Tobi Adebayo
ThisNigeria Media Ltd on Wednesday hosted the maiden edition of its Inaugural Lecture and Gold Prize at the Shehu Musa Yar-Adua Centre in Abuja.
The event themed “Nigeria: Rousing the Sleeping giant and making it run.” was anchored by renowned broadcaster, Diran Onifade.
Chairman of the event, Kayode Fayemi, in his opening remark said that Nigeria was not “healthy”, adding that the country must continue in its search for “perfect unity.”
“We can talk about unity as much as we like, we can talk about national integration as much as we want and we can lionize patriotism and ask not what the country can do for us but we can do for the country; but you cannot build a country on the basis of iniquity, injustice, lack of fairness and expect unity to prevail.
“Our country is going through enormous challenges. Nigeria is a sleeping giant that can be approached from all sides. It is not in its most healthy state, regardless of political persuasion, ethnic consideration, economic opportunities available to individuals.
“In every adversity, there is always an opportunity. It is our ability to recognise the opportunities that will take us further in this nation-building journey,” the governor said.
He commended the Publisher and Chief Executive Officer of ThisNigeria Media Ltd, Eric Osagie for organising the event, describing it as “august assembly” to reflect on the direction of Nigeria’s future.
Speaking on the lecture topic,”National Cohesion for Sustainable Growth and Progress: The Nigerian Dilemma.”, guest Speaker for the event, Bishop Matthew Kukah said that the most important pillar of a country’s unity is its constitution.
“I do not know how National Cohesion can be achieved but I know that the most critical pillar has to be the quality of the constitution.
“The constitution does not necessarily solve our problems but it offers a moral insight into how things can be put in order for the benefit of the country and its citizens. This conversation is not new. The real challenge is Nigeria’s leadership with the right disposition and our leaders’ quality of understanding.
“Americans addressed the issue of taxation and even ideological disposition and how people were feeling about the new country. There were issues of inter-state trade and external aggression. How do we keep our country protected? So they had a constitutional convention which helped them reconcile these disparate, conflicting perceptions about what the future of the country was going to look like.
“Nigerians are angrier now and they will get nostalgic about the past. They think the past was better. In reality, it was not that the past was better. We just had less capacity to interrogate the system and we were less educated.
Nigeria cannot have peace when…-Governor Fayemi
“Now, we are better educated and we are travelling more and we are seeing more. Nigerians are rightly becoming impatient. The real challenge is a leadership with the right disposition. Critical to our conversation is the quality of leadership and also the depth of understanding of those who are our leaders.
“From 1914 till date, even after 61 years of independence, we are still not in agreement about the nature of our constitution. The debates have become acrimonious, frustrating and what has been very interesting about the debates is the perception, quality and the calibre of people that have always been sent to the constituent assembly.
“I was lucky that in 2005, I was appointed secretary of the National Political Reform Conference. I know what I saw. I know the calibre of people I saw. I mean no disrespect but there were a lot of people who had absolutely no idea of why they came.
“In 1977, one thing was very interesting. During the Sharia debate, most Southerners said they were hearing about the word “Sharia” for the very first time.
“At the end of the debate in 1978, it was interesting that subsequent discussions on the Nigerian Constitution, the hottest part of the debate were the status of Sharia. A participant, Christian from the North said those of us that defeated Sharia went back to tell our people that if you don’t vote for us, Sharia will come. The Muslims who thought they lost Sharia went back to their people and said if you don’t vote for us, we will not get back Sharia,” Kukah said.
The lead Discussant at the event, Mike Ozekhome SAN, who agreed with Bishop Kukah, said that the process by which “a constitution comes into being is more important than the content of the constitution itself.”
Ozekhome stated further that the process that gave birth to the Nigerian Constitution is up for debate.
“Nigeria is still yearning for nationhood after 107 years since its amalgamation. We did not agree to come together as one, which is why each ethnic group is still suspicious of the other.
“Why are we so afraid of a referendum? The Nigerian Constitution is problematic because it is not “people-driven.” A new constitution will not solve the problems but will be the beginning of the solution to the problems and bring about mutual respect between ethnic groups.
“We cannot have national cohesion in a state of inequity, religious intolerance, social injustice, and a state where some people believe they are born to rule while others are born to serve as clappers,” Ozekhome said.
The highlight of the event was the launch of ThisNigeria newspaper by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, who bagged a Gold Prize in Exceptional Leadership at the event.
Also honoured were the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmud Yakubu.
Dignitaries at the event include former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, Senator Domingo Obende, Professor Tony Iredia, Comrade Isah Aremu, among others.
