Eminent leaders under the aegis of Project Nigeria Movement, led by elder statesman, Prof. Ben Nwabueze (SAN) will meet next week to consider the emerging position from the North on the restructuring of the country.
It will be recalled that a group of Northern leaders of thought, Friends of Democracy, released a northern proposal on the restructuring of Nigeria last week, calling on the country’s return to a 12 states structure, among other proposals.
According to a notice sent out by the Head of Secretariat of Project Nigeria Movement, Olawale Okunniyi, to the Leaders of Thought at the weekend, the body of Eminent persons are expected to meet in Lagos to consider among others the emerging position from the North as well as the plan to initiate a southern synergy to interface with the Northern leaders over the restructuring debate.
Okunniyi, who doubles as the spokesperson of the Pro National Conference Organisation, an organisation initiated under the leadership of both Chief Anthony Enahoro and Prof. Wole Soyinka similarly hinted of ongoing consultations by PRONACO Action Group, led by Alhaji Shettima Yerima, on how best to facilitate the proposed peoples driven independent National Conference on the restructuring of Nigeria in the event that all efforts to make government address the restructuring agitations fail.
It will be recalled that PRONACO, last month, announced that it has already adopted its 2007 Peoples Constitution as working document for its proposed Peoples National Conference scheduled to commence in January, 2018.
“We are not leaving any stone unturned in this matter of democratic constitutional restructuring, which is conceived to help the country achieve political stability and economic prosperity of the diverse peoples of Nigeria. So all efforts and initiatives in this regard are already being synchronised to ensure productive outcome,” Okunniyi said.
He also informed that the Secretariat of Project Nigeria Movement has already commenced informal talks with the Northern Elders Forum Secretariat as well as some members of the Friends of Democracy from the North on how best to move the ongoing debates and process of restructuring forward.
Okunniyi, while also confirming that plans are underway for a formidable coalition of Southern Leaders, disclosed that the PNM Secretariat is already setting up machineries for an inclusive platform of both Northern and Southern Leaders of Thought to negotiate the restructuring of the country towards a new people’s constitution for Nigeria.
“The date for the Pan Nigerian meeting will be announced soon,” Okunniyi disclosed.
