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Pro-June 12 Group Seeks National Dialogue, People’s Constitution

Published

3 weeks ago

June 9, 2024

Editor

The June 12 Pro-Democracy Movement of Nigeria says President Bola Tinubu must facilitate a process of national dialogue and consultation that will give birth to a democratic people’s constitution.

The convener of the movement, Mr Wale Okunniyi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday ahead of the commemoration of the 31st anniversary of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Okunniyi spoke on how Tinubu could gladden the hearts of June 12 activists under his tenure.

According to him, if the President can show commitment to national dialogue that will lead to true federal constitution in his administration, it will go down in history and become memorable.

Okunniyi said that the President, by so doing, would be actualising the hope late Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of the annulled election, stood and died for.

“The critical thing that will make meaning for us with Tinubu’s administration to further entrench June 12 Hope ’93 of MKO Abiola, is for the current President to immediately facilitate a process of national dialogue and consultation that will lead to the birth of constituents assembly that can give us a people’s constitution.

“The only thing, which will make him immortalise the struggle of June 12, MKO Abiola and the National Democratic Coalition, which he (Tinubu) was a member of, is for him to do this.

“The only record that will be memorable with Tinubu’s administration with regard to the June 12 struggle and democracy is to facilitate a process for national discussion and dialogue.

“If the President can do this to give Nigeria a new people’s constitution that is generated from a democratic discussion, that can never forever be erased in history,” Okunniyi said.

According to him, the movement will mobilise June 12 activists and stakeholders for a national discussion on how democracy can work for the people in commemoration of the 31st anniversary.

He said that the present civil rule had only limited features and benefits of democracy in the practice.

“For us as leaders of the June 12 pro-democracy movement, it is our duty to organise the Nigerian people to further consolidate the present nascent democracy of Nigeria.

“This is to bring to memory the struggles and what we have done to bring about what we have now as civil rule or democratic governance.

“We are putting these in focus in this year’s June 12, we are refocusing on generating a democratic people’s constitution for Nigeria and securing the destiny and future of Nigeria,” he said.

Okunniyi said that the 2024 anniversary would be chaired by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary General, while the keynote would be given by Dr Kayode Fayemi,a former governor of Ekiti.

“Our message and focus for this year while celebrating the June 12 anniversary is how to generate and actualise a democratic people’s constitution for Nigeria that can be given to Nigerians through an elected constituent assembly.

“What we have today, that is generating crisis in Nigeria, is the Decree 24 of 1999, which is not essentially generated and produced by the Nigerian people,” he said.

He said that Nigerians must stay faithful to the struggle and the cause for a new democratic people’s constitution for the nation to move forward.

According to him, without a democratic constitution, Nigeria cannot say it has democracy, hence the reason democracy is not serving the people at the moment.

“What we have today doesn’t reflect Hope’93. MKO Abiola cannot be happy with what is happening in the nation now as democracy,” he said.

He said that at the death of MKO Abiola, NADECO demanded two things – a government of national unity and Sovereign National Conference to give birth to a people’s constitution.

He said that a diverse country like Nigeria would not progress without a national dialogue (conference), “where we come to agree to the terms of the existence of where we want to co-habit.”

The PUNCH reports that June 12 is significant in Nigeria’s history as it marks the anniversary of the 1993 presidential election, which was won by Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola but later annulled by the military government.

Abiola’s victory and the subsequent annulment led to political unrest and eventually the return of democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999.

(NAN)

Headline

Obaseki/Oba Of Benin’s Faceoff: Charges Against Palace Officials Withdrawn

Published

14 mins ago

July 3, 2024

Editor

The criminal charges preferred against the Secretary of the Benin Traditional Council (BTC), Frank Irabor, and six other palace officials by the Edo State Government have been withdrawn.

The move, it was gathered, was to douse the tension between Governor Godwin Obaseki and Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II.

Suing Irabor and others followed the August 2022 demolition of illegal property at Ulegun village in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo.

Obaseki’s administration, in August 2022, slammed a 29-count charge against Irabor and the other officials of the palace of the first-class monarch over the demolition of the disputed property.

