Call National Conference now, Group tells Jonathan

The Southern Nigeria People’s Assembly (SNPA), in a statement issued on Friday, tasked President Goodluck Jonathan to convey a National Conference that will give Nigerians the opportunity to discuss their collective future together as a nation.

The statement signed by former Vice President Alex Ekwueme; one time Federal Commissioner for Information and Ijaw Leader, Edwin Clark, Reverend Emmanuel Gbonigi and others under the aegis of the SNPA, urged President Jonathan to set up a committee that will work out strategies and modalities for the convocation of the National Conference before the end of the year.

David Mark, the country’s senate president, had on Tuesday stressed the need for a National Conference when he addressed senators after a recess.

The SNPA praised Mark for the call, saying “the Senate President’s call that ethnic nationalities should be given the space to discuss the future of Nigeria is most germane and could not have come at a better time. We are indeed elated that the Senate President has aligned with our long held view that a conference of ethnic nationalities is imperative in correcting the enormous discontent in the Nigerian polity.

“Instructively, the position of the Southern Nigeria People’s Assembly in resolving burning national issues threatening the corporate existence of the nation has been very clear.

”Since our inaugural conference at Ibom Golf and Resort Le Meridien, Uyo on July 12, 2012, and the succeeding Conference a Nike Lake Hotel Resort, Enugu on January 29, 2013, the SNPA had affirmed its commitment to the convening of a national conference.

“Our position was again reaffirmed in the communique issued at the end of the 3rd General Conference of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly held on May 20, 2013 in Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.”

The group said it was calling on Jonathan to set up a committee to work out strategies and modalities for the convocation of a national conference by not later than December 2013.

“Giving the ethnic nationalities of Nigeria the opportunity to discuss their collective future after a ‘forced’ marriage of 100 years is the most rewarding centenary gift President Jonathan can give to Nigerians,” SNPA said.