Southern, Middle-Belt leaders seek partnership with Senate committee on constitution review

TRACKING>>The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has offered to assist the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, following the committee’s resolve to consider the report of the 2014 National Conference and that of the Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s committee in the discharge of its task.

Meanwhile, a former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Alani Akinrinade (rtd) said the committee should also look at other reports from various constitution conferences held before the 2014 National Conference to do a good job.

In a similar vein, former governor of Ogun State and a founding member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Segun Osoba, enjoined all socio-cultural organisations and other groups across the country to engage the Omo-Agege-led committee in robust discussion on the task ahead.

In a statement yesterday, spokesmen of SMBLF, Mr. Yinka Odumakin (South-West), Gen. C. R.U Ihekire (rtd) for (South-East), Senator Bassey Henshaw (South-South) and Dr. Isuwa Dogo (Middle Belt), said it welcomed Omo-Agege’s committee decision “with a promise of our readiness to offer the committee all necessary co-operation in this regard.”

The forum expressed concern that Nigeria is currently bleeding and needs to be salvaged from a possible disintegration.

Osoba, in his remark, advised some leaders in the country to engage the National Assembly in discussion over their demand for restructuring instead of their prolonged hard position that President Buhari must convoke a sovereign national conference, saying: “If that is to be achieved, there is the need to engage the National Assembly.”