The Ongoing National Conference

THE ONGOING NATIONAL CONFERENCE: LET’S TALK ABOUT IT!


Greetings brethren! I sincerely welcome you all to another special segment of this holistic crusade we started together otherwise known as “Fancy Facts”. Apparently, the Almighty has been by our side ever since we commenced this humanitarian activity; this is the reason I personally can’t thank Him enough not unlike I’ve always said.

Having witnessed so many calamities in the Nigerian state, it’s obvious that life remains the most precious and expensive tool on earth in its entirety. Or if you wish to counter the opinion, you can kindly and boldly forward yours anytime as it pleases your person. Of course, you know exactly how to reach me.

Having noted the above opinion, I wish to use this avenue to reemphasize on our respective daily prayers. Please, no matter how vigorous you intend to pray or you’ve been praying, I want to let you know that prayer over the sustenance of our lives cannot be compromised for whatsoever reason. Thus, as you pray on a daily basis, I expect you to concentrate on the protection and sustenance of your life by the supremacy. Because, if your precious life goes beneath the forbidden six-feet, then everything about you here on earth has automatically gone as well. Yes, the arithmetic is just as easy as summing one to one which definitely would give you two.

Come to think of it; have you ever, even for once, wondered why people can’t stop crying or mourning over the loss of their loved ones? The answer is very simple. It is simply because they would never be privileged to have an encounter with the departed soul or the deceased person again, till they join him/her if possible.

The bone of contention of my today’s crusade is that, one’s life can never be compromised for anything. Therefore, we must all work to ensure that our lives are sustained. And for our lives to be sustained, we must endeavour to embrace or extol peace among us at all cost. I’m sure you haven’t forgotten based on one of my recent publications, that, peace can never be found if there’s no unity among the people or group in question?

Late last year, precisely 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan proposed to come up with a national conference. He subsequently reiterated that there would be no “going back” on the proposed National Conference; with the view that, it would help to restore normalcy in respect to unity and peace among the Nigerian citizenry.

It’s no longer news that since the assumption of office of Mr. President, Dr. Jonathan precisely, there has been fathomless lawlessness and high level of insurgency in Nigeria, the northern region to be precise, thereby constituting unquantifiable pandemonium on the Nigeria’s polity. No doubt, this was one of the reasons the Presidency insisted on the national conference. Let’s ride on!

Afterwards, the proposed national conference was inaugurated few weeks ago constituting about 492 delegates from all facets of the country. Delegates were also drawn from various recognized social/professional groups existing in the country. And the ongoing National Conference is officially expected to last for several months as planned.

One of my old time friends in the diaspora lamented recently, albeit humorously, that most of the delegates are “group of tired and sick bones”. Such observation was not unconnected to the slumping witnessed among them almost on a daily basis. Though he might be right, but I’m strongly of the view that the people in question were selected based on their unreserved experience; thus, it’s a way forward.

One fact we must not take for granted is that, for the ongoing National Conference taking place in Abuja to actualize its anticipated vision, the entire delegates are expected to possess some crucial idiosyncrasies. And the qualities expected of them must not be compromised for whatsoever reason if truly that, our primary mission is to foster formidable unity amongst the occupants of the nation regardless of social, religious or political affiliations.

First, each of the delegates must concentrate on the national interest at the expense of their respective individual or ethnic interests. Of course, the national interest is nothing but unity coupled with absolute peace. President Goodluck Jonathan has already stated during his inaugural speech that, any view/opinion contrary to national unity coming from any of the delegates would not be accepted. So for them to arrive at the apt point, they ought to pocket their selfish desires. On this note, they must eschew their personal grievances, and consider only that of the nation.

Secondly, they should endeavour to wear a bold skin to enable them earn their views freely without any iota of fear or intimidation. Their views count, that is why they were nominated and as well appointed to represent their respective groups. Therefore, they shouldn’t let their people see their representations as wastes. In other words, they must all live up to the general expectation of their respective groups.

Thirdly, they must not play politics with the opportunity granted to them by their people. They ought to endeavour to draw a dichotomy between the major object of the conference and the Any Other Business (A.O.B). the delegates must realize that the conference is not in any way a political convection. Suffice to say that, they must distance themselves from politics as long as they remain in that conference; thus, they should leave politics for those who own it. A word is enough.

Lastly, and most importantly, the Federal Executive Council in conjunction with the Legislative Council must endeavour to implement anything of national interest the delegates would arrive at; if not, the ongoing national conference would be tagged by all and sundry as a mere jamboree afterwards. So if during the conference, they agreed on any issue that would promote national unity, the Presidency ought not to hesitate in the implementation of the agreement. In other words, politics mustn’t be attached by our men at the top.

Having noted the above facts, we must on our own accounts pray and fast enthusiastically and vehemently to ensure that our delegates obtain what we ask them to purchase in the market, because we are aware that anything less than our expectations won’t be accepted from them.

For crying out loud; we’ve already lost millions of lives and property due to lack of unity. Thus, we must all work collectively to restore this lost glory. And the time to act is now. Think about it!



FRED NWAOZOR

frednwaozor@gmail.com