The Northern Elders Forum, NEF, has faulted the Senate’s move to review and alter some provisions of the 1999 constitution (as amended).

According to the Elders, federal lawmakers, since 1999, have spent huge amounts of Nigerian people’s money to fund the constitution review process without any meaningful impact on the lives of the people

So, the Forum advised the National Assembly to direct its energy and mandate towards convincing President Muhammadu Buhari to bring an end to the insurgency in the North East and killings in most parts of the country. The Northern Elders spoke at a press briefing NEF’s Director of Publicity, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, in Abuja on Sunday.

Recall that the Senate ad-Hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) had invited the public to submit Memorandum to assist the “further alteration of the provisions of the Constitution (as amended)”.

The invitation said all Nigerians have only two weeks to submit their memoranda on all aspects requiring amendment of the current Constitution.

However, NEF queried the value of such efforts in the past, saying it is convinced that this repetitive initiative of the Senate is a predictable waste of time, resources and energy of the nation, and should not be supported by Nigerians.

The Elders said, “Nothing fundamental or of any value has come out of these grand schemes to exploit our collective desire to address our political and economic fundamentals. This National Assembly is also following suit, and it should not be encouraged on this path.

“Nigeria’s future rests largely on its willingness to address major constraints to equity and justice, a functional structure, consistent good governance, security for all citizens, a credible electoral process, growing understanding between and among all groups and an economy that grows and narrows inequalities between and classes and regions.”

Therefore, they said these national goals cannot be achieved by a process that routinizes “wasteful expenditure around false hopes.”

The Forum maintained: “The Legislature and executive branches of government have large quantities of reviews, recommendations and reports from past attempts at amending the Constitutions.

“These represent enough resources for a review if the legislature is serious about this vital national priority.
Even this is not likely to produce a genuine effort to address the basic requirements of securing a stable, secure and prosperous Nigeria, because both arms of this administration are unlikely to accept to put through wide-ranging reviews of the Constitution.

“The Forum specifically reminds legislators and other leaders from the North that security of our communities, reduction of crushing poverty and widening distrust among communities should be their priorities.

“The Northern Elders Forum recommends the alternative of leaders of thought, elders, groups and professional organizations and representatives of government to freely discuss every element of our co-existence as a country under principles of voluntarism, genuine representation mutual respect and integrity of the process.

“A Nigerian Peoples’ Conference on Review of the Constitution will benefit from past work in this direction in addition to contemporary challenges which the country needs to address in a context that allows free and productive engagements without pre-determined ends.

“The outcome of this Conference should be submitted to the two arms of government which should provide for a referendum in the Constitution so that Nigerians can directly decide on how they want their nation to be structured and function.The North is willing to discuss other options that will do justice to the current Constitution and the future of our great country.

“The Forum invites attention of particularly northern groups to be wary of being railroaded into making submissions which the legislature will hold up as input, further justifying waste and deceit.No northern group should encourage further waste of public funds which should be channeled into battling killers, kidnappers, poverty and poor governance.

“The North wants a major review of the Constitution, but it is also ready to resist attempts to create wealth for a few while it leaves parts of the country to quarrel and blame each other for the state of the nation.

“Northerners are willing to discuss current challenges of the region and the state of the country with any group, anywhere, provided it sees evidence of sincerity and respect for each other.

“We advise the National Assembly to direct its energy and mandate towards convincing President Muhammadu Buhari to bring an end to the insurgency in the North East and killings in most parts of North Central and North West and other parts of the country.

“We advise the Senate to jettison the wasteful idea of giving Nigerians the impression that it is involved in a serious review of our Constitution.”

“Northerners are willing to discuss current challenges of the region and the state of the country with any group, anywhere, provided it sees evidence of sincerity and respect for each other.

“We advise the National Assembly to direct its energy and mandate towards convincing President Muhammadu Buhari to bring an end to the insurgency in the North East and killings in most parts of North Central and North West and other parts of the country.

Racoon:

How can the north expects other regions of this contraption of forced marriage to help them solve their self-inflicted problems? The insurgency from fanatic religious indoctrination, abject poverty, child marriage, paedophilia, etc?

DMerciful:
Restructure this country now or everybody drowns!

athaboi:
I don't know what the north is afraid of...this oil will be valueless Las Las, their land is even more valuable than oil but they won't just think...lazy people

WhizdomXX:

We the youths also need to act wisely. Even with the restructuring, the same leaders who are eating us at the state and local levels will keep eating more and more. We need wisdom

DMerciful:
It's like saying that even if we're given a Ferrari instead of beetle, we would still not win the race. Let us have the Ferrari first then we are sure the driver is the problem because right now we do not know if the reason we're not winning the race is because we're using a beetle or the driver is bad

helinues:
Imagine, ordinary reviewing the 1999 constitution dey give Northern elders headache.

This people are the real parasite

helinues:
Imagine, ordinary reviewing the 1999 constitution dey give Northern elders headache.
This people are the real parasite

Collapse of Soviet Union

1. Collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe (1989)
2. Détente: Cooperation between Superpowers - During the Cold War President Nixon and Brezhnez conducted SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) conferences and signed a treaty limiting the number of missiles each country can have.

3. USSR and Afghanistan Cooperation/Détente Ends • 1979-1988 • USSR backed the Afghan government; the US backed the Mujahedeen rebels • US boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow • 14,000 Soviet dead; 1+million Afghans –Over 5 million Afghans fled (more than 1/3 of the population) –10-15 million land mines still in Afghanistan –Soviets withdrawal defeated
4. - Soviet economic collapse - Nationalism in Warsaw Pact countries - Tearing down of Berlin Wall - Breakup of the Soviet Union Collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe

5. Nationalism in Warsaw Pact Countries 1. Gorbachev’s pullout from Afghanistan and his policy of Non-Intervention gave rise and momentum to Warsaw Pact nationalism movements. 2. Soviet/Warsaw Pact countries resented Soviet control and wanted to direct their own governments.
6. Tearing Down the Berlin Wall 1. East Germany elected a more moderate Communist government, but many not satisfied; allowed people to leave East Germany 2. November 9, 1989 – the Brandenburg Gate opened and people began tearing down the wall 3. Tearing down Berlin Wall symbolized and helped lead to fall of Communism in Eastern Europe; East Germany & Czechoslovakia 4. Gorbachev and President Reagan given credit for being most responsible for the end of the Cold War

7. Ronald Reagan: U.S. President 1980-88 “Tear down this wall”
8. Brandenburg Gate Fall of the wall news broadcast
9. Soviet Economic Collapse 1. Over-spending on arms race weakened government & economy 2.Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev tried to reform the USSR economy in two plans a. perestroika – restructuring of the Soviet political and economic system - Weakened Russian economy in short-term b.glasnost – “Openness” freed public access to information after decades of heavy government censorship 3. Gorbachev encouraged reform in other 15 Soviet Socialist Republics: new countries 4. Hard-line communists attempted a coup against Gorbachev – failed 5. U.S.S.R. crumbles; Gorbachev = the last leader of the USSR 6.Boris Yeltsin, with support of many who wanted continued reforms, becomes President of Russia Mikhail Gorbachev U.S.S.R. Boris Yeltsin Russia

10. Break Up of Soviet Union 1. Soviet Republics, one-by-one, broke away from Moscow and declared independence. 2. 1989-90: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R) was dead.

https://www.slideshare.net/bbednars/collapse-of-soviet-union-61548605

MrColdsweat:
We have to start threatening our lawmakers.
Amend the constitution or you will not return to the national assembly.