SENATOR ALI NDUME
BEVERLY HILLS, CA, October 21, (THEWILL) – The member representing Borno South in the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, on Monday, said what Nigerians need now is good governance and not national conference as being planned by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Describing the proposed national conference as the imposition of few elites on the whole country, Ndume lamented that the convocation of a National Conference by the Dr Femi Okuroumu committee may not address the myriads of problems bedeviling the nation for several decades.
The senator who is standing trial on terrorism related charges at the Federal High Court, Abuja, said until “good governance, transparency and accountability” to the people are ensured at all levels, the people of the country may not have relief.
Ndume, who made the observation while speaking with newsmen in Maiduguri, on Monday, said the convocation of National Conference, may not address the “socioeconomic and political” problems facing the country for several decades and may end up being another jamboree.
He also noted that just as the convocation of the conference may not address the many problems in the country, it may lead the nation into dire straits thus drawing the arms of peace and unity backward.
“I personally think we are not understating problems we have in this country and if we don’t appreciate and play our little roles, honestly we will be getting to a situation where the country will be in dire straits.
“We have to learn to say the truth and live by truth; because if you don’t say the truth, the truth will come out either in the way you like it or dislike it. This is my fear for this country because we have now derailed.
“Anytime the leaders in this country throw up something to Nigerians, they will now leave the real things for things I considered trivial. For me, national dialogue is not our major problem now. It doesn’t even have a place in our constitution,” he said.
Ndume lamented that it is unfortunate that something that does not have a constitutional base is being supported by the president who is the number one custodian of the constitution.
“This is the constitution that supposed to guide this country and we have this kind of conference before without success,” he said.
He also queried: “what happened to the previous conferences? We had a national dialogue in 2005 by President Obasanjo. What happened to it? Very eminent Nigerian sat down to discuss, I was very opposed to it too at that time because as an elected representative of my people, I felt my people were not consulted on who should speak for them. But then, we toy with ideas in this country and I believe the national conference is one of such thing we toy with.
”Now, our attention has been diverted from real issue affecting us: closure of public universities, problem in the health sector, poverty among our people, insecurity. The representation of the committee itself has default because my state Borno and about 23 states are not represented. So, there is a problem with representation,” he said.
He advised that since the country and its citizens have been engaging in dialogue since 1914; it is time the country and its leaders paid attention to good leadership and good governance at all levels.
He said instead of the confab, it is time Nigerians demanded for good leadership and not endless talk, noting that the Senate has not actually taken any decision about the dialogue issue.
“The Senate president just revealed the acceptance of the leadership of the Senate after a meeting with the president.
“I don’t want people to misunderstand the position of the senate president. He did not say that the senate has decided that there should be national dialogue. He only said since that is what Nigerians want, there is no problem,” Ndume said.
On whether or not the confab was inevitable in addressing Nigeria’s socioeconomic and political problems, he said Nigerians should not mistake the agitation of few elites to be that of the totality of all.
According to the Senator, “one fundamental issue with our country is that less than one percent decides for Nigerians which is wrong.”
He added:” In my zone with nine local governments, in Borno state; national dialogue is not their problem. They have not spoken to me about it. They are rather concerned about Biu-Maiduguri road, Maiduguri-Gwoza road, Biu Dam and insecurity, the level of unemployment in the area.
“So when some people say so many Nigerians are clamouring for national dialogue that is basically untrue. No Nigerian is better than another Nigerian but because you are a degree holder, a former minister, lawyer or what have you, you have access to the media and you assume you are speaking for the people, I think no, that is not right.
‘So as I said, my people, like most Nigerians, are concerned about fundamental purpose of governance, security and their welfare,” he stated.
