By: Sunday Oyewole The decisions of the proposed national conference will be forwarded to the National Assembly for deliberation and eventual passage into law, President Goodluck has said.
He disclosed this on Tuesday while receiving a delegation of Muslims community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) led by Vice President Namadi Sambo, who paid him the traditional Sallah homage at his residence in the Presidential Villa.
Also on the delegation were the Minister of State for the FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide, representative of the Chief Imam of Abuja national mosque, the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Saad Ibrahim, Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Catholic Arch Bishop of Abuja, National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki and other top government functionaries.
The President explained that since the lawmakers are in the process of amending the 1999 constitution, it would be necessary to forward the decisions of the conference to them for consideration and passage into law.
He insisted there was need for Nigerians from across the country to dialogue on the way forward for the country, saying to the critics of the proposed conference that his government was committed to what is right.
The President said, “So we want a country that will have a direction so the discussions must have a direction, the discussion must lead Nigeria to where we want to be, not a divided Nigeria, not a Nigeria that is sown on hate, not a Nigeria that will be based on acrimony, ethnicity and tribal sentiments in the way we conduct ourselves.
“That is a reason we set up that committee and we have given them the free will. Some people are still instigating others that the President is doing this; the government does not have the capacity to do that. We are totally committed to do what is right.
“We don’t need to carry cane to flog Nigerians to show that we are determined. Even the Justice Uwais committee that was set up, that report was passed on to the National Assembly. In 2010, we brought Belgore and others and I said in 2005 Nigerians discussed something why don’t we begin to implement some of them.
“So, we need to come up with some bills in those areas we have agreed and we push it to the National Assembly. Of course some of those bills have not come out from the National Assembly but we believe that even in the constitutional amendment that is going on some will be useful.
“And this national dialogue is even critical and is coming at the right time because the National Assembly is thinking about how they will amend the constitution. So the results of the discussion of course will be passed to the National Assembly.
“It is only left for all of us who are Nigerians to impress it on our representatives those in National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly because our state and federal parliament must work together to ensure these are properly enshrined in our constitution so that as a nation we will hand over a country that is better than what we have met to our children.
“We must work very hard; we must talk to ourselves the way that our children will not develop hate amongst themselves. And that is one of the key reason that we decided to have a conversation as a nation”. He thanked the delegation for observing the traditional homage.
Vice President Namadi Sambo, while speaking earlier commended President Jonathan for giving the country the right leadership, calling on Nigerians to support the proposed national dialogue in the interest of the country.
