During the last 2014 gathering of 428 Nigerians

This Article is as forwarded by Bala Zakariyau on Northern Nigeria Perspective WhatsApp Group 

this image is for illustration 

During the last 2014 gathering of 428 Nigerians (I hope I am right on the figure, but I stand to be corrected), to fashion out a new course for Nigeria (aka the 'Goodluck National Confab) I was privileged to be a member, in a category of Elder STATESMEN. It was indeed a privilege to be there and as a then retired public servant, it was also an opportunity to know, as well as learn more about Nigeria and Nigerians. We, the delegates from the Northern part of the country, who later (and wisely too) came to group ourselves in what came to be known as the Northern Delegates Forum ( NDF) came to be exposed to the reality of what the other delegates from the other parts of the country came to think of us. We were called all sorts of derogatory names to our faces. We were called illiterates, leeches and parasites, who 'contributed nothing to the wealth of Nigeria, but were getting everything!'

There was one particularly obnoxious woman (I would not honour her with the respectful title of 'Lady') called Ms Ann-Kio Briggs (if I remember the name correctly) who was so uncultured and uncouth the she spared no insults on us the northerners. Happily, and indeed luckily, for us, amongst out delegates, there were very sharp and intelligent members who gave it back to her more than measure for measure. The women delegates amongst us - and here names such as Prof. Saadia from Sokoto, Hon Ai'sha Ismail from Kano, Prof. Ruqayya from Jigawa, Princess RABI from Kogi, Haj. Talatu Nasir from Katsina, and Dr. Fati E. Ibrahim from Kaduna, to mention a few, come to mind - were more than equal to the task in replying any southern delegate that attacked the north.

Although at the end of the whole exercise the North was not humiliated, in that as Mal Mahmud Jega has said in one of his columns at the end of the conference, "Even if the North had not conquered, it too was NOT conquered.

Be that as it might have been, however, and the very reason why I am writing this piece, certain things became obvious at the onset of the conference:

a) the North went to the conference totally un prepared with a wish list or a definitive agenda. The 3 Southern Zones on the other hand went there each with clearly thought out and agreed agenda. We, on the other hand, had to fire-fight and come up with stands, mostly to oppose what the others wanted to promote.

b) As a result of our position (a) above, even where we should promote our interests alongside the interests of the other side, such as in the area of agitation for the creation of more states, it was at the venue that we started looking for areas in the north that had pending demands for new states. We raised that more to checkmate the demands of the other side than to actually agitate for our own. Funny enough, there was one case where some of our people from a particular part of a northern state came out to disassociate themselves from the demand of a particular state to be created in the north. All these go to show a priori lack of fedinitive preparation.

c) When at the end of the conference the real objective of it's initiation came, which was a clandestine attempt to impose a new constiotion on the country for reasons or objectives which I am not prepared to raise here manifest, and there was an agitation to subject the fraudulent draft to a 'referendum' we, the NDF came out to say clearly that our current constitution does not provide for the holding of a referendum, except in respect of state creation as per the provision of Section 8 (1) (c) CFR 1999 (As amended). Otherwise, no other form of referendum can be held

I have gone to this length because of what has been reported to have happened in Nigeria a few days ago. It has been reported that last Friday (09/08/2024),a group led by Chief Anyaoku put forward a 'new' constitution for Nigeria and requested that PBAT calls for a referendum to consider it. The President is reported to have responded (a Headline of Tribune Newspaper of 10/08/2024) that: 'I'll review the request for new" - Tinubu. 

The team that went to see PBAT was made up almost exclusively of political leaders of The SE, SS and SW. I did not hear of anybody from the north, and even if there was, or were, I did not hear of it. 

Well, this is precisely how the move for the National Confab staterted, and unless we take the bull by the horn, this time too, we may be caught with our underwears (ladies forgive) down. What do I suggest we do:

1. As a matter of urgency, we convene a Pan Northern Conference, which should be precedes by a call on the 19 Northern States to, as a matter of uttermost urgency meet to articulate their respective needs in a new constitution.

2. Immediately after the states have done their own, the whole region should meet to deliberate and fashion out a single agenda that should reflect the demands of all.

3. While 1 & 2 are going on, each of the 19 states in the north should prepare a short list of not less than 20 - 30 persons from each State from which the representatives of the states to any national conference should emerge. The lists should be all encompassing and should be compiled with the involvement of the Political and Traditional Leaders, Business people, Women, the Clergy, the intellectuals and any other special Interest Groups in the State.

4. Without prejudice, I strongly suggest that the ACF takes the lead in arranging this, with the support of the State Governors. 

What I make is a proposition, with should be considered, fine tuned and the process of implementation set in motion as soon as possible. 

I so submit

Wazirin Ktn

PS

Pls forgive any typos and other mistakes. I have just keyed it directly into the phone