Communiqué of the Obasanjo, Sultan of Sokoto et al Meeting (Dec 2021) Compared With The NINAS Propositions
By Ndidi Uwechue, 20th January 2022
Since they are not talking about it, it appears that Nigerians missed the very important conclusions of the meeting about security and the future of Nigeria convened by Vision Africa and the Global Peace Foundation on 13 December 2021. Present at the meeting held at Transcorp Hotel in Abuja either physically or by Zoom included former President Obasanjo, the Sultan of Sokoto, Rev. Pam Yakubu, Sheikh Gumi, Gani Adams, former Governor Obong Victor Attah, Madam Ankio Briggs, and many others*.
Several of those present at this key meeting are known to have the ears of the Presidency, and who knows would they even have been there unofficially “representing” government? Time will tell.
Those present at the meeting “identified key areas of the country’s national life that must be urgently addressed to douse the socio-political and economic challenges as well as the separatist and Self-Determination agitations in the country”, which were issued in a Communiqué. The focus of this article are the take home points of that meeting.
Point #1
Their Communiqué mentioned that the 1999 Constitution was a major problem so it needed to be changed. The 1999 Constitution was called “Oligo-military in nature and not representing the collective interest of Nigerians… The 1999 Constitution does not embody the principles of justice, fairness and equality on which every democracy is founded. Thus, it does not fully protect the rights and interests of Nigeria’s diverse constituencies…”. Thus, their Communiqué agreed that the 1999 Constitution represents injustice and inequality, and neglects the rights of citizens. In essence it means the meeting REPUDIATED the illegitimate 1999 Constitution which is a forgery (“Oligo-military in nature”).
This is very much in accord with what the NINAS Movement for Self-Determination, ie the indigenous ordinary peoples of the Middle Belt and South have been saying all along. The NINAS Movement REPUDIATED that sham 1999 Constitution because it is a document that falsely claims that Nigerians came together to write it, plus that Nigerians agreed to its contents.
Point #2
Having agreed that the 1999 Constitution as it is, is useless, the Communiqué stated, “We call on the government to begin a process of constitution review, amend and rework the Constitution…”
The NINAS Movement has also been saying that the constitutional basis of Nigeria must be reworked, and that a process similar to what was followed in the 1950s is the guide since the Union agreed upon before Independence was truncated by the military coups of 1966, so Nigeria is in that same position again.
Point #3
The Communiqué stated, “A constitutional review process, enabling peace and social cohesion is necessary. Government shall therefore provide an environment where a new Constitution from the representatives of the people by the people and for the people would emerge.”
The NINAS Movement has also been saying that the peoples must write the Constitutions of their choice, and that that is the only way forward for stability and progress. The NINAS Movement has also made public the process for that to be done democratically and in a manner that resolves the Union Dispute that has been there since the military pulled down the federating Constitution by their coups in 1966.
Point #4
The Communiqué stated “Government at all levels must revisit and show sincere effort at understanding the core issues of dissidence and Self-Determination in Nigeria rather than incarceration, bullets and counter-attacks as government’s response to agitations and unrest...”
What was to become the NINAS Movement for Self-Determination started some 22 years ago and from the very beginning has never been involved in any kind of violence or threats, and has always described itself as non-violent, having non-violence in all their propositions. In fact, the Constitutional Force Majeure proclaimed by NINAS on 16th December 2020 is an ORDERLY PROCESS based on United Nations procedures and International Law. Thus, knowing that those present at this important meeting were also supporting non-violent change for Nigeria, is welcome news.
Point #5
The Communiqué stated, “We, therefore, commit to keeping the conversation room open for further dialogue so as to address and resolve the common challenge that is deepening this divide… The simple objective is to honestly and transparently come to the dialogue table or ‘conversation room’ irrespective of our political leanings or ideologies – focusing first, on our common humanity…”
Dialogue is what the NINAS Movement has been requesting since Proclamation of the Constitutional Force Majeure in December 2020. Briefly, the Five-Point non-violent NINAS Method** which is about reworking the constitutional arrangement and regaining Self-Determination has the following steps:
(A)- Nigeria became a Disputed Project since Declaration of Constitutional Force Majeure on 16th December 2020. (There is a Union Dispute).
(B)- Commitment to Decommission the Repudiated 1999 Constitution.
(C)- Suspend General Elections in 2023 under that 1999 Constitution that has now been Repudiated, as those elections would renew its life.
(D)- Dialogue and negotiations to determine modalities for a Transitioning process.
(E)- Start time-bound Transitional Government where current political office holders remain in place, and where ethnic nationalities will conduct their Regional Referendums to decide what type of Union they want to be part of.
Thus, going from this Communiqué, the political and leadership class have seen from the Self-Determination agitations going on that the young people of Nigeria are not like their parents and will not be sitting down and inactive when their future and their very lives are under existential threat by an imposed “Oligo-military” and illegitimate 1999 Constitution that does not have the consent of the governed.
It is now for young people, especially those in the NINAS Territory, to hold their Political, Religious, Traditional and Cultural leaders to what was stated in this Communiqué – for all these classes of leaders were present at this key meeting, where they essentially REPUDIATED that 1999 Constitution.
However, young people need to be CAREFUL because also present were the sly old foxes of Nigeria, ie, those who actually foisted that fraudulent 1999 Constitution upon Nigeria, and who have amassed huge fortunes, huge swathes of land, and huge assets because of that illegitimate Document. So, young people should be wary of Judas Goats, research, and examine the proper and democratic processes required to create for themselves a Union of compatible ethnic nations bound by a Constitution properly written and agreed.
*For a fuller list of those present at this meeting, please see the list as reported by the Sun newspaper titled, “Obasanjo, Sultan, ethnic leaders, others list ways how to save Nigeria”, published 23 December 2021. Link: https://www.sunnewsonline.com/obasanjo-sultan-ethnic-leaders-others-list-ways-how-to-save-nigeria/
** For information on the NINAS Movement their website is at www.ninasvoice.org
Ndidi Uwechue is a British citizen with Igbo heritage from the Lower Niger Bloc. She is a retired Metropolitan (London) Police Officer, she is a signatory to the Constitutional Force Majeure, and she writes from Abuja.
Nwannem nwanyi, I can only say just Ike because you have said it all and nothing left for us to add or comment