Chief Bode George, former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release and implement the report of the 2014 National Conference. He said doing so would be a fitting tribute to the late elder statesmen, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Edwin Clark, who were key contributors to the conference.
Chief Edwin Clark, leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), passed away on February 12 at the age of 97. Just two days later, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, former leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group Afenifere, died at 96. Both men played active roles in the 2014 conference convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan, which sought to address Nigeria’s constitutional and governance challenges.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos on Friday, George highlighted that Adebanjo, Clark, and other elder statesmen had invested their wisdom and efforts in shaping the conference’s resolutions. He stressed that implementing these recommendations would immortalize their legacies and help bring lasting peace and progress to Nigeria.
“Mr. President, I urge you to release the 2014 Confab report for the benefit of Nigerians, in memory of these great men,” George said. “They, along with other delegates, unanimously agreed that the implementation of the report is key to national peace.”
George revealed that he worked closely with both Adebanjo and Clark on a subcommittee focused on constitutional restructuring. He lamented Nigeria’s ongoing struggles in politics, economy, and security, attributing many of the problems to the current constitution’s failure to meet the nation’s needs.
“The system is broken and has never worked effectively,” he said. “The constitution is overly centralized, with too much power concentrated in the hands of the president at Aso Rock.”
He pointed out the problematic centralization of local government administration under the 1999 constitution, questioning why local governments are directly linked to the presidency. George cited disparities in local government structures across states, noting that populous Lagos has only 20 local governments, the same number as Ogun state, which is much smaller, while Kano has 44.
“These issues were openly discussed at the conference,” he added.
George emphasized that Adebanjo and Clark championed a new constitution that would better reflect the aspirations of ordinary Nigerians through power devolution and restructuring. “We can have a United States of Nigeria, reducing power at the center,” he said, echoing the late leaders’ vision.
He concluded by stating that implementing the 2014 conference report would also help tackle corruption, nepotism, sectionalism, and poverty-challenges that continue to plague Nigeria.
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