BY LINUS CHIBUIKE
THE Eminent Elders Forum has called for a drastic reduction in the number of members of the National Assembly, State Assemblies and political appointees.
This was part of the resolutions reached at a virtual meeting of the Forum on the crisis that had trailed the #EndSARS protest, held on Friday, October 23, 2020.
The Forum comprises of top ranking senior citizens, who have held frontline positions in the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, Police, Military, Civil Society, public and private sectors of Nigeria.
It said, having deliberated on the demands of the youths, the Forum agreed that the youths had genuine reasons for their agitation and protest and that it was their constitutional rights to peacefully express their grievances.
It called on the Federal Government to scrap the payment of salaries and provision of constituency projects for members of the National and State Assemblies.
“They should instead be placed on sitting, transport and hazard allowances as it were in the first republic’s parliamentary system,” the Forum noted, adding that the Legislature, like the other arms of government, had become too unwieldy and too expensive for the nation to sustain.
All ill-gotten wealth should be identified, recovered and converted to public use, the elders demanded.
They listed other steps that should be urgently taken by the Federal Government to put the country back on the path of peace, stability and prosperity.
They said, “There is urgent need to review the 1999 Constitution to, at least, inject the resolutions of the 2014 National Conference with its recommendations; the Federal Government should jettison forthwith, the prevailing lopsided appointments into Ministries, Department and Agencies and reflect the diversity of the country in appointments among other governance issues.
“We call for immediate eradication of quota systems to give way to merits and competence. The Federal Government should decisively end the ongoing war against insurgents, bandits, cattle rustlers and wanton killing of innocent Nigerians across the country.”
The Forum also recommended a change of Service Chiefs and the rejigging of the nation’s security architecture to effectively secure the lives and properties of the citizens.
It said, “We call for drastic reduction in the number of members of the National Assembly, State Assemblies and, the number of political appointees. Essentially, we call for an urgent review of the cost of governance to reflect our national economic realities even as we urge the governments to Identify and block all wastages.
“We commend the Federal Government’s action on the abrogation of the discredited Special Anti-Robbery Squad and support the youths’ demand for total reform of Nigerian Police with effective decentralisation of the Police to accommodate state and community policing.
“We condemn unequivocally, the alleged shooting of the civil protesters at Lekki toll gate in Lagos and the alleged use of sponsored thugs to attack the protesters including the destruction of properties.
We see such actions as barbaric that should not occur in a 21st century Nigeria.
“We, therefore, call for adequate compensation for the bereaved families and the injured in this regard.”
The Forum said all anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences Commission, and others should be strengthened to take the fight against corruption very seriously and live up to the expectation of the public.
On the Lekki Tollgate shooting, the elders said they were saddened and greatly pained by the alleged “killings” of “our children” by the military and police that were created to safeguard them and defend the nation.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria, especially Nigerian Army, are strongly advised to stay off the youths’ peaceful protests and desist from further attacks against the protesters in any form. We strongly condemn continued killings of citizens under whatever guise and strongly admonish that such should stop forthwith,” they declared.
The communique was jointly signed by Prof. Chukwuemeka Eze Onukaogu – Chairman, Resolutions/Communique Committee; Hajia Dr. Baraka Sani – Co-Chair, Resolutions/Communique Committee; Elder Muyiwa Ayo-Vaughan – Secretary, Resolutions/Communique Committee; Elder Smollette Adetoyese Shittu-Alamu – Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee; Chief Anayo Arinze – Secretary, Media and Publicity Committee; and Prof. Echefuna Rotimi Onyebeadi – Convener/Coordinator
