NIDO Americas’s Pre-conference on National Political Reform
February 19, 2005
Washington, DC, USA
February 9, 2005
Fellow Nigerians:
This letter serves as an open invitation for all Nigerians to attend and participate at a Pre-conference workshop in preparation for the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) which is scheduled to start very soon in Abuja Nigeria. The workshop is scheduled to take place on Saturday Feb 19, 2005 at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC.
The meeting is an all day conference that will include the presentation of formal papers and several workshops to discuss various items on the Terms of Reference listed in the Federal Governments’ Invitation to the Diaspora to send delegates to the NPRC as per attached document.
Nigerians have debated the utility and the need for a national dialogue for many years. The federal government has now proposed a conference (the NPRC), which while not meeting the set criteria of many Nigerians will nevertheless provide ample opportunity for all Nigerians to discuss the political and socio-economic arrangements that will govern our country in the future. We cannot afford to let this opportunity pass.
We frequently hear of:
the Yoruba Agenda: http://www.odili.net/news/source/2005/jan/24/1.html
the Igbo Agenda: http://www.kwenu.com/wic/2005/press_release/national_dialogue.htm
the Arewa Agenda: http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/garticles/gowon_atiku_and_arewa_agenda.htm
the Edo Agenda: http://www.edo-nation.net/evbay2.htm
the Urhobo Agenda: http://www.waado.org/Organizations/UNF/ThirdMowoeLecture.html
and so on.
The proponents of all the various agendas so far are all patriotic Nigerian citizens who are looking out for the interests of their own constituencies primarily and secondarily for the interests of all other Nigerians. So far the proponents of these agendas have all been preaching to the converted amongst their own major and minor sub-ethnicities .
The time has come to bring all the agendas into an open arena and have a serious dialogue on the future of our motherland! Hopefully, Nigerians will learn that there are many more things we have in common than those things that divide us.
As Diaspora Nigerians we share the deep interests and concerns of the various regions and ethnicities from which we have arisen. In addition to these local concerns as Nigerian citizens, the Diaspora also bring the unique perspectives of our shared and varied experiences as expatriate Nigerians living and working in various countries all over the world!
It is counter-productive to argue about the need for a conference when one is already being sponsored by our national government, however flawed such government might be. Attending and participating at the forthcoming NPRC does not foreclose on the possibility of a parallel or subsequent conference as proposed by PRONACO or any other group of Nigerians.
Abstracts of papers to be presented at the Pre-conference workshop on Feb. 19 should be submitted to:
Ms Stella Onuoha
Manager, NIDO Americas Inc,
Washington, DC
202 986 8400
Nigerians who plan to attend the conference should please register by telephone or by e mail by contacting Ms. Stella Onuoha on or before Feb. 17, 2005. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be provided for all participants.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Ola Kassim, MD
Chairman and CEO, NIDO Americas Inc.
ATTACHMENT:
CM.269/I/90 14th January, 2005
Amb. Joe Keshi,
Coordinator of NNVS,
Office of the SGF,
The Presidency,
Federal Secretariat,
Abuja.
MEMBERSHIP OF NIGERIANS IN DIASPORA IN
THE NATIONAL POLITICAL REFORM CONFERENCE
Following the meeting of the Council of State on Wednesday, 12th January, 2005, which considered the Report of the Presidential Committee on the Background Paper for Political Reforms, the Federal Government has constituted a National Political Reform Conference to address the following central elements of the Reform agenda:
(i) Constitutional Reforms;
(ii) Political Party Reforms;
(iii) Electoral Reforms;
(iv) Judicial/Legal Reforms;
(v) Civil Society Reforms;
(vi) Consultation and Consensus Building;
(vii) Police/Prison System Reforms; and
(viii) Reforms of the Structure of Government/Governance.
2. To facilitate the convening of the Conference, it has been decided that four representatives of Nigerians in Diaspora (one each from Europe, America, Asia and Africa) should participate in the Conference. The representatives are to be selected through a process considered appropriate and should capture the diverse interest and component of all Nigerians in Diaspora in the four continents.
3. The list of the selected representatives should be forwarded to reach me not later than 31st January, 2005.
4. Warmest regards.
CHIEF U. J. EKAETTE, CFR, mni
Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
