National Confab: Group proffers conditions for true federalism

The South-East South-South Professionals of Nigeria (SESSPN) has lent its support to the ongoing National conference stating that it provides a platform for Nigerians to restore confidence in federalism in view of the current security challenges in the country.

The President, SESSPN, Mr. EmekaUgwu-Oju, stated recently in Abuja at an interactive dinner organised by the association for South-East/ South- South/ South-West national conference delegates that there was need for dialogue as 'the average Nigerian now feels very insecure and by his actions is beginning to question the corporate existence of the country.'

Ugwu-Oju cited that because of the pervading insecurity in the country, he was 'yet to come across any Southern parent who wants his child to go and work in most parts of Northern Nigeria.'

According to him, Nigeria would flourish 'with a New Constitution with the following key attributes which include a sustainable, viable and strong federating units, preferably 6 units at this moment in our history; fiscal federalism; decentralised policing (local, regional and national) with local and regional police heads directly accountable to the electorate and the elimination of indigenes/ non-indigenes dichotomy.'

He further stated that' individual property rights, no state religion and freedom of worship for every citizen; sustainable and affordable social security as well as a transparent, independent, cost effective, free and fair electoral system structures at the local, regional and national levels', are the ingredients for nation-building.

The SESSPN President opined that there was need to amend the current negative situations because of the forthcoming 2015 elections as any polling disputes would lead to an 'eruption of violence from potential disparate very well armed radical underground groups, and an enabling environment for the eruption of such violence if combined with the Boko haram insurgency will be difficult for our presently-stretched Security Forces to contain'.

He also affirmed that the SESSPN was committed to supporting the Confab delegates to produce the desirable outcome that could lay a solid foundation for a New Nigeria and prevent the occurrence of violence in the buildup to 2015.