The Punch, Tuesday March 01, 2005

The “no-go areas” are exactly where to start the conference

azubuikeishiekwe@yahoo.com

I don’t really believe in disguised blessings, but there’s an aspect of the
National Political Reform Conference that could prove to be an exception to the
rule. If most people could, they would beat President Olusegun Obasanjo over the
head to make a law backing the NPRC. His refusal to be moved by calls to give
the conference legal muscle is considered to be one of its major flaws yet.

I felt so too. But not anymore. After listening to his inaugural speech on
Tuesday, especially the long list of the don’ts, I’m convinced that we’re better
off without any law that might have cast that dreadful list in stone. Of course,
I’m not suggesting that with or without a law Obasanjo cannot throw the whole
thing out the back window. There’s a sense, however, in which the existing
confusion can become an opportunity.

Obasanjo told the conference that, “the oneness of Nigeria, federalism, federal
character, presidentialism, multi-religiosity” and so forth and so on, were
“settled” issues. Following closely on his heels, northern and southern
governors held separate meetings at which they also reeled out their own lists
of do’s and don’ts.

Before that, the conference Chairman Justice Niki Tobi had threatened to quit if
the issue of the restructuring of the country were ever brought up. So, the
delegates have a long list of what they must not talk about, but know little or
nothing about what they should talk about for three months and one billion
naira.

Does that create a problem? Absolutely not. By a most pleasant twist of irony,
it is all those things that the delegates have been told not to talk about that
Nigerians want to hear about. If ever there was a need for proof that
politicians are out of sync with voters, Obasanjo’s list of the so-called
settled issues is that final, damning proof. Politicians have presented to the
delegates shopping lists that reflect their deepest fears