Elder statesman, Edwin Clark, has called on the 12-man Northern Committee on Restructuring to consider 2014 National Conference Report while considering other previous documents, conferences and position papers.
Clark made the call in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
The elder statesman while commending inauguration of the committee, led by Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, to collate views from the North on agitation for restructuring, said considering the 2014 conference report was necessary.
According to him, the report contains 600 recommendations that will be useful in the course of the Tambuwal-led committee’s work.
He added that the delegates to the national conference, which cut across all geopolitical zones and various sectors of the economy, thoroughly x-rayed previous reports before coming up with the report.
“It must be remembered that the North fully participated at that all embracing conference and all Northern representatives were signatories to the 600 recommendations made.
“It is reassuring to know that two of the members of the Tambuwal committee, Emir of Gunmi, Justice Hassan Gunmi and Gbong Gwon Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba were delegates to the 2014 Conference.
“It is worthy to note that the idea of looking into the 2014 conference report and the idea of restructuring have been muted in several quarters,” he said.
He listed prominent northerners who have thrown their weight behind the calls for restructuring of the country to include the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon (retired), former Military President Ibrahim Babangida(retired), former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi.
Clark argued that some of the recommendations in the 2014 conference report that were crucial to the restructuring of the economy included state autonomy, boundary adjustments, creation of states, creation of anti-corruption court, gender balance, rotation of presidency among the six geopolitical zones as well as re-adjustment of some government offices for transparency and accountability.
He urged Southern governors and leaders of major ethnic groups including Afenifere, Ohaneze and Pan-Niger Delta Forum(PANDEF) to meet with Northern governors and traditional leaders to harmonise positions at the conclusion of Tambuwal’s committee report.
He also urged the Federal Government to organise, coordinate and provide a secretariat for the meeting.
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