About 24 persons have been nominated to represent the pro-democracy civil society organisations in the National Conference being convened by the Federal Government.
The “preferred nominees” are Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Chima Amadi, Chido Onumah, Dr. Isaac Osuoka, Ezenwa Nwagwu, Samson Itodo, Ayelabola Babatunde, Faith Nwadishi, Nnimmo Bassey, Jaye Gaskia, Ms. Ayo Obe and Olanrewaju Suraj.
Others are Dr. Uju Agomuo, Steve Aluko, Olisa Agbakoba, Naseer Kura, Y. Z. Yau, Dudu Paloma, Ngozi Obiorah, Dr. Abiola Akiode, Tor Yorapu, Ms. Ene Ede, Ms. Idayat Hassan and Dr. Jibo Ibrahim.
Already, the CSOs are establishing a pro-democracy civil society engagement coordinating secretariat for the National Conference which will be hosted centrally by Social Action in Abuja.
The secretariat will be decentralised with geo-political zonal pro-democracy CSOs coordinating secretariats established in each geo-political zone and hosted by a pro-democracy CSO or network in each zone.
The CSOs said the role of the central and zonal coordinating secretariats is to facilitate continuous aggregation of citizens’ positions on issues being discussed at the conference, while also ensuring a feedback mechanism for pro-democracy CSO delegates.
The mandates of the pro-democracy CSO delegates will be constantly renewed and revalidated through the interactive activities coordinated by the secretariats.
A joint statement by Ezenwa Nwagwu and Jaye Gaskia in Abuja on Friday stated that the selection was sequel to a series of nationwide consultations with respect to the proposed conference.
The CSOs said, “We reiterate our firm commitment to continue and deepen the pace and intensity of our engagement with the conference as a process.
“Our collective program of action for the conference is anchored around our core demands; our duty and task before, during and after the conference is to raise the banner of social justice and equity; and to defend and promote the interests of citizens.”
The CSOs demanded the following:
-A justiceable and enforceable chapter of the constitution including a comprehensive listing of human rights, including civil and political, social and cultural, as well as economic rights of citizens. This indeed is our social program for the engagement with the National Conference, and our minimum irreducible demand.
-We reaffirm our demand that a minimum of two-thirds of delegates to the National Conference should comprise of non state actor delegates.
-The National conference must resolve in unambiguous terms the question of citizenship of Nigeria. All Nigerians must have a uniform citizenship; the only qualification for purposes of representation being determined as minimum residency status.
-Only a national referendum can validate the outcome of the National Conference. We are insistent that sovereignty resides in the people of Nigeria not in any state institution.
-The basic foundations of a road map to participatory political advancement and socio-economic development must be agreed on and in such a manner as to be articulated into a 5-year comprehensive integrated National Development Program, that will address and tackle unemployment, homelessness, and poverty.
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