various parts of the country to adopt a 29 points resolution for resolving Nigerian National Question
“In the light of the foregoing, we wish to state unambiguously that the way out of Nigeria’s current constitutional morass and quagmire foisted by the Nigerian military at its exit from power in 1999 through the imposition of decree 24 called 1999 Constitution, which today has generated so much instability, insecurity, mutual mistrust and in cohesion in Nigeria.”
The group also noted that “President BUhari, who incidentally was privy to the PRONACO process, to immediately initiate and drive an executive national intervention bill for urgent amendment of section 8 and 9 of the 1999 Constitution to allow for a new provision/clause that will enable Nigerian citizens assume the sovereign powers of referendum either directly or indirectly over the making and ownership of the Nigerian constitution.”
“To this end, a National Consultative Summit on the constitutional future of Nigeria, involving Northern and Southern elders and leaders of thought has been proposed by our Joint collaborative secretariat for October 1st 2020, Nigeria’s Independence Day, to harmonise northern and southern positions on the constitutional future of Nigeria,” it read.
