By Editor
ABUJA, Nigeria- In a dramatic virtual press conference that reverberated across the nation, the National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) delivered a resounding call to action. On a solemn Thursday, April 11, 2024, against the backdrop of escalating racial displacement and ethnic violence, the forum convened to address the harrowing reality facing Nigeria: a landscape marred by deliberate acts of terror aimed at uprooting indigenous ethnic communities from their ancestral lands.
With an air of urgency thickening the digital atmosphere, NCEF sounded a clarion call to all Nigerians. They painted a stark picture of a nation teetering on the brink of chaos, where terrorism has become synonymous with forced displacement, leaving countless indigenous peoples languishing as internally displaced persons within their own borders.
The forum, which has in its fold the likes of General T.Y. Danjuma (Rtd), General Zamani Lekwot (Rtd), Chief Solomon Asemota (SAN) and other elder statesmen, did not mince words in condemning the government’s failure to protect its citizens. As relentless attacks by terrorists continue unabated, every indigenous ethnic group finds itself precariously perched on the precipice of racial extermination. It’s a dire state of affairs that demands immediate and decisive action.
But amidst the despair, NCEF offered a glimmer of hope—a beacon of light in the darkness engulfing the nation. Their solution? A bold and audacious call for a new constitution—a seismic shift away from the status quo of centralized power to a decentralized model that empowers local communities to safeguard their own security.
This call for constitutional reform is not merely a suggestion; it’s a rallying cry—a demand for change that reverberates through the hallowed halls of power. NCEF unequivocally declared that the responsibility for crafting this new constitution rests squarely on the shoulders of the ethnic nationalities—not the National Assembly. It’s a mandate for grassroots mobilization, an impassioned plea for unity in the face of adversity.
But NCEF’s impassioned plea was not a solitary voice in the wilderness. It found resonance in the propositions put forward by the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-determination (NINAS). These propositions, aimed at stemming the tide of constitutional crisis and preventing the descent into anarchy, received a thunderous endorsement from all quarters.
NINAS Presentation: The NINAS presentation at the press conference can be accessed via the following provided link, offering insights into the group’s propositions for resolving Nigeria’s constitutional crisis.
December 16, 2020 Declaration: The full text of the NINAS Constitutional Force Majeure, published in the Atlantic Post (link embedded) and Guardian Newspaper (link embedded), provides additional context on the group’s stance and demands for constitutional restructuring.
NINAS 5-Point Proposition: NINAS’ comprehensive proposition to resolve Nigeria’s constitutional logjam and prevent further descent into anarchy are as follows:
(1) A formal announcement by the Federal Government of Nigeria acknowledging the constitutional grievances and sovereignty dispute now declared by the Peoples of South and Middle-Belt of Nigeria.
(2) A formal commitment by Federal Government of Nigeria to the wholesale decommissioning and jettisoning of the 1999 Constitution as the basis of the Federation of Nigeria as was done by the Government of Apartheid-Era South Africa in 1990, to commence the process by which the Apartheid Constitution of the then South Africa was eased out.
(3) A formal announcement by the Federal Government of Nigeria suspending further general elections under the “disputed 1999 Constitution since winners of such elections will swear to, and governed by that Constitution.
(4) A formal initiation of a time-bound transitioning process to midwife the emergence of fresh constitutional protocols by a two-stage process in which the constituent regional blocs will at the first stage, distil and ratify their various constitutions by referendums and plebiscites and in the second stage, negotiate the terms of federating afresh as may be dictated by the outcomes of referendum and plebiscites.
(5) A formal invitation to the Peoples of the South and Middle-Belt of Nigeria to work out and emplace a transitional authority, which shall specify the modalities for the transitioning process, including the composition and mandate of the transitional authority a well as the time frame for the transitioning and other ancillary matters.
As the echoes of the virtual press conference reverberate through the corridors of power, Nigeria stands at a crossroads. Will it heed the call for constitutional reform and chart a course towards unity, justice, and security for all? Or will it continue down the path of division and despair, risking further descent into the abyss of ethnic violence and displacement?
Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: the voices of NCEF and NINAS have spoken, and their message is clear—it’s time for change. And the world is watching, waiting to see whether Nigeria will rise to the occasion or be consumed by the flames of discord.
