Victor Ezeja
Ten years after the 2014 National Confab, eminent Nigerian leaders and statesmen are set to hold a dialogue leading to constitutional review for the future of Nigeria.
Billed to attend the event that will hold at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos on Monday are former heads of state, Yakubu Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar, former presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, ex-Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Emeka Anyaoku, and Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelOthers are former Chief of Army Staff, TY Danjuma, Chairman of the Northern Elders’ Forum, Ango Abdullahi, leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Edwin Clark, former Chief of Defence Staff, Alani Akinriade, Northern Elder, Tanko Yakassai, leader of Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, serving and former governors and legislators, Eminent Northern and Southern Leaders among other leaders of thought in Nigeria.
The event is being organised by the Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerian leaders of thought, in commemoration of 10 years anniversary of the 2014 National Constitutional Conference and to chart the way forward for the country.
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According to a statement signed Prof Anthony Kila for the Patriots Organising Committee, chairman of the Patriot group, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who announced the agenda, said the dialogue is designed to help build national consensus, especially among the Nigerian elite on the constitutional future of Nigeria, particularly on how to make Nigeria work for all its diverse peoples and citizens.
It said the foremost international diplomat and Chair of the Eminent Leaders of Thought Group known as the Patriots announced that the national dialogue, which is aimed at mobilising Nigerians towards breaking the barriers against the cohesion and good governance of the country, will hold in Honour of late Prof Ben Nwabueze SAN, a foremost Champion and Protagonist for the convocation of the 2014 National Confab inaugurated 10 Years ago on 17th March, 2014 by President Goodluck Jonathan and whose body was laid to rest last month in his home town in Atani, Anambra State.
The statement said: “the historic national meeting is also expected to set a formidable citizens’ agenda for the ongoing constitution review process of the Federal Government initiated by the National Assembly towards the popular reconfiguration, cohesion, stability and prosperity of Nigeria through a constructive advocacy for new democratic people’s constitution to replace the subsisting military decree No 24 of 1999 in force in Nigeria as1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).”
The statement added that the National Summit which has the theme: ‘Lawful Procedures for Actualising a People’s Constitution For Nigeria’, will have keynote speakers, and discussants. Other dignitaries from the Presidency, former vice presidents, traditional rulers, eminent national leaders of thought, scholars, members of the judiciary, captains of the private sector, leaders of organised civil society and labour, among other Nigerians will attend the event.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
