{"id":16041,"date":"2017-09-23T20:01:40","date_gmt":"2017-09-23T20:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=16041"},"modified":"2017-09-23T20:10:16","modified_gmt":"2017-09-23T20:10:16","slug":"nadeco-reconvenes-demands-restructuring-says-nigeria-is-on-the-road-to-anarchy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=16041","title":{"rendered":"NADECO RECONVENES: DEMANDS RESTRUCTURING SAYS NIGERIA IS ON THE ROAD TO ANARCHY"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><code><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- www.deltanewsroom.com --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/code><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>NADECO RECONVENES : DEMANDS RESTRUCTURING ..<\/strong><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">PRESS RELEASE<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">N A D E C O<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>THE CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION OF THE COUNTRY: DESCENT TO MILITARISM AND THE ROAD TO ANARCHY<\/strong><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), a Platform of distinguished Nigerians committed to securing and PROTECTING Democracy in Nigeria believes it is time once again to rise and defend democracy in our dear country. We are very troubled by recent national developments and are forced to issue this warning to all our compatriots that<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">democracy is once again under threat in our nation!<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">A. THE EVENTS IN THE SOUTH-EAST AND IN PARTICULAR, ABIA STATE WHICH WAS<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">INVADED WITH A LARGE CONTINGENT OF THE SOLDIERS AMOUNT TO AN<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND GRADUAL TAKEOVER OF POWER BY THE MILITARY:<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">On Sunday 10th of September, 2017, the Nigerian Armed Forces invaded South<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">East Nigeria, and in particular Abia State with a large contingent of soldiers,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">armored tanks and other military paraphernalia.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0In Abia State, the soldiers invaded communities, tortured civilian population, over-awed the constitutionally elected governor and civil institutions of the state, and declared the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) a terrorist organization, in defiance of the judgment of the Federal High Court. All of these actions are unconstitutional and represent an illegal take-over of the functions of the National Assembly, the Abia State House of Assembly and the legal authorities.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The Army High Command has announced further that the \u201cOperation Python<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Dance\u201d will be a regular event and that another similar activity named<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201cOperation Crocodile Smile\u201d will be carried out in the South South and South<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">West.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The actions of the Military, we restate are inconsistent with the constitution of the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Federal Republic of Nigeria, and may be the beginning, if not checked, of the unwitting or witting subversion of democracy in Nigeria.We therefore call for an urgent action by Nigerians to see to it that we put a stop to this gradual return to military rule. All lovers of democracy in Nigeria need to stand up and raise their voices against this retrogressive political development in our Country.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">B. NADECO has long affirmed that the way to restore justice, equity and fair play to our<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">polity is to return to True Federalism. It is rather unfortunate that some political<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">actors are trying to confuse Nigerians regarding the true meaning of Federalism. This effort to misinform, especially by some political parties, is a dangerous play and deceitful ploy.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The 1959 and the 1963 Federal and Regional Constitutions of Nigeria described<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">essentially what True Federalism is. For emphasis may we remind us what True<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Federalism means:<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\uf0b7 Independent Federating Units come together to form a Federation.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\uf0b7 These Federating Units cede some of their powers and responsibilities to the Central Government.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\uf0b7 The Federating Units provide the resources to run the services ceded to the Central Government.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\uf0b7 The Federating Units maintain their autonomy to run their affairs without let or<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">hindrance, outside those services or responsibilities they have collectively transferred to a Central Government.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">That is True Federalism in short. But the problem with Nigeria, and what is causing all the agitations and instability, is that we have an inverted federation which the Military converted Nigeria to.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Here, it is now the Central Government (Federal) that is creating the Federating Units, they now collect all the resources and decide what to give to the Federating Units, they take all the powers and cede what they like to the so-called Federating Units. This is the problem.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">All the cry for restructuring is simply to restore Nigeria Federation to a proper<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Federation. Why should this offend some people to the extent that they are now using every method including military incursion to prevent it?<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Attention of All is here drawn to the undeniable fact that to date, No, repeat No,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">political Leader in\/of the so-called North has done as much as the Sardauna; no political Leader in\/of the so-called East has done more than Michael Okpara; and no political Leader in and of the West (mid-West inclusive) has done as much or more than Awolowo. If any \u201cpolitical Leader\u201d has, let him or her rise and say so. Why was, why is that so ? It is indisputably obvious that the structure (True Federalism) they were operating was a big, indeed the major foundational and contributory factor.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">It is clear to us that unless Nigerians fully understand and address what is at stake, those who benefit from the continued instability of Nigeria will continue to create confusion and delay Nigeria from achieving its manifest destiny.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Rear Admiral Godwin N. Kanu (Rtd)<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Chairman.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">September 21, 2017.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeadvert.com\/show.php?z=30&amp;pl=14485&amp;ad_type=59&amp;rl=180\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Annexure: A detailed analysis of the issues emphasizing the inescapable need to return Nigeria to True Federalism and finally stop this descent to retrogression, anarchy and fascism.