From MAGNUS EZE, Abuja
Former Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, has said that Nigerians must continually dialogue, especially in the face of growing tensions in the land caused by ethnic agitations.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja to announce a two-day policy monitoring dialogue being organised by the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD) in conjunction with Ford Foundation, Gambari, who is founder/chairman of the centre, noted that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo had been engaging critical segments of the society but insisted that the conversation should continue.
He maintained that issues concerning the economy, national security and unity including the clamour for restructuring should be done in a structured manner.
Also speaking, Executive Director of SCDDD, Amb. Abdullahi Omaki, explained that the programme would seek to understand the basis for the agitations in the country, assess the threat levels of any unconstitutional modes of agitation and identify implementable strategies and policies for addressing the security challenges thrown up by recent sectional wrangling. “The Centre is of the opinion that the recent wrangling in the polity is driven more by frustration at the perceived lack of effectiveness of governments, than by a serious desire by any part to secede,” Omaki stated.
He said that representatives of various agitators including the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), O’dua Peoples Congress (OPC), Arewa Youths, Middle Belt Youth Assembly and Niger Delta youths, were expected at the forum.
SCDDD expressed the optimism that the forum would not only help to calm currently frayed nerves, but would provide the platform for agreeing on well-articulated actionable recommended strategies and mechanisms required by governments for improving national cohesion, integration and unity for the overall development of Nigeria.