Of ethnic confab and National Conference

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AGITATION for a platform that will offer an equitable opportunity for Nigerians to discuss Nigeria and sundry issues relating to it has always occupied the front row in the nation’s democratic history, intermittently distorted by military disturbances. Despite its reccurrence and incomplete attention benefited from former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, its unabated persistence has again profited from the turbulent nature of Nigeria politics.  The modalities for the next talk shop and the form of its membership have been decided, but key issues that ought to be considered seem to have been unduly relegated. Ethnicity and undefined system of government are key national challenges, among others, that must not escape the eagle eyes of the selected members of the confab. While it is easier to find Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and other ethnic leaders, you will hardly find a national leader acceptable to all Nigerians.
   That is why nobody appears to love Nigeria except its wealth. Today, politicians fight dirty over sectional agenda and that accounts for the regionalisation of the office of the president to sectional campaigns. It is either Yoruba, Hausa or Igbo presidency, not Nigerian presidency. If we genuinely intend to solve our numerous national problems, we must talk about ethnic groups which evidently form the entity called Nigeria. I think the main issue that challenges our growth is ethnic struggle; we must discuss it so that the culture of citizenship that is absent in very many of us may be heralded by the decision taken at the confab.
  As argued by many ethnic groups, including the Pan Yoruba socio political group, Afenifere, ethnic nationalities should be given a pride of place in the national conference for its decisions to have a far-reaching impact on the generality of the people. It is an open secret that in Nigeria today, many of the agitations that brought about the convocation of the much talked about conference emanated from ethnic groups. For instance, some sections of the country believe that another ethnic group has been dominating major political offices in the country, particularly the office of the president.
   Also, some ethnic groups in the country are also of the opinion that they should be in control of the God-given resources in their domain, lamenting that the lopsidedness in the polity had made them to suffer, while those that do not feel the heat of the impact of turning such resources to revenue are the one benefiting most from it.
  As is evident in the results of some of the mini confabs organised by some of the ethnic nationalities, the demands of the people vary from one ethnic group to the other. While some still prefer that the status quo remains, some have been coming up with other forms of government like regionalism or confederal government. It is therefore important that the place of ethnic nationalities should not be overlooked at the conference.
   Therefore, discussing ethnic struggle exhaustively during the confab with a view to making the Nigeria nation work will definitely make every citizen to see himself or herself first as a Nigerian and also aspire to a national office as a Nigerian rather than the present arrangement where we all base our arguments on the desirability of a national post on ethnic sentiments. This will also make the occupiers of such posts to know that they are holding such posts in trust for Nigerians and not for the Yoruba, Hausa,Igbo, Ijaw, Kanuri, Fulani and so on. Above all, a conference with a no-go area is one that Nigerians want and deserve for the progress, unity and stability of the country. God bless Nigeria.