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">ANNEXURE<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">N A D E C O<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>THE UNNECESSARY ATTEMPT TO TRY TO CONFUSE NIGERIANS ABOUT WHAT IS MEANT BY TRUE FEDERALISM<\/strong><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">1. The National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, a platform constructed by<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">distinguished Nigerians, former Nigerian Public Office Holders, Leaders of<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Ethnic Nationalities, Civil Society Organisations, Labour Unions, Professional<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">and Business Leaders, Youth and Women, etc. is disturbed by the current<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">seeming attempts by partisan political operators and others tending to confuse<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">the Nigerian public and particularly our young people about the clear and<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">unambiguous meaning of Federalism which universally represents a system of<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">government whereby there is a distribution of power particularly between a<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">central government and the constituent units wherever it is practised as<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">opposed to centrist\/unitary government. Nigerian Independent Constitutional<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Arrangement was a Federal System in 1960. Federalism as a term had been<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">more than sufficiently and critically explained and understood bypeoples of<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Nigerians through the strategic advocacy of NADECO, its various affiliate bodies<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">and activists in various fora since 1994.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">2. The word \u201cTrue\u201d came into our national narratives partly as a result of the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">annulment of June 12, 1993 election that was won by Basorun MKO Abiola,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">and whereby the sectional politicians in military uniform led by Gen. Ibrahim<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Babangida and Gen. Sani Abacha got him MKO arrested for claiming his just<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">mandate, detained him, humiliated him, and eventually got him killed.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">3. Pro-democracy groups, activists, professional groups were convinced that a<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">clique of the army could not have been able to be so contemptuous of the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">collective popular will of majority of Nigerians expressed on June 12, 1993 if the Nigerian Federal Constitutional arrangement had not been illegitimately<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">abrogated suspended, truncated by the military. The popular will of the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">majority of the Nigerian peoples then insisted on total reversal away from the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">1963 Federal Republic Constitution upon which we secured our independence.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The peculiarities of Federal Constitutions in India, Canada and the United States of America etc. are credible reminders of the peculiarity of the Nigerian Federal Constitutional order upon which the ethnic nationalities negotiated Nigeria\u2019s Independence in 1960.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">4. No one, no organisation be it political party or otherwise ought now feign<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">ignorance about the genuine meaning of True Federalism when it was because<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">of the sheer popularity and currency, the patent propriety of the demand for it<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">that led some to include this in Manifesto, viz : that Manifesto that \u201cTRUE<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">FEDERALISM\u201d remains one of the cardinal kernels of the Manifesto.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">In some Constitution; it is provided that the Party will:<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\uf0b7 Initiate action to amend our constitution with a view to devolving powers,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">duties, and responsibilities to states and local governments in order to entrench<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">true federalism and the federal spirit.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\uf0b7 Restructure government for a leaner, more efficient and adequately<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">compensated public service.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">5. NADECO is not unaware that the present governance and not a few partisan<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">political operators and others who are beneficiaries of the current lopsided,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">warped and skewed national structure have rejected the 2014 National<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Conference Report and regarded it as not applying to, talkless of being binding<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">on them. It should be crystal clear now that it is just following the same<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">footpath in this seeming misadventure to repeat what had happened, judging<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">from same steps as advertised only recently.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<p><code><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- www.deltanewsroom.com --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/code><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">6. For the avoidance of doubt, the following Nigerian historicity among<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">others are clear and unambiguous :<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">I. Nigerian secured its independence after several negotiations on a Federal<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Constitutional Arrangement, the last being the 1963 Federal Republican<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Constitution; along with the Constitution of the Federating Units.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">II. It was the Politicians in Military Uniform that violently overthrew the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">democratically elected government of Alhaji Tafawa Balewa on\u00a0<span class=\"aBn\" tabindex=\"0\" data-term=\"goog_1371949793\"><span class=\"aQJ\">January 15<\/span><\/span>,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">1966 and the Counter Coup of July 29, 1966 and thereby illegitimately<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">imposed the military coup plotters as rulers of our country.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">III. It was by Decree 1, of 1966 (Constitution Suspension and Modification<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Decree), Decree No.2 (<span class=\"aBn\" tabindex=\"0\" data-term=\"goog_1371949794\"><span class=\"aQJ\">May 24<\/span><\/span>) and Decree No. 5 of 1966 (Constitution<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">and Modification Decrees) that Federalism was abolished even though<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">under Decree No.8, part 1 and part 2 of 2 of 1967, there was a deceitful<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">reaffirmation of Nigeria as a federation because the General Gowon\u2019s side<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">has gained the upper hand in the military foisted ego combat. That<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">unfortunately led to three year civil war that consumed about a million<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Nigerian lives and led to avoidable inhuman deprivations, pains and<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">permanent scourge.