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Sunday Musings: And What Shall We Discuss at the National Conference, Where, and For How Long?
by
Mobolaji E. Aluko, PhD
February 9, 2014
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My People:
When the Presidental Advisory Committee on National Dialogue (PACND) submitted its report to President Goodluck Jonathan in December 2013, in addition to suggesting modalities for the National Conference itself, it recommended thirty-eight main topics (sub-divided into seventy-eight sub-topics),
Now in accepting (in January 2014) and then beginning to act upon the PACND's report, the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) specifically "accepted" only one non-topic - indivisibility of Nigeria - which "No-Go Area" (in Nigerian parlance) I have now taken the liberty of actually making the thirty-ninth topic (See Table 2 below).
One presumes that the NC will discuss all the topics - and possibly more that are thrown up during the discussions. However, the burning questions to me at this time when I read all of the suggested topics are:
(1) is the NC going to be a mere talk-shop - an EVENT in a hotel in Abuja - to end in a report that might or might not see the light of day? or
(2) a serious PROCESS across the nation, at various venues, sometimes week-days, sometimes week-ends, that will eventually end up in a Popular Constitution approved by a Referendum; and
(3) will three months (the recommended length of time for the NC), six months (my recommended period) or even twelve months be enough to discuss all-and-sundry topics? Finally:
(4) if it is an Abuja hotel event, which employed persons (self- or otherwise employed) will be able to devote three months of his or her time to this event - or is this an event planned for the IDLE RICH, and/or the un-employed, and/or the un-employable?
These questions are rhetorical. Assuming therefore that the National Conference being proposed is a SERIOUS EVENT that will lead to a Popular Constitution within a period of time that serious-minded (and otherwise busy) persons can participate in within a reasonable period of time - and episodically go off to engage their constituencies as well as their primary jobs - I have outlined in Table 1, an 18-block, 38-topic list of suggested discussion topics culled from PACND's list. It is not that the other topics that I have cut out are not important, but they can be considered AOB - Any Other Business - and can be discussed TIME- PERMITTING.
Let the National Conference begin....after the delegates are chosen somehow, which is a separate challenge.
And there you have it. Your thoughts are welcome.
Bolaji Aluko
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TABLE 1: Suggested Priority Topics to be Discussed (in order of importance) - Aluko suggestions
Block | Priority | Topic for Discussion |
1 | 1 | (No)Go Area: (in)Divisibility/Dissolution/Disunity of Nigeria |
| 2 | Definition of Federating Units: States or Geo-Political Zones |
2 | 3 | Political Federalism |
| 4 | Fiscal Federalism |
3 | 5 | Presidential system |
| 6 | Parliamentary system |
4 | 7 | Choice between Uni-cameral or Bi-cameral legislature |
| 8 | Choice between full-time or part-time legislature. |
5 | 9 | Fundamental human rights |
| 10 | Justiciability of the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy |
6 | 11 | Diversification of the economy |
| 12 | Oil and other Mineral Resources Management (Resource Control) |
| 13 | Poverty and wealth creation |
7 | 14 | Tenure of Public officials: President, Governors, etc |
| 15 | Immunity of political office holders |
8 | 16 | Local (State) Policing |
| 17 | Security Agencies: Review and re-design of national security apparatus |
9 | 18 | Fighting corruption and anti-corruption agencies — ICPC, EFCC |
10 | 19 | National Census Policy |
| 20 | National Electoral System (INEC, SIEC, etc.) |
| 21 | Federal Character |
11 | 22 | Review of judicial institutions |
| 23 | Religion, Secularism and the Secularity of the Nigerian State |
| 24 | Sharia and Customary legal system |
12 | 25 | Land use Act |
| 26 | Citizenship/indigenes — Settlers dichotomy |
| 27 | Boundary adjustment |
| 28 | State Creation and Merger of States |
13 | 29 | National Education Policy |
| 30 | National Science and Technology Education Policy |
| 31 | National Research and Development Policy |
| 32 | National Health Policy |
14 | 33 | National Defence Policy |
15 | 34 | Gender, Youth and Vulnerable Citizens issues |
| 35 | National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) |
16 | 36 | Role of Traditional Rulers and Institution in governance |
