Afenifere, Ohaneze, and the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (ACF) have taken a new stance on Nigeria’s future, advocating regionalism and a parliamentary system to tackle the country’s challenges.
The groups, under the Rebirth Group, also suggested renaming Nigeria to “United Regions of Nigeria” (URN).
This decision was reached at a symposium in Kaduna, where representatives from various ethnic groups, gathered to discuss Nigeria’s future.
The communique issued in Kaduna after the symposium emphasized the need for regional autonomy, with each region having its own constitution and being self-governing white the central government would focus on issues that the regions cannot handle, and its size would be reduced.
The participants also agreed that the current structure of Nigeria is not working in the best interest of its citizens.
They proposed that each region should have equal status and ranking, and that traditional rulers should have constitutional roles.
Additionally, the groups suggested setting up a Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission to heal the country’s wounds.
The symposium was attended by various organizations, including the Middle Belt Forum, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, and the Yoruba Referendum.
The symposium titled, “Envisioning Nigeria’s Future: Addressing the National Question,” discussed various topics including “Restructuring: Pathways to True Federalism; Economic Restructuring for Sustainable Development, and Unity in Diversity: Building a Cohesive Nigerian Identity.”
“The regions should be given more powers over their respective affairs. The central government is to concern itself only with issues that the federating units cannot handle. The central government should be smaller and smarter,” it said.
At the symposium, which was the second of its kind, participants also clarified that restructuring into regions is not meant to abrogate present states but to make them form “federating units to make the country to be known as United Regions of Nigeria (URN) or any other nomenclature that we find convenient.
The restructuring must be such that the community, state and local government from where certain resources come should have 70 per cent of the proceeds of the resources while 30 per cent goes to the centre, the communique also said.
The forum, chaired by Dr. Bitrus Pogu who was represented by Mr. Emmanuel Alamu, resolved that each region would be equal to the other in status and ranking.
“Efforts should be made to heal the wounds in the country by, for instance, setting up a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission and constitutional roles were advocated for traditional rulers in the country,” it added.
Organisations represented at the symposium include Ohaneze Ndigbo, Afenifere, Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Middle Belt Forum, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Socio-Community Youth Association of Nigeria ,SCOYAN, Yoruba Referendum, Initiative for a Better and Brighter Nigeria, Kaduna State Chapter, ICATAFA Igbo Community, Kaduna, Yoruba Community, Kaduna, Tarayyar Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri Christian Association in Nigeria and Western Region Organisation (WRO).
Others were Socio-Community Youth Association of Nigeria, SCOYAN, Southern Borno Residents in Kaduna, Yobe Community Residents in Kaduna, Adamawa Community Residents in Kaduna and Taraba Community Residents in Kaduna.
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