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">IV. Decree No. 28 of 1970 finally abrogated the 1963 Constitution except those<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">preserved by Decree No. 1 of 1966 by the suspension and abrogation of the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">1963 Federal Constitution; and having regard to the Organogram of the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Military Institution, the military immediately appropriated to their Central<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Government over 662\/3 of all the powers and authorities upon which the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">regions had powers to legislate and function and by 1999, they have<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">appropriated about 80% of all formal regional powers and influences to the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Central Government led by its Commander-in-Chief.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">V. The Nigerian Military cloaked its military dictatorship with a kind of<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">protective provision\/immunity decree against future prosecution for their<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">many acts of treason\/insurrection against the Nigerian State.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0See Section 6 (6) (C) (d) of the so-called1999 Constitution was brought into existence by Decree No. 24 of 1999.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">VI. the military, appropriated to its Central Government, the major revenue<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">resources of the regions and its succeeding balkanised states which were<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">not created on any scientific and genuinely negotiated parameters except to<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">satisfy the various interests of military big shorts and their civilian collaborators, friends and loyalists. It is incontestable that Nigeria became a Unitary Government since the Army seized power in 1966<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">and Nigeria has been living a lie by calling itself a Federal Government when it had been run unitarily and centrally since 1966.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">7. Arising from the above summary as to where the rain started to beat Nigeria,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">the following observations are germane, namely, that:<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">a. The suspension and abrogation of the Federal Constitutional arrangements by<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">the military and the result of the upper hand gained by a wing of the Nigerian<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Army prior, during and after the three years Civil War has further increased the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">quantum of imbalance in the untenable political equation in the country till<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">date.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The must significant outcome became, becomes\u2026\u2026\u201dThe Federal Republic<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">of Nigeria\u201d Army (Gen Chris Ali) !<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">b. Part of the result of the undue advantage has resulted into<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">I. Injustice in socio-economic and political life of Nigeria.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">II. Inequity in the allocations and distributions of national commonwealth<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">at the expense of the majority.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">III. As a result of the consequence of the aftermath of abandoning the Federal Constitutional Arrangement, dysfunctional monopoly of otherwise nation-building areas such as the Nigerian Security and Intelligence Agency including the Nigerian Police. These get usually monopolised by a section of the country at the expense of the majority except for very few times after much public complaints.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">8. It is therefore the negative results of the abrogation of the federal constitutional<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">order subscribed to by our Founding Fathers and the Ethnic Nationalities that<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">had created a pronounced but unwritten master\/servant relationship<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">among the ethnic nationalities and that has led to the ethnic agitations in<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">various names \u2013 Resource Control, Self-Determination, National Restructuring<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">thereby leading to the establishment of groups like, Egbesu, Niger Delta<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Volunteer Force, Niger Delta Avengers from the south-south etc., MASSOB,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">IPOB etc. from South East, OPC and other Self Determination Groups from<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">the South West and Middle Belt Youth Movement from the Middle Belt and<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">the Northern Youth Movement, from the Far North.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">9. All the agitations intrinsically are directed at calling for immediate and<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">compelling need for Nigeria to return to Federal Constitutional Arrangement upon which it secured its independence. Under the Federal Constitution, each Region was independent to run its affairs by its constitution but the four were coordinating at the centre. The Federal Government was not the boss nor \u201cFather Christmas\u201d to the Regions on resource allocations. FISCAL<\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeadvert.com\/show.php?z=30&amp;pl=14485&amp;ad_type=59&amp;rl=180\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">FEDERALISM was the Constitutional method for Revenue Allocation.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">There were significant and enduring developments and progress in social<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">services and the provisions of infrastructure in all the regions. There were<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">healthy competitions to serve their people.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">10.There is no doubt therefore that it was the Nigerian Military that had<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">arrested the then on-going Nigerian growth and development since 1966.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">All Constitutional arrangements since then have been initiated and superintended to conform with their military rulers predilections.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">11.The current national agitations, mutual mistrust and incohesion cannot<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">be tackled whimsically and with partisan posturing as the some who are favoured by the current sectionally dominated system have been saying and doing recently. In particular, some maybe self-serving all called for greater devotion to the Nigerian Youths who have never experienced good<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">governance except military adventurism in political office amounts to a misdirected understanding of how we arrived at the current state of the nation.