A human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) has dismissed the call for a national constitutional conference by the 17 southern governors.
17 Southern State Governors had two days back converged at Asaba, Delta State capital, where they made some resolutions and demands from the Federal government.
They demanded a ban on open grazing in the south and urged the president to convene a national dialogue summit, restructure the country.
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Other demands included devolution of power, state police and new revenue allocation formula, among others which they believed would abate the cries of secession among different groups in the country.
Speaking in Anambra State on Thursday, as a keynote speaker at the 25th Law week of the Awka branch of Nigerian Bar Association, Ozekhome described the governors’ suggestion as unnecessary.
He said, “I was at the 2014 national conference headed by late Justice Idris Kutigi. The over 200 recommendation we made at that conference was yet to be touched.
“The recommendations of the conference that consisted of 492 Nigerians, drawn from all strata, has never been touched by this government, even with a 10-foot pole. So, when I heard the 17 Southern governors talking about another conference, I knew they meant well for the country, but we do not need another dialogue.
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“Let them go to the 2014 recommendations, they will see that we recommended state police, we recommended part-time legislature. The constitution made the sitting of members of the national assembly six months, but they are receiving fat salaries.
“What are we doing with 306 House of Representatives members? What are we doing with 109 senators, what are we doing with them? Why not make it a unicameral legislature or part-time so that those who are genuinely interested can come and serve the nation, sit and go. We can’t grow like this.”
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