The National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, on Friday, x-rayed the state of the nation lamenting that governance in Nigeria has degenerated to an unbelievable low level.
It also warned that failure to practice true federalism may compound the country’s problems.
In a communique issued at the end of its national dialogue titled: ‘Federalism: Antidote to National Insecurity,” NADECO also warned President Muhammadu Buhari to stop “his sectional assault on the South”.
The communiqué reads: “The National Democratic Coalition, NADECO at its National Dialogue session undertook a thorough and exhaustive review and assessment of the State of Nigeria since our June 12, 2020.
“The statement titled ‘Return to federalism to save Nigeria’ and after informed contributions from the hybrid roundtable interrogations with few leaders and the diligent contributions of our distinguished colleagues and comrades through zoom synchronisation, we, NADECO, wishes to observe as follows that:
“Governance in Nigeria has degenerated to an unbelievable low level that non-state actors through perhaps gross incompetence and or dereliction of duty of the Nigerian state has failed and or refused to protect the lives and properties of most Nigerian, which is the most important duty of any government thus exposing itself as either a failing or failed state not worthy of being considered as a Nation State under the United Nations Organization, UNO.
“The UNO Charter as contained in the Universal Declaration of Human rights proclaimed at the United General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217A) as a minimum standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations.
“NADECO, on behalf of most Nigerians, is equally disturbed with the seeming total disregard of this administration to fulfil its electoral promises (manifesto) that it would restore the country to federal constitutional governance if voted into office.
“It has been proven by deliberate actions or inactions of President Buhari and his government that they made false promises that they did not intend to execute.
“The El-Rufai Committee’s Report which itself could never solve the national question has been kept in the shelf for about three years now to prove that the undertaking was a ruse, a gimmick to hoodwink the public to imagine that the government was doing something.
“But PMB has insensitively proven his disdain for any agitation and suggestion for restoration to the Federal Constitutional Governance upon which Nigeria secured its independence in 1960.”
On secession, restructuring
On the agitation for secession and restructuring, NADECO said: “Again, the Nigerian State has been busy accusing those who are genuinely asking the political operators that it was time to revert to the negotiated 1960 federal constitution to save Nigeria as secessionist.
“The 12 Northern States operating Sharia Law are the real secessionists who are applying sharia law on anyone living in their states by force.
“For example, there is the enforcement by HISBAR against sale of liquor, yet the sharia states have no moral shame as they collect their share portions from VAT collected on Liquor.
“Christians in most Northern state are being denied the right to build churches to worship.”
Asaba declaration
The group also threw its weight behind the decision of the southern governors’ decision to ban open grazing.
It said: “That the 17 governors of the southern states spoke with one voice on May 11, demanding for a return to federal system not the perverted one at play, was a milestone.
“They have eventually accepted the futility of pretending that all is well when by conduct and public policies, there remain provocative discriminations on ethnicity, religion, language etc. and that Nigeria has been totally hijacked by a sectional clique for their tribe, faith and language for over four decades.”
Credit: Vanguard.