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">There are several thousands of their likes who remain on-lookers because of<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">their place of birth. Let\u2019s all join to level the playing fields for all others.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">12.The British Colonial Master used their superior military powers to force into co-<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">habitation the pre-existing ethnic nationalities who have been in absolute<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">control of their native land resources and natural endowments for over several<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">thousand years before the colonialist misadventure into their shore.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">13.It is a fact that Kings Dosemo of Lagos, Overami of Benin, Jaja of Opobo, Alafin<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">of Oyo, Attahiru of Sokoto etc. fought against the imperialists until they were<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">subdued. And at the advent of their forced departure, the imperialits<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">manipulated the processes of their succession to produce a determined result<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">that will permanently keep Nigeria within their spheres of global influence.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Nigerian Ethnic Nationalities have not been given the democratic rights to write<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">their own home grown constitution. We are not unmindful that there was:<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\uf0b7 Gen. Ibrahim Babangida\u2019s Conference Report<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\uf0b7 Gen. Sani Abacha\u2019s Conference Report<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\uf0b7 Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo\u2019s Conference Report<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\uf0b7 President Good luck Jonathan Conference Report<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">14. Even so, :<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">a. NADECO is therefore advocating that Nigeria should immediately return<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">to the basic 1963 Federal Republic Constitution treasonably abrogated by<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">the Nigerian Army to halt further drift which the unsustainable current National Structure has occasioned.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">b. All other variants, and concepts (even as listed in an advertorial) of\/on creation\/merger of states, Derivation Principle, Devolution of Powers, Federating Units, Fiscal Federalism, Form of Government, Independent Candidacy etc. are already provided for as parts of our Federal Constitutional arrangement.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">15. It also need to be restated for emphasis that the National Assembly even as per our so-called Constitution can only amend constitution. But what Nigeria need<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">urgently is a new (ie not amended DECREE) constitutional document whose working background document will be the 1963 Federal Constitution which gave Nigeria hope and gradual fulfilment of aspirations before the Nigerian Army arrested the National growth and development in 1966. A Return to the 1963 Federal Constitution along with genuinely negotiated necessary<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">amendments to meet contemporary improvements will significantly reduce the level of Corruption which has become a monumental National Cankerworm. It will largely restore the sense of belongings, and the erstwhile \u00a0previous march to the country developing into nation-State<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">16.Those who are asking Nigeria to take their complaints on National Restructuring to the National Assembly are making either uneducated or deliberately-mischievous (to the detriment of fostering the Country\u2019s pursuit of nation-state and existence) errors of omission and commission assumptions and conclusions. What they are in fact asking Nigerians to do are:<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">I. To accord the Treasonable conducts of the Putchists\/military coup<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">d\u2019\u00e9tat\/insurrections against the Nigerian State a Legitimacy.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">II. Accept the militarily foisted decrees\/constitutions that have abrogated our<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">negotiated federal constitutional arrangement and substituted it with<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">recurrent falsehood of \u201cWE, the People\u201d decrees.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">III. Accept the current unsustainable political administration that has for over<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">25years now led Nigeria to be spending about 80% of its earning on<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">recurrent expenditure thereby making very little allowance for capital expenditure. Nigerian\u2019s Human Development Index and Gross Domestic Product statistics are among that of the war ravaged countries in the world even though we were for about 25years the 7th or 8th highest exporter of crude oil, exporting averagely 2million barrel at averagely $100 per barrel per day.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">IV. Accept the arbitrarily created states and Local Governments (mostly unviable) which favours particular sections of the country because a preponderant part of the military and political leadership for most years<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">were from their parts of the country. And they have equally used their powers in government to make Land Mass, Number of Local Governments etc. as part of the parameters for sharing national revenue and basis for<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">election constituency delimitations.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">V. Etc, etc.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">17.The place of the Legislature is an important matter to be discussed and resolved by Nigerians. So the National Assembly cannot be presiding over its own<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">matters. In any case, NONE of the Law Makers campaigned that they were<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">going to write a new constitution during their campaigns.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">18.The current nation-wide agitations by Ethnic Nationalities for national<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">restructuring cannot be described in all honesty by any right thinking Nigerian<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">to be that of defeated politicians as we have earlier on set the record straight to<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">have started in recent times in 1994. Those who are making such uninformed,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">or rather deceitful statements are doing so for pecuniary gains which the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">current unsustainable national structure has afforded them, (many of them<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">had lived, strive to live, on government from cradle to grave), is affording<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">them now or may afford them in the future. And they just make such statements now and again for their selfish reasons and ambitions.