Group says conference may make or mar Mr. Jonathan’s tenure
The Afenifere Renewal Group, ARG, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to make public the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on National Dialogue, which was submitted on Wednesday.
In a press statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Kunle Famoriyo, Thursday, the group said making the report a public document was the only way President Jonathan’s wish to convoke the conference could continue to enjoy the support of Nigerians.
“Nigerians have supported the call for the conference and participated fully in the public sessions. Many travelled far distances to participate in the conference. One of them was the late Babarinde Omojola, who never returned home but died after making his presentation in Akure,” the statement said.
“The only way to respect and honour the sacrifices Nigerians made towards the successful completion of the committee’s task is to publicise the report.”
The Yoruba socio-political group said that it would not be rail-roaded
into a national conference whose modalities and terms were skewed against the interest of its people.
“Certainly, we will only support the proposed conference for as long as it is transparently planned,” the group continued in the statement.
“Our demand is to see Nigeria restructured into a truly federalist country with viable and autonomous federating units. We are convinced this is what majority of Nigerians want, as our wide consultations have shown.”
The group also said that the conference, when finally convoked, would succeed and produce the desired outcome only if it was a conference of Nigerian ethnic nationalities.
“We therefore plead with President Jonathan not to put the cart before the horse as he did when he announced that he has instructed the Minister of Finance to make budgetary preparation for the conference. It is good to make financial preparation for the conference but we insist that the first thing to do after the submission of the report is to make its content public.
“The group also noted that the outcome of the proposed conference would either make or mar Mr. Jonathan’s tenure.
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