17 | 37 | Administrative/Legislative Structures for FCT, Abuja (and Lagos? Calabar?) |
18 | 38 | Languages and Language Policy |
Table 2: Committee-recommended Specified Items For Inclusion on the Agenda of the National Conference
Main Section | Sub- Section | Topic for Discussion |
1 |
| Political Restructuring of the country: |
| 1 | a. Political Federalism |
| 2 | b. Fiscal Federalism, |
| 3 | c. Definition of Federating Units: States or Geo-Political Zones |
2 |
| Forms of Democratic Governance: |
| 4 | a. Presidential system. |
| 5 | b. Parliamentary system; |
| 6 | c. Choice between Uni-cameral or Bi-cameral legislature; |
| 7 | d. Choice between full-time or part-time legislature. |
3 |
| Good Governance; |
| 8 | a. Cost of governance; |
| 9 | b. Corruption and National Development; |
| 10 | c. Fighting corruption and anti-corruption agencies — ICPC, EFCC; |
| 11 | d. Immunity of political office holders; |
| 12 | e. Citizenship/indigenes — Settlers dichotomy; |
| 13 | f. Justiciability of the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy; |
4 |
| Judicature: |
| 14 | a. Fundamental human rights; |
| 15 | b. Impunity of judicial officers; |
| 16 | c. Review of judicial institutions; |
| 17 | d. Sharia and Customary legal system; |
| 18 | d. Delays in the administration of justice. |
5 |
| Democratization |
| 19 | a. Deepening democracy; |
| 20 | b. De-militarization of national psyche, |
| 21 | c. Democratic culture and orientation; |
| 22 | d. Mechanisms for a more inclusive participatory democracy. |
6 | 23 | Political parties, God-fatherism and the challenges of internal Democracy: |
7 |
| National Security and Security Challenges: |
| 24 | a Security Agencies: Review and re-design of national security apparatus, |
| 25 | b Local Policing, |
| 26 | c Other security agencies. |
8 | 27 | State Creation and Merger of States |
9 |
| Education: |
| 28 | a. Investment in education; |
| 29 | b. Decentralisation and National Education policy; |
| 30 | c. Return of Missionary and Private schools to original owners; |
| 31 | d. Institutionalizing Tsangaya/Almajiri education system |
| 32 | e. Nomadic Education. |
10 |
| Health |
| 33 | a. Health Policy |
| 34 | b. Investment in Health |
| 35 | c. Healthcare Delivery |
11 |
| Science, Technology and Development: |
| 36 | a. Science and Technology Education; |
| 37 | b. Technological Adaptations and the National Economy; |
| 38 | c .Research and Development; |
| 39 | d. Promotion and Improvement of indigenous Technological innovations; |
12 | 40 | Restoring the National Ethics, Morals and Core Values |
13 | 41 | Religion, Secularism and the Secularity of the Nigerian State |
14 |
| Agriculture, Food Security and Rural Development |
| 42 | a. Decentralisation of National Agricultural Policy; |
| 43 | b. Grazing Reserves and Cattle Routes Demarcation |
15 |
| The Environment |
| 44 | a. Environmental Degradation – flooding, soil erosion, oil spillage and desertification; |
| 45 | b. Climate change. |
16 |
| Defence |
| 46 | a. Nigeria’s defence policy and posture at home and abroad; |
| 47 | b.The Nigerian Armed forces and multi-lingual challenges; |
| 48 | c. Nigeria and International peace-keeping operations. |
17 | 49 | Tenure of Public officials: President, Governors, etc |
18 | 50 | The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the challenges of conducting free and fair elections. |
19 | 51 | Population and Credible National Census; |
20 | 52 | Land use Act; |
21 | 53 | Role of Traditional Rulers and Institution in governance at national and local levels; |
22 |
| The Economy: |
| 54 | a. Poverty and wealth creation; |
| 55 | b. Productivity; |
| 56 | c. Diversification of the economy; |
| 57 | d. Industries and Industrialisation |
23 | 58 | Oil and other Mineral Resources Management, Exploration and Sharing mechanism; |
24 | 59 | Revenue Generation and Mobilization |
25 | 60 | National Youth Service Corps (NYSC); |
26 | 61 | Gender issues; |
27 | 62 | Youth Unemployment and Development issue; |
28 | 63 | Physically Challenged Persons and National Development; |
29 | 64 | Investment in Sports |
30 | 65 | Boundary adjustment; |
31 | 66 | National inland waterways issues; |
32 | 67 | Elective Mayorality Administrative/Legislative Structures for FCT, Abuja |
33 | 68 | Special status for Lagos; |
34 | 69 | Unsettled issues of the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970); |
35 | 70 | Revising Bakassi; |
36 | 71 | Languages and Language Policy; |
37 | 72 | Pension Matters and Rights of Senior Citizens; |
38 | 73 | Federal Character |
39 | 74 | (No)Go Area: (in)Divisibility/Dissolution/Disunity of Nigeria |
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