David Mark Has No Regard For Nigerians, Afenifere Group Says

By Segun Balogun Programme Officer Afenifere Renewal Group

Afenifere Renewal Group has described Senate President, David Mark's statement made at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association's conference as provocative and derogatory.

The group, in a statement signed yesterday by its publicity secretary Kunle Famoriyo, said Marks' statement is capable of inciting Nigerians to show their disregard for public authorities.

Mark, while speaking at the conference said that agitation for Sovereign National Conference (SNC) is not feasible under the 1999 Constitution. He said Nigerians have ratified the Constitution through their conducts and therefore have barred the need to subject constitutional amendment process to referendum.

“We found this statement as an assault to peace-loving Nigerians, which have always bent over backwards to accommodate deepening levels of bad leadership in the country. We equally found Mark's statement as an indirect confrontation on Nigerians to show their denunciation of 1999 Constitution through their conduct. In a nation that is still grappling with the scourge of extremists and insurgents, this statement is no less a malfeasance. That Nigerians have been peacefully advocating SNC should not be misinterpreted as a ratification of the 1999 Constitution and Mark should not deem this as an acceptance of the institution he heads,” the statement said.

The statement further said National Assembly has no excuse for not subjecting its constitution amendment process to referendum because such has been held even in countries like Norway where it is not constitutionally recognised.

“Why is the National Assembly afraid of referendum if not because it is afraid that many of its activities are perceived as illegal in the minds of Nigerians?” the group asked.

According to the group, Mark, by saying SNC is not possible under 1999 Constitution, has “condemned 170 million Nigerians, even the generations yet unborn, to the provisions of 1999 Constitution, thereby concluding that Nigerians are made for the law. This is an indication of Mark's degrading opinion of Nigerians who deserve better from him as the custodian of the nation's democratic institution.”

“Sovereignty belongs to the ethnic nations that constitute Nigeria and it is in politicians' interest that a Sovereign National Conference be convoked to chart a new constitution that will properly transfer this sovereignty to democratic structures. Only then can there be lasting peace, progress, development, and freedom for all in Nigeria.”

“To continue to put it off is to reinforce the growing perception that there is a ruling elite controlling Nigerian economy to the deprivation of the masses. Such perception never ends in comics and it pays to do things right when we are all still smiling. Nigeria is negotiable.”

FULL STATEMENT
Nigerians are not made for the law, ARG warns David Mark

We of Afenifere RenewalGroup(ARG) are not shocked that Senate President, David Mark, was quoted to have said Sovereign National Conference is not workable under the 1999 Constitution. This only confirms the military tendencies in him. He must support his first constituency the military that gave Nigerians the present unsustainable constitution.


He went as far as saying that Nigerians “have ratified the [1999] Constitution by our conduct.” In other words, Mark is telling us that referendum is not needed to ratify constitutional amendments; our silence and judicial actions is enough sign of acceptance.


We found this statement as an assault to peace-loving Nigerians, which have always bent over backwards to accommodate deepening levels of bad leadership in the country. We equally found Mark's statement as an indirect confrontation on Nigerians to show their denunciation of 1999 Constitution through their conduct.


In a nation that is still grappling with the scourge of extremists and insurgents, this statement is no less a malfeasance. That Nigerians have been peacefully advocating SNC should not be misinterpreted as a ratification of the 1999 Constitution and Mark should not deem this as an acceptance of the institution he heads.

Mark has condemned 170 million Nigerians, even the generations yet unborn, to the provisions of 1999 Constitution, thereby concluding that Nigerians are made for the law. This is an indication of Mark's degrading opinion of Nigerians who deserve better from him as the custodian of the nation's democratic institution. Whereas the law is made for man in countries that Nigerian leaders like Mark aspire to overtake in their touted pursuit of Vision 20:2020.

Mark asked “where will the Sovereign National Conference be deriving its sovereignty from, and under what framework? How will the conference be convoked and by whom and under what terms?”

He should not forget that colonialists took away the sovereignty of ethnic nations, an illegality that was doused at Independence, repeated in 1966, and has been perpetrated ever since, culminating in the 1999 Constitution.

Sovereignty belongs to the ethnic nations that constitute Nigeria and it is in politicians' interest that a Sovereign National Conference be convoked to chart a new constitution that will properly transfer this sovereignty to democratic structures. Only then can there be lasting peace, progress, development, and freedom for all in Nigeria.

Why is the National Assembly afraid of referendum if not because it is afraid that many of its activities are perceived as illegal in the minds of Nigerians? Referendums have been held even in countries like Norway where it is not constitutionally recognised. Therefore, NASS has no excuse for not subjecting its constitution amendment process to referendum.

A Nigerian, Obiageli Ezekwesili, had at a time challenged the federal government to a public debate on its reckless spending. Lately, she had challenged National Assembly also to a public debate. While we salute Ezekwesili's patriotism, we are saying the country needs more than a public debate; we need a national dialogue.

To continue to put it off is to reinforce the growing perception that there is a ruling elite controlling Nigerian economy to the deprivation of the masses. Such perception never ends in comics and it pays to do things right when we are all still smiling. Nigeria is negotiable.

Kunle Famoriyo
Media/Publicity Secretary(ARG)
08161111020,08021185077,0804508181
August 27th 2013


Segun Balogun
Programme Officer
Afenifere Renewal Group
23, Fola Jinadu Crescent,
Gbagada, Lagos.
08131254855