Speaking when he flagged off the National Conference at the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja on Monday, Jonathan said: “Our people have yearnings and desires that need to be discussed. Their representatives at this conference are neither usurping the role of the National Assembly nor the Executive. They are complementing us in our march towards a greater and stronger union.
“Let me again repeat what I have been saying: that Goodluck Jonathan has no personal agenda in convening this national conference.”
The president also indicated that the recommendations to be made by conference may be subjected to a referendum and probably made available to the National Assembly to write a new constitution if they so wish.
Accordingly, he thanked the National Assembly for making provision for a referendum in the proposed amendment of the country’s constitution, saying “this should be relevant for this conference, if at the end of the deliberations the need for a referendum arises”.
“I therefore urge the National Assembly and the state Houses of Assembly to speed up the constitution amendment process, especially with regard to the subject of referendum,” Jonathan added.
Explaining why the Nigerian constitution needed to be re-written or amended as the case may be, the president said: “Over the years, well-meaning Nigerians have drawn attention to inadequacies in our current constitution. Some have described it as a military-inspired document which does not take into full consideration the genuine desires and wishes of the people.
“The phrase in the preamble that says ‘We the people’ has been variously criticised as being misleading because, according to the critics, the constitution was not written by the people. There are also those who believe that the constitution is not our problem but the political will to faithfully implement it for the peace and progress of Nigeria.
“While opinions on the matter can be as diverse as rain showers, I believe that irrespective of our personal views on the issue, no one can deny the fact that every constitution is a living document that needs to be revised and improved upon from time to time. The United States, which is the model democracy in the eyes of many, has amended its constitution 27 times since it was first adopted in 1787”.
Jonathan further warned against suspicious and antagonistic tendencies among the conferees, even as he urged them to put the interest of Nigeria first before those of the various interest groups they represent.
He said: “We must not approach these issues with suspicion and antagonism. Rather, we should be open-minded and work to achieve what is best for Nigeria. Even though you come to the conference as nominees and representatives of different interest groups, I urge you all to make a more united, stronger, indivisible and prosperous Nigeria your preoccupation and reference point at this national gathering.
“Whatever the pressures on you may be, I call upon you to put the best interest of Nigeria before all other sectional or group interests. Indeed, I am quite worried when I hear people say that some participants in this national conversation are coming here to defend and promote ethnic or clannish agenda. It is very regrettable that there are persons who believe that we cannot undertake any collective task in our country without the hindrance of ethnic rivalry even after 100 years of nationhood.
“This conference gives us an opportunity to prove such persons wrong and I believe it will. As we start a new century of nationhood, we have an obligation to reshape and redirect our country for the benefit of our children. There should be no room for divisive cleavages and ethnic jingoism. There should be no room for selfish considerations that defeat the purpose of national progress. There should be room only for the national interest.”
The president went on to fault critics of the national dialogue who contend that because several conferences had been held in the past, the country does not need to hold another one. “I do not share that view at all,” he said.
He continued: “A deeper look will reveal that the challenges we faced before each of the preceding national conferences were different. The challenges of 1956 are certainly not the challenges of 2014, and definitely not the challenges that the nation will face in years to come. It makes sense, therefore, that as the challenges before us evolve, we must be constant and proactive in our search for fresh solutions. We cannot continue to proffer yesterday’s solutions for today’s problems.
“In the 60s, our country was ranked along with some developing countries including India, Malaysia and South Korea. Today, those countries have moved far ahead of us in several areas. My expectation is that the outcome of this conference will be a positive turning point for our country’s development. We must seize this opportunity to cement the cleavages and fault lines that tend to separate us. We must re-launch our country.”
Maintaining that the conference was not an attempt to usurp the powers of the National Assembly, Jonathan said, “In inaugurating this National Conference today, we are not unmindful of the argument of those who say that we do not need such a conference since we already have an elected parliament and an elected government in place.
“As cogent as that argument may sound, I have chosen to act on the sincere conviction that in the truly democratic nation we are striving to build, we must never ignore the loudly expressed views of the majority of ordinary Nigerians.
“I have heard that majority say that we need to rebuild trust by involving them in the process of developing a guiding document of our national political relationships which is more acceptable to all sections of the country. I have heard our people say that we need to openly and frankly discuss our problems and seek acceptable solutions instead of allowing them to fester and remain sources of perennial conflict.
“I have also heard them say that, as the elected representatives of our people, we must never arrogate to ourselves all knowledge and wisdom regarding the development of our country. And I am in full agreement with our people. The power we hold is, without question, in trust for the people. Sovereignty belongs to the people. Their voices must be heard and factored into every decision we take on their behalf.”
Highlighting the importance of the conference at this point of the nation’s history, he said: “I am confident that we are embarking on a landmark journey that will make us stronger as a nation if we undertake it with all sense of purpose and sincerity. Let us do that which is selfless, purposeful and patriotic so that history will remember us for having served our nation well.
“We cannot join hands together to build with a collective vision if we continue to harbour negative biases and prejudices against ourselves. Yesterday’s prejudices should die with yesterday. Today is a new day. This is the dawn of a new era. This is an opportunity to think anew. We must jettison the poisonous mind-sets of the past, which were built on unhealthy competition among our diverse groups and peoples.
“We need a new mind and a new spirit of oneness and national unity. The time has come to stop seeing Nigeria as a country of many groups and regions. We have been divinely brought together under one roof. We must begin to see ourselves as one community. We are joined together by similar hopes and dreams as well as similar problems and challenges. What affects one part of the community affects the other.”
Insisting that the conference must unite Nigerians more than ever, the president said: “An average Nigerian sees every part of the country as home. Let us seize the opportunity of this conference to do more to further turn our diversity and plurality into unique national resources for strength and greatness.
“I have always affirmed that our ability to stay together despite our acknowledged differences, when other countries are finding it difficult to meet that challenge, is a powerful statement by Nigeria to the world on the virtues of tolerance and unity.
“In our history as a political entity, we have experienced highs and lows but have always forged ahead. To my mind, the fact that we have weathered all storms and continued with the mission of evolving a truly national identity signifies that we are going in the right direction.
“The strongest nations in the world today also went through their own formative stages, some for decades and others for centuries. We must learn from them that nationhood will not happen overnight, especially given the circumstances of our birth as a nation.”
Leadership
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