Eminent Nigerians, including former Heads of State and Presidents of Nigeria, Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Emeka Anyaoku, Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, Former Chief of Army Staff, TY Danjuma, are now set to address the constitutional dialogue on the future of Nigeria holding on Monday at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos.
Others are the Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, Ango Abdullahi, Leader of the Niger Delta, Edwin Clark, Former Chief of Defence Staff, Alani Akinriade, Northern Elder, Tanko Yakassai, Leader of Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, serving and former governors and legislators and eminent northern and southern leaders.
The Chairman of the Patriots, a group of eminent leaders of thought in Nigeria, Chief Anyaoku, in a statement said the dialogue titled: “Lawful Procedures for Actualising a People’s Constitution For Nigeria,” is designed to help build national consensus, especially among the Nigerian elite on the constitutional future of Nigeria, particularly on how to make Nigeria work for all its diverse peoples and citizens.
Anyaoku said the dialogue which is aimed at mobilising Nigerians towards breaking the barriers against the cohesion and good governance of the country, will hold in Honour of the Late Prof Ben Nwabueze SAN, a foremost Champion and Protagonist for the convocation of the 2014 National Confab inaugurated 10 years ago on 17th March 2014 by President Goodluck Jonathan and whose body was laid to rest last month in his home town in Atani, Anambra State.
The historic national meeting is also expected to set a formidable citizens’ agenda for the ongoing constitution review process of the Federal Government initiated by the National Assembly towards the popular reconfiguration, cohesion, stability, and prosperity of Nigeria through constructive advocacy for new democratic people’s constitution to replace the subsisting military decree No 24 of 1999 in force in Nigeria as1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).
Other eminent stakeholders slated to participate are the Presidency, former Presidents, former Vice Presidents, serving and former governors, the leadership of the Senate and House of Reps, Traditional Rulers, eminent national leaders of thought, scholars, members of the judiciary, captains of the private sector, leaders of Organised Civil Society and labour, among other Nigerians.
