The Senate has rejected calls for a sovereign national conference, saying the country does not need it.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, while briefing journalists after plenary on Tuesday said the National Assembly remained the only platform for any national discuss.
Abaribe urged those who were calling for the SNC to bring their demands to the National Assembly which he said composed of representatives of the people.
But pro-SNC groups and individuals have faulted the Senate position, saying the National Assembly could not address the myriad of problems facing the country.
The Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere; the Save Nigeria Group; the Congress for Progressive Change; Ijaw Republican Assembly; and a prominent constitutional lawyer, Itse Sagay (SAN), said the Senate was wrong.
Pro-SNC groups have intensified the call for national conference since the militant Islamic group, Boko Haram, stepped up attacks on the northern part of the country. The groups at a summit in Lagos last week called for the convocation of a sovereign national conference.
But the Senate spokesman said the National Assembly was the only vehicle by which constitutional changes in the country could be made.
Abaribe said, “Our position is that we are already elected to represent all persons and citizens of Nigeria. If you look at the composition you are either represented by a House of Representatives member or a senator.
“We do not think there is any matter under the sun that we will shy away from. We do not understand the stand of those who insist that there must be Sovereign National Conference.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we are not against any group, association or persons meeting to discuss because that is to ensure democracy. What we are saying is that there cannot be democracy without democrats.
“Therefore if you want any alteration to the way of life in the country the vehicle is the National Assembly. If you want to change the constitution, bring it through the Representatives and the Senate.”
Reacting to the Senate’s position, Sagay said the country would not survive without the proposed conference.
In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, he said a SNC was necessary for the various segments in the country to meet and define their terms of association.
“This country will not survive without a national conference. If they want us to live together in harmony, we need to meet and define our terms of association,” he said.
He added, “The Senate is behaving typically like all Nigerians in temporary power – they think the sovereign national conference would take away their personal powers.
“They are only motivated by selfish interests and care only about the N15m they collect every month. It is just lack of foresight and vision that is destroying the country.”
Another lawyer and political activist, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, said the senate rejection of calls for national conference Would not stop the project.
“Their rejection is a non-issue. It is the sovereignty of the people. The conference will come on stream for the sake of the nation and they cannot stop it because the people want to discuss their well-being.
“I am sure the executive arm will not be on the same page on this issue with the Senate,” he said.
The Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, said that the convocation of a the SNC was crucial to the continued existence of Nigeria as a nation.
“We need to talk and I believe that the leadership of the National Assembly would provide a platform that would enable us to fashion a way forward for Nigeria,” he said.
Also, the Ijaw Republican Assembly faulted the stand of the Senate, saying the National Assembly should not play politics with the country.
The spokesman for the group, Annkinto Briggs, said, “Some senators have been in the Senate since 1999, what changes have they brought to Nigeria? What bills have they enacted to move the country forward apart from the huge amount of money that they are receiving? “Let us not play politics with Nigeria.”
A member of the Save Nigeria Group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said the lawmakers were afraid of the SNC because they were afraid of losing their privileges as federal legislators.
“The National Assembly is a lawmaking body, not constitution-making body. We need an SNC whose decision will be binding on all organs of government,” he said.
Another group, the Igbo Youth Movement, criticised the Senate and said the convocation of SNC was inevitable.
President of the group, Mr. Elliot Uko, said the Senate must have been pandering to the sentiments of those “that are sponsoring the present unworkable unitary system.”
“The nation must restructure along the lines of true federalism. Any delay in convening a national conference will only be postponing the evil day. We are not giving up Nigeria. But Nigeria must be restructured on Aburi Accord,” Uko said.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, described the Senate’s position as an affront to Nigerians.
He said, “The Senators should know that they do not have the power to reject the call that emanated from the people who elected these same lawmakers to their positions.
“Sovereignty belongs to the people and not to a few Nigerians, who also got the power to be on their seats from Nigerians. How can they say they are more powerful than those who gave them job?”
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