Nigerians are contributing their voices to the national dialogue that was given heed by President Goodluck Jonathan on Oct. 1st to be held. This was coming after a long time persuasion by different individuals and groups which suggested that Nigerians needed to talk on a round table in order to iron out things that have been besetting the country. Many have contributed in favour and against this initiative. But to a former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, who has also contributed his voice towards the project, believes that all the ethnic biases that characterise Nigeria should never see Nigeria as a country going to ramshackle.
Dr. Kalu believes that for true unity among the peoples of the country there should be no dissection, detestation, toxic contention, and jealous that do not make good for a people or peoples. Kalu also believes that even though that such challenging statement as, Nigeria was built on deceitfulness by the European colonialists, since Nigerians have endured and consequently have been making many efforts to put away the perceived treacherous tendencies from the system, they can make Nigeria an enviable country to be looked onto among the comity of nations.
It is obvious that there are tragedies that the governments at all levels in Nigeria have been fighting very hard to arrest: the tragedies of political, social, cultural, economic, and religious bigotries. But Kalu was of the view that since there have been accusing fingers that the country’s constitutional arrangements since 1914 to date, have not reflected truly to the realities that Nigerians were yearning for, the missing link might be found and shaped at the conference.
Although, he had always praised Nigerians for what he described as, their ebullient spirit in opinion contributions to building the country, he, conversely, said that it is ripe the time for Nigerians to manage the opportunity of the conference and make their profound inputs, instead of calling a dog from the backyard to come and eat the feaces that is defecated by a toddler in the front-yard. This is not the time again to say that referendums and the constitution have been imposed on Nigerians whether or not they like it, but they have been given the opportunity to make their principled policies known to the government for utilisation.
It is believed by Kalu that government cannot build the country alone; it is Nigerians responsibility to join hand in rebuilding the country if they think that it is collapsing, instead of abetting to the collapse, because of self-centeredness. Kalu’s voice has always resonated on the brim that no matter all that dim-witted acts of killing and destruction of property in some parts of the country that no individual or group can plunge the country to experience what countries like Liberia, Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia, Burundi, Srilanka, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and so many others have experienced and are experiencing in the 21st Century, due to lack of dialogue or disagreement after dialoguing, if Nigerians say no.
Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu averred that the stability and peace of the country partly depend on the citizens, even though that they might think the government at all levels have not done enough to assuage their hopes and aspirations of seeing a policy-working-Nigeria. He does not see the country downhill into disintegration, as the best option or dialogue. Disintegration has been the only word on many lips that could settle the problems of the country, but Kalu has been advocating that Nigerians can still make it in ‘one Nigeria’, but through finding solutions that are motivating and compassionate to dissuade the spirit of disintegration.
Nigerians have praised Kalu for seeing that the national conference should be far from being a jamboree of a sort and that those recommended in the Planning Committee should do their composition very well and based on devotion, frankness, veracity, difficult task, and capability. Nigerians have also praised Kalu for putting his leg through his suggestive opinions that the delegates should be properly sworn in by the respective authorities that see to the swearing in of such delegation to avoid the conference turning to a market men and women affair.
It behooves all Nigerians of goodwill to therefore, thank Kalu for seeing and saying that this conference is an opportunity they needed to harness the affairs that would foster the movement and growth of the country. But whether each of the 774 LGAs in the country would be allowed to elect a member, Kalu has said that the planning committee has to decide on what could work for the attainment of this project; hence Nigerians can make their different observations and directions to add to the result.
Invariably, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu was of the view that recommendations should not be based on political party affiliation to enable the gaining of a transparent and people-oriented result needed to move Nigeria forward. He did not remove the view that the opinions of the political parties would be respected, but only when they are not tailored for cheap blackmail and opposition to the ruling party for selfish interest.
Dr. Kalu was influential with the truth that the government should not cow Nigerians with the security apparatuses, thinking that the National Conference was an election where the heavy presence of the Army, the Navy, the Airforce, and the Police are noticed; but a National Conference should be civil.
Odimegwu Onwumere, a Poet/Writer, writes from Rivers State.
