National confab: Nwabueze, Ekwueme apologise to Ndigbo

Prominent constitutional lawyer, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, on Thursday apologised to Ndigbo on behalf of a former Vice President of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, over the refusal of the two elder statesmen to lead Igbo delegates to the proposed national conference.
Nwabueze rendered the apology at a public presentation of two booklets, The Position of the Igbo Nation at the National Conference for a Renegotiated Constitution.
The Concerned Igbo Leaders of Thought, an Igbo think-thank, led by the eminent lawyer, compiled the booklets.
Nwabueze said he agreed with Ekwueme that both of them would not be delegates to the conference due to age.
“More so, to give the younger ones a chance to participate,” he said.
He said the Igbo Leaders of Thought advocates the right of the zones to form the basis for the federating units and the rights of self-determination, including the right to secede.
Nwabueze argued that while he is 83, Ekwueme is about 81 or 82 years of age, and that both of them had taken part in previous constitutional conferences and made their contributions.
He said, “But we also agreed that we owe a duty to Ndigbo, that we are not going to abandon our people. That we are not going to be delegates sitting in the hall exposed, taking all abuses, bombardments, but we will stand behind; our role should be that of guidance.”
According to him, they will reach out to Igbo governors and other prominent Igbo sons to provide a meeting place in Abuja, where Igbo elders like him and Ekwueme would be meeting with Igbo delegates to the conference twice a week.
He said, “The meetings would help guide and educate them on the Igbo position as contained in the document.”
Meanwhile, Nwabueze said Igbo were proposing the inclusion of the right of secession or self-determination in the new constitution, adoption of the regions as the basis of the federating units and establishment of regional or state police to enable the governors or regional leaders to enforce their authority and law.