National leaders of thought under the umbrella of The Patriots, led by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former secretary general of the Commonwealth of Nations, yesterday gave more insight on their recent visit to President Bola Tinubu.
The group said the growing incidents of terrorism, banditry, cattle rustling, separatist agitations and kidnappings are symptoms of a long-standing political distrust and lack of national cohesion for which cannot allow economic policies or reforms yield any positive results.
General secretary of The Patriots, Olawale Okunniyi, who was secretary to the delegation that met with Tinubu, said it was on this basis that the group advised the president to immediately promote a national dialogue for a Nigerian democratic people’s constitution that will take inputs from the 1960 and 1963 constitutions as well as recommendations of all previous Constitutional conferences of Nigeria.
Recall that the group had visited Tinubu last Friday visited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House, Abuja to weigh in on the worrisome state of Nigeria foisted by growing instability.
In a statement signed by Okunniyi yesterday, the group said “While briefing the Press after the meeting with the President, which was attended by the Vice President, Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief of Staff to the President, National Security Adviser and Minister for Information, the leader of the delegation, Chief Anyaoku, the Chairman of the Patriots, stated that the interaction with the President was essentially focused on the need to find a system of governance that would enable the country to tackle more effectively the serious challenges facing it, the challenges of insecurity, underperforming economy stoking massive poverty and hunger, dilapidated infrastructures of health and education services and rising threat to the unity of the country.”
The statement added, “The team said Nigerian Stakeholders, who participated in the National Colloquium (Dialogue) organised by the Patriots in March, 2024 are massively desirous of a people’s democratic constitution for the country and therefore want government to immediately initiate and drive the process of a fundamental reform of the governance system of the country, through a major national constitutional dialogue to be consummated by an elected National Constituent Assembly in fostering national consensus and harmony for Nigeria.
“The Delegation stated further that the Patriots are of the considered view that the pervasive insecurity in Nigeria and its twin national instability have been impeding the economic productivity and prosperity of Nigeria and therefore require urgent intervention to return the country to the path of progress and stability, as the growing incidents of Terrorism, Banditry, Cattle Rustling, Separatist Agitations and Kidnappings are all symptoms of a long-standing political distrust and national incohesion of a country divided against itself, where no economic policies or reforms can yield any positive results.
“The Leaders, to this end, said that the Patriots also advised President Tinubu to immediately promote a national dialogue for the production of a Nigerian democratic people’s constitution that will take into account the 1960 and 1963 constitutions and the recommendations of all previous Constitutional conferences of Nigeria so as to bring all Nigerians back to the same page of patriotism that would unleash the collective desire of Nigerians to defend the peace and stability of the country, while encouraging farmers to go back to their farmlands without the fear of being attacked by terrorists, bandits or kidnappers for increased agricultural productivity in the country.
“Lastly, to douse the current tension in the country resulting from the ongoing nationwide Hunger protests, the delegation urged the President to urgently direct the government nationwide to immediately take the initiative of organising dialogue with leaders of the Protests on their demands. Similarly, the Patriots requested the President to direct law enforcement agents not to use lethal weapons in the management of the civil protests in order to minimise casualties and prevent the escalation of the crisis.”
The members of the Patriots Delegation that met with Tinubu and his cabinet at the Presidential Villa, Abuja are: Chief Emeka Anyaoku (Leader of the Delegation); South East (Senator Ben Obi; Chief Simon Okeke)
The North Central delegation had Madam Pauline Tallen; Dr Pogu Bitrus; HE Labaran Maku; Barr Abubakar Azara
For North West it was Senator Shehu Sanni;
Alhaji Shettima Yerima; Rear Admiral Ferguson Bobai
The South South delegation comprised,
Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN; Prof Mike Ozekhome, SAN; Lady Ann Kio Briggs
North East had HE Boni Haruna and Dr Abdujalilil Tafawa Balewa; while South West
had Chief Olusegun Osoba and Prof Anthony Kila.