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">19. i. Take Indian Ghandi, Pandit Nehru, the political elite and their Political<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Commission were able to work on India\u2019s parliament to grant full autonomy and<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">independence to the various big ethnic nationalities that were agitating and<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">allow for mergers of contiguous states thereby producing 29 states and 7 Union<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Territories in all. The result has been that India has since become a Union<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">of Federating States and has become a stable and vibrant nation state. India today is the biggest democracy and the fastest growing economy in the Asian hemisphere.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">20.Those who imagine that they can still continue to use the force of arms to keep<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Nigerian Ethnic Nationalities in cohabitation are ignorant of current global<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">realities. Self-Determination by indigenous people\/Freedom fighters has now<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">become part of the United Nation Protocol. Article 1 of the International<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Covenant on Civil and Political Rights States thus<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201cAll peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">that freely determines their political status and freely pursues their economic, social and cultural development\u201d. \u201cArticle 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that \u201cEveryone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association and no one may be compelled to belong to an association\u201d.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">21.i. The political groups should appreciate that no condition is permanent. It is<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">not impossible that there can be a reversal of fortune. It is essential that all<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">avoid tread the negatively partisan path.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">ii. The political operators must also appreciate that it is too late to imagine that<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">any force on earth can stop a momentum (national restructuring-return to<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">the 1963 Federal Constitution Arrangement) whose time has come from<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">becoming a reality in spite of the illegal and unconstitutional declaration having<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">the Nigerian State describing the youth as terrorists.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">22. The Nigerian Army should no longer be allowed to misuse public coercive<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">instrument bought with tax payer\u2019s money to clamp down on democratic and<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">legitimate demands for self-determination. Clamping down on, repressing and<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">hounding Campaigners for Justice, equity and fair play for Ethnic nationalities and groups has been globally outlawed and held as repugnant to civilised conduct in today\u2019s world. NADECO has paid much for such with its members and leaders sweat, blood, liberty and supreme sacrifice during our vigorous campaign for restoration of democracy now being misused by many of the current political actors. The world is now a global village. Recent history is replete with the transformation of yesterday\u2019s rebels and terrorists who have assumed political leadership of nations where they have been formerly arrested, jailed, humiliated and dehumanised while fighting for freedom and liberty of their peoples.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">23. What we have tried to remind All to this Release is that doing the same thing in<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">the same way and expecting a different result is an unfortunate misadventure.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">It is wasteful and wasted exercise.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">24.The recent emergence of Civil Societies, Professional and business bodies,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Governors, clergymen and other groups are welcome development but they all<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">belong to one ethnic nationality or the other; they don\u2019t genuinely represent the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">building blocks with which the Founding Fathers negotiated various treaties to<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">couple Nigeria together.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">25.Furthermore, we recommend to All Concerned to face the reality that<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">majority of Nigerians from more than four out of the six political zones of Nigeria can no more accept the current sectionally foisted and configured unity by the past sectional military dictators that has kept other sections of Nigeria in servitude for too long. The 1963 Federal Republic Constitution as may be amended which was negotiated by our founding fathers nationalists and leadership of the ethnic Nationalities must be the basic document for any genuine reconciliation agenda start up.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">26.NADECO will like to enjoin all political actors and operators to have the<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">humility and serenity to realise the need for a quick rethink about the political<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">instability of the state of the Country and the fragility of our country\u2019s bond.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">27. Let us sound it clear once again \u201cSelf-Determination is the anthem of this millennium\u201d. National Restructuring and Return to Federalism are necessities whose time have come. Whatever wrong (or is it, disturbing!) that we see today, would and will be Child\u2019s Play if we do not face the necessities whose time have<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">come.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0Rear Admiral Godwin N. Kanu (Rtd)<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0Chairman<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/nigeria-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-16042\" src=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/nigeria-2-300x250.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/nigeria-2-300x250.jpg 300w, http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/nigeria-2.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NADECO RECONVENES : DEMANDS RESTRUCTURING .. PRESS RELEASE N A D E C O THE CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION OF THE COUNTRY: DESCENT TO MILITARISM AND THE ROAD TO ANARCHY The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), a Platform of distinguished Nigerians committed to securing and PROTECTING Democracy in Nigeria believes it is time once again to rise [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":16042,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[1490,4142,4143],"class_list":["post-16041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","tag-ipob","tag-nadeco","tag-rear-admiral-godwin-n-kanu"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/nigeria-2.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4oswh-4aJ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16041"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16045,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16041\/revisions\/16045"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}