Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Former Nigeria’s President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has given reasons why he and other prominent leaders and elderstatesmen met in Abuja on Thursday.
Obasanjo who spoke to some journalists at the lobby of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, in Abuja yesterday gave more insight into what was discussed at the Thursday meeting.
He said that the agenda of the meeting which lasted several hours included issues ranging from “security, economy, welfare, well-being and unity and progress of Nigeria.”
He said:” We are made up of former Heads of State and President, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, former National Security Adviser. It also included organised Labour, academia, women and groups representatives. Those who couldn’t be physically present sent apologies like the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Professor Wole Soyinka, Emeka Anyaoku.
“We acknowledged the letter written in response to our own letter informing the President about our meeting and his goodwill message that the outcome of our meeting will be of interest to him.
“We spoke frankly amongst ourselves after discussing relevant issues of security and economy. We were long on statements but short on action.”
However, when asked about the outcome or resolution of the meeting, he said: “We decided that our communique won’t be issued until after submitting our report to the President.”
He said that Nigerians would soon understand the motive of the meeting of the coalition through its actions.
“Actions on our part and other people’s part that are of immediate requirements, you will be seeing them.
“We pledge to ourselves to change the narratives, we have to start building confidence and be reaching out. From now on, you will hear from our actions on the outcome of our deliberations.”
Obasanjo said the leaders who met under the auspices the Committee for Goodness of Nigeria (CGN) had agreed to present its communique to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), who, he said, was duly notified of the meeting and its agenda before its commencement.
According to him, members of the group agreed in principle to formally present their resolutions to President Buhari before making it public.
Among those present at the Thursday meeting included, Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar and His Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan; former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), and former National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau (retd).
Others in attendance at the meeting were the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja 1; Etsu Nupe, Dr. Yahaya Abubakar; former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi (SAN); Otunba Tunde Fasawe; and former Minister of Agriculture and Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum, Chief Audu Ogbeh.
Also in attendance were the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba and the President of Ohanaeze Ndi’gbo, Prof. Ralph Obiozor.
