FLASHBACK! FLASHBACK!!
On 11th September 2020, NATIONAL CHRISTIAN ELDERS FORUM (NCEF), gave Nigerians the solution to the crisis plaguing the country. Those solutions remain the way out.
The TRADITIONAL RULERS and the SOCIO-CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS like Afenifere, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Middle Belt Forum, PANDEF, and Arewa Consultative Forum should take note.
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NATIONAL CHRISTIAN ELDERS FORUM (NCEF)
RESOLUTION FOR CONFERENCE OF ETHNIC NATIONALITIES
The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) met on Thursday 10th September, 2020 and deliberated on the state of Nigeria. The Christian Elders were much concerned about the drift of the country into a state of anarchy and deliberated on immediate remedial measures not only to halt the drift, but also to provide long lasting solutions to the myriad of problems confronting Nigeria.
At the end of the deliberations, the following resolutions were adopted and proposed for immediate consideration and implementation of Nigerians in the collective interest of all the citizens:
a. WHEREAS Nigeria was a conglomerate of independent indigenous tribes and ethnic nationalities before the advent of the British Colonialists.
b. WHEREAS the British Colonialists forcefully amalgamated these independent ethnic nationalities into a country named Nigeria.
c. WHEREAS in 1960 the British Colonialists relinquished its control over Nigeria by granting it independence from colonial rule after successful Constitutional Conferences resulting in a negotiated and mutually agreed upon Constitution.
d. WHEREAS the Military in 1966 suspended the Constitution agreed upon by the Ethnic Nationalities and introduced a Unitary System WITHOUT the consent of the Ethnic Nationalities.
e. WHEREAS the Unitary System, culminating in the 1999 Constitution produced by the Military, WITHOUT the input of the Ethnic Nationalities, is strangulating Nigeria socially, economically, politically and spiritually,
f. WHEREAS the current Federal Government is adding pressure to an already testy situation through unbridled discriminatory and sectional policies,
g. WHEREAS the discriminatory policies of the current Federal Administration has resulted in mindless brutal and inhuman killings and harrowing kidnapping experiences of Nigerian citizens without prosecution of the insurgents,
h. WHEREAS the Federal Government has sought to impose on the indigenous ethnic nationalities toxic legislations like Social Media Bill, Hate Speech Bill, RUGA, Waterways Bill, Grazing Colony and Grazing Reserve in order to promote and protect sectional ethnic and discriminatory religious interests, thereby adding pressure to an already fragile Federation.
i. WHEREAS, the mismanagement of Nigeria by the current Administration has led to the collapse of national security and national economy with Nigeria currently occupying the unenviable position of No. 14 on the 2020 list of Failed States despite the enormous human and natural resources in the country,
j. THEREFORE, in order to preserve the corporate existence of Nigeria and bring an end to the economic, security, and social woes that have befallen Nigeria, the National Christian Elders Forum, during its meeting on 10th September, 2020, passed the following resolutions:
RESOLUTIONS
1. THAT the indigenous Ethnic Nationalities should remember that they are free-born and were never slaves of the British Crown.
2. THAT the indigenous Ethnic Nationalities are the true owners of Nigeria and are in control of the Legislature.
3. THAT the Ethnic Nationalities have the responsibility of halting the relentless drift of Nigeria into a state of anarchy by convening a Conference to re-negotiate Nigeria.
4. THAT the resolutions of the Ethnic Nationalities during the Conference should be passed on to the National Assembly for the drafting of new Constitution for Nigeria based on democracy as the National Ideology as agreed originally during the Constitutional Conferences leading to Independence in 1960.
5. THAT any Legislator that fails to comply with the resolutions of the Ethnic Nationalities should be recalled by his Constituency.
6. THAT the Ethnic Nationalities should not wait for government to convene such Conference due to the disturbing discriminatory policies of government in recent years.
7. THAT the socio-cultural groups comprising Afenifere, Yoruba World Congress, Ohaneze N'digbo, PANDEF, Middle Belt Forum and Arewa Consultative Forum should organize the various Ethnic Nationalities within their fold and agree on a date for the Conference.
8. THAT the Conference of the Ethnic Nationalities should take place within the next six to nine months. That is, latest by March – May, 2021.
9. THAT the Ethnic Nationalities Movement (ENM), the Conveners of the Conference of ENM in 2013, shall act as Secretariat for the Conference.
10. THAT Nigerian Christians should support the process of implementing remedial measures to stabilize the country by contributing monthly into the Lay Faithful Trust Foundation designed to fund Christian advocacy and intervention. Without adequate funding, remedial measures would not be possible to implement.
God bless Nigeria.
Bosun Emmanuel
Secretary, NCEF
11th September, 2020