NNSG lauds Mark over call for national confab

The Nigerian National Summit Group (NNSG) at the weekend commended the  Senate President, Senator David Mark for his call for a National Conference. In a statement signed by the its Executive Secretary, Tony Uranta, the group said one of the areas of concern of the proponents of a National Conference has been the suspected non-disposition of members of the National Assembly to this necessary round-table discourse, adding that the recent call by Senator Mark for a national conference has come as a pleasant and popularly welcome development.

“With the Senate President’s endorsement of a National Conference, it has become undoubtedly clear that the most plausible way to resolve the myriad of problems bedevilling our country is through a platform for the peoples of Nigeria to candidly dialogue as equals.
Since its inauguration in February, 2012, the Nigerian National Summit Group (NNSG) has been at the vanguard of convening a National Conference/Dialogue that would build on our commonalities, and resolving any differences.
We have been very mindful in appreciating the enormous contributions of the existing national institutions (including the three arms and three tiers of Government etc) to nation building, hence our opposition to the call for a Sovereign National Conference by a segment of the polity.”
The statement said the group seeks an all-inclusive National Dialogue/National Conference towards building a strong, united Nigeria, premised on truth, justice, equity, rule-of-law and democracy.
“There is no doubt that the prevailing social-cultural and politico-economic upheavals in the country and the attendant impact on our national unity clearly calls for the people to discuss.
We therefore call on President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to hearken to this clarion call, by majority of Nigerians, and set up the machinery by not later than  December 31, 2013, that will lead to convening a National Conference as soon as possible in 2014.
Convening a National Conference now, is an unavoidable imperative that the government can longer defer or postpone,” it stated.