The national conference slated to hold soon in Nigeria is been billed as a much needed panacea for Nigeria problems. Nigeria imminent transformation after the conference is already assured going by the outsized expectation from this conference. Nigerians have written and practiced parliamentary and presidential system of government since 1960 when the British lowered their union jack flag for the last time, which gave birth to Nigeria independence. We adopted British parliamentary system of government, which was abandoned after 1966 military coup. Successive military regimes set up constitutional Assembly, which drafted American presidential system of government with slight modification, which consists of three equal branches namely, the executive, legislative and the judiciary. The three branches are supposed to maintain check and balances on each other. The presidential system appears to fit Nigeria character better because of diverse ethnic make up of Nigeria.
The presidential system of government made it easy for different ethnic groups in Nigeria to govern themselves with the help of the state governors, state legislatures and local government chairmen and councils. The federal legislature consists of the senate and House of Representatives. Senators and Representatives have already amended Nigeria constitution once. The national legislatures have been churning out laws since 1999 when democracy was restored in Nigeria.
Why the need for a National conference when Nigeria has the national and state legislatures who are entrusted with the responsibility of making laws. All Nigerians have access to these legislatures and can table their ideas and concerns to them so they can turn those ideas into law if it is worthwhile. Major ethnic groups in Nigeria appears eager to attend even though most of them do not know the modality and nature of the conference. They talk about the conference with such energy and gusto as if all Nigeria problems will be taken care off at the conference.
Don’t these people know that Nigerian problem is not the constitution since Nigeria has one of the finest constitutions on paper. The problem is the flawed individuals who are entrusted with the responsibility of implementing and enforcing the content of the constitution. Corruption, insufficient work ethics and indiscipline lie at the heart of what ails Nigeria. What makes Nigerians think that getting together and talking will make much of a difference. Moreover, there is no enforcement mechanism for the recommendations that will come out of this conference, which should be better described as a talking shop. Their role will be advisory and their recommendations will be compiled and neatly tucked away in a file cabinet somewhere at the presidential villa.
It is unfortunate that Nigerians are falling for this gigantic hoax conceived to divert attention away from the economic misery and insecurity, which is prevalent in the land. Money that will be used in this meaningless exercise should be used to pay Nigeria pensioners who are owed months of pension arrears. When will Nigerians stop deceiving themselves and chasing shadows instead of coming to the realization that more laws, recommendations and constitutional revisions will not make any difference in the life of Nigerians if they cannot be effectively implemented. Nigerians, especially those in positions of official responsibilities need to look at the mirror and see that they are what ail Nigeria.
Nigerians cannot engage in massive corruption and expect the country to move forward nor receive monthly salary without doing the job nor expect anybody to invest their money in the country when their safety cannot be guaranteed.
This National Conference will amount to no more than a talking shop, waste of resources and time. There is an established body set up to address all Nigerian issues at the National, state and local government level. The body is the national assembly at the federal level, state assembly at the state level and local government councils at the local government level. If individuals elected to those bodies are not performing, they should be voted out and replaced by people who will be accountable to Nigerians. Nigerians should stop engaging in unnecessary distractions which could threaten the coperate existence of Nigeria as a nation.