TheCable

Some eminent Nigerians including Ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, and Yakubu Gowon, a former head of state, will be addressing a constitutional dialogue on the future of Nigeria on March 14.

The event, aimed at mobilising Nigerians towards breaking the barriers against cohesion and good governance of the country, will hold in honour of late Ben Nwabueze, pioneer secretary-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

It is scheduled to be held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos.

Announcing the agenda of the programme on behalf of the organisers, Emeka Anyaoku, former secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations, said the dialogue is designed to help build national consensus, especially among the Nigerian elite on the constitutional future of Nigeria.

He said the consensus is particularly on how to make Nigeria work for all its diverse people and citizens.

Anyaoku, who is the chairman of The Patriots, a group of eminent leaders of thought in Nigeria, also said the scope of the discourse includes setting the agenda for the constitution review process of the federal government.

“The historic National Meeting is also expected to set a formidable citizens’ agenda for the ongoing constitution review process of the Federal Government initiated by the National Assembly towards the popular reconfiguration, cohesion, stability and prosperity of Nigeria through a constructive advocacy for new democratic people’s constitution to replace the subsisting military decree No 24 of 1999 in force in Nigeria as1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended),” a statement issued by Anthony Kila for the organising committee reads.

Other dignitaries expected at the event include elder statesman Tanko Yakassai; Abdulsalami Abubakar, a former head of state; TY Danjuma, former chief of army staff; Ango Abdullahi, chairman of the Northern Elders forum; Edwin Clark, leader of the Nigerian Delta.

Others are Alani Akinriade, former chief of defence staff; Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives; serving and former governors and legislators; other northern and southern leaders, members of the judiciary, leaders of organised civil society and labour, and the private sector.