The defendants were subsequently remanded in the custody of the correctional centre in Benin by Justice Mary Itsueli of Edo High Court in the state capital.

Edo Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Orobosa Okunbor, at the resumed hearing of the suit, applied to withdraw the case.

Okunbor told the presiding judge that discontinuing the suit was to ensure peace and reconciliation, an initiative of Edo Government, which he said had paid adequate compensation to the persons, whose livelihoods were impacted by the demolition.

Discontinuing the suit was after Irabor and other defendants in the suit, who were led in evidence by their counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi, SAN, and Okuns Aihie, had pleaded not guilty to the 29-count charge that were read to them in the court.

Irabor, in his reaction on behalf of the defendants, thanked Edo Government and Obaseki for deeming it fit to withdraw the case.

The secretary of BTC described Edo Governor’s intervention as a step in the right direction towards ensuring peace and reconciliation in Benin Kingdom’s Edo South Senatorial District, and other parts of the state.

Headline

Nnamdi Kanu: What I Discussed With South-East Govs – Obasanjo

Published

2 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Editor

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has disclosed that the issue of releasing Nnamdi Kanu was not part of his discussion with the South-East governors in Enugu State on Tuesday.

The former President and Chief Emeka Anyaoku met with the governors on their own invitation to discuss regional development issues.

According to a statement on Wednesday by Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, the purported release of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) by the Federal Government was not part of the discussion.

“The meeting with them was at my invitation and of Chief Emeka Anyaoku before their summit begins. The issue of Nnamdi Kanu was not on the agenda and was not discussed in my presence,” Obasanjo was quoted to have said.

He stated that the regional development issues included that of security and infrastructure.

Others were economic and cooperative/collaboration, which was meant to complement the national economic development agenda.

Since his re-arrest in Kenya in 2021 by the Federal Government, Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of Security Service (DSS) on the order of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Although he pleaded not guilty to the charges, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja, declined to admit him to bail on the ground that he jumped the earlier one in which Senator Abaribe was his surety.

There have been calls from different quarters recently for the release of Kanu.

Among those calling for his release are Senators from the South-East led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.

The lawmakers claimed that unless Kanu is released, the social and economic activities in the South-East region will continue to be stagnant.

The senators held a closed-door meeting with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, where their letter to President Tinubu on the release of Kanu, was delivered for onward passage to the the presidency.

Also, the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, in a chat with journalists on Saturday, called for Kanu’s release.

He argued that there was no reason for the continuous detention of the IPOB leader given that a Nigerian court earlier acquitted him, although that acquittal was overturned by the Supreme Court.

Headline

Obasanjo Visits South-East Govs, Moves For Nnamdi Kanu’s Release

Published

22 hours ago

July 2, 2024

Editor

The South East Governors, on Tuesday, hosted former President Olusegun Obasanjo who paid the governors a solidarity visit while they decided to meet President Bola Tinubu to press for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Addressing the media, after over seven hours of marathon meeting, the Governors of the region who were all in attendance also set up a burial committee by Former Senate President, Anyim, Pius Anyim, for the late minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.

According to the Chairman of the South East Governors Forum and Governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodinma, “The Forum commiserates with the family of Ebonyi, Abia, Imo and indeed the entire South East region and entire the family of Ogbonnaya Onu on the demise of His Excellency Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.

“The Forum received a delegation of the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and His Royal Majesty Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, who came on a solidarity visit to this Forum.

“The Forum deliberated on the reviewed report of the South East security and economic summit held in Owerri Imo state on the 28 September 2023 and agreed to implement the aspect of the report about security and economic integration of the South East region and affirmed its desire to put actionable plan on the key issues agreed.

“The Forum resolved to visit Mr. President to discuss all pressing issues concerning the South East region. The Forum also deliberated and resolved to interface with the Federal Government to secure the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”

Other members of the Ogbonnaya Onu burial committee included the former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amechi who serves as the Secretary of the committee, and other Igbo leaders drawn from the Igbo-speaking states.