Nigerians are contentious and dogmatic citizens when it comes to accommodating suggestions. It is high time for Nigeria to find solution to the nagging demands on her convoluted union and to honestly convene the Sovereign National Conference.[SNC] The call for SNC is only a prescription for continued existence of the uniting nations under the same roof called Nigeria. The weaknesses in calling for SNC are our inability to: 1) produce acceptable agenda and canvass logical reasons for its convenance because we are afraid of the "what if;" 2) face the truth about our very existence as a nation; 3) rekindle our lost agreeable spirit; and 4) forego our comfort zone in order to forge ahead and correct that which is fundamentally wrong with the present arrangement. In this article, I intend to present arguments to support the convenance of SNC, plausible reason why each zone should negotiate its raison d’etat for continued membership in the nation called Nigeria, and provide purposeful direction for an agreed upon agenda for SNC.

The richest place on earth is the cemetery but then why? It is because the cemetery is full of unfulfilled dreams, lost hopes, unachieved vision, and procrastinated but unattained aspirations. Nigeria is a nation occupied by many rich, poor and indifferent citizens who ought to have been the conscience of a nation when they observed genocide and the desecration of the nation called Nigeria but who otherwise remained silent. BBC recently published a list of rich Nigerians in which it tried to make sense out of chaos. Most of the names seem to suggest that many were former civil servants most, we must agree, got their wealth by manipulating the national civil system to the detriment of the Nigerian masses. Is it now possible that Nigeria has reached a critical mass and her center can no longer hold or may be my inference is just a mere aberration? Wealth is nothing when it does not make a dent in the lives of common man, when it does not improve nation’s infrastructure, when it does not advance educational and economic well being of the nation, and when it does not set prevailing peace and tranquility among brothers. Any leader worth being called a leader must constantly cross-reference the biblical quotation, "what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?" What would it profit the leaders if they gain financially and materially at the expense of the nation but end up loosing their soul due to lack of self respect, security, lack of necessary moral conscience and ability to freely coexist among fellow Nigerians? Those that have looted national treasury or those that have been perceived to do so must not be sent to negotiate on behalf of any of the six political zones at the SNC until they have transfigured themselves and prove that they are worthy of the new Nigeria. This is because such persons, though citizens, have the propensity to lull Nigerians into discussing the symptoms rather than the root cause of Nigeria’s problem at SNC. Nigeria can no longer afford this type of people but we must not, as a nation, be easily swayed to throwing away the baby with the bath water.

The call for Sovereign National Conference, SNC is not new in Nigeria but it is now more preeminent and relevant to the survival of the nation, Nigeria. It is my believe that Nigerians across the nation are now well informed, mature, and understand the functionality of Nigeria nations beyond what past leaders have presented. After all, the citizens have had more than forty years to dry run democracy and military governance and the difference seems clear. Nigerians must and will not take no for an answer in her call for SNC because progressive and successful citizens must not. Only citizens with small minds will not want to change the status quo which SNC calls for. If we are informed citizens as we often claim to be, we need to stop whining, stop using abusive language in an attempt to short up citizens, and be open minded to constructive criticisms even when we disagree. We must be ready to tell Nigeria what we are willing to give her and negotiate what we need from Nigeria. Nigeria nations have been demanding what they think they deserve and perhaps, it must be stated that no one gets what he deserves but what he negotiates. SNC is meant for each constituent part of the nations within the space called Nigeria to negotiate a deal upon which she will faithfully defend and unequivocally be patriotic to her and her ideals. Nigeria is presently a rudderless ship that must chart a new course with specific plan and purpose. The helpful concessions given up by each nation within Nigeria in the past was not as a result of weakness but as an embodiment of supreme sacrifice for Nigeria to move forward in the comity of nations. Such helpful concessions have now been seen to hurt the country and it is time to have a real dialogue and negotiate reasons a solid and indivisible Nigeria. Indeed, in the past forty years, Nigeria has been trying to hit a target that she never set.

The objective of convening SNC should be to maintain a strong, cohesive, viable and indivisible Nigeria. However, in achieving the indivisibility, a new structural model for the union must be formulated. In my humble opinion, Nigeria’s shyness in convening SNC is due to: 1) lack of trust which is pervasive among the constituent parts. Hausa man does not trust Yoruba man to deliver what he promises, Yoruba man does not trust an Igbo man neither does an Igbo man trust Hausa man. This is one of the dilemmas in our current set up and it must be nipped in the bud; 2) worries about the effect of current self-centered, self-serving and money grabbing politicians in Abuja, in the states and in local governments; and 3) inability to forge meaningful agenda for the Sovereign National Conference. If each nation within Nigerian cannot garner two to three of their eminent citizens to negotiate the requirements that will sustain a united Nigeria, then Nigeria has short changing herself of the collective wealth and depth of the experience that resides in her citizens. One thing that Nigerians agree on is that the nation needs to start divesting power from the center so that only visionary leaders capable of exciting citizenry frequency in order to bring about growth of the nation will run for public office at the center. Similarly, when the center is weak and the states are stronger, laws makers will formulate laws that tax moral conscience of the nation and provide fair and equitable resource distribution formula for all Nigerians.

Right now, all what the politicians are concern about is who is going to be the next president when they have not been able to show any positive contribution they have made to improve the standard of living of common Nigerians since they got to office. The current crop of politicians are really not interested in fashioning a progressive agenda for the nation as long as they can continue to reap where they have not sown. Nigerians have been 180 degree out of phase for so long and it is time to start deliberating on electing leaders that have interest of citizens at heart. It is also time for Nigerians to stop defending the indefensible. A leader that steals from citizens and carts the loots to foreign land can definitely not be a good leader for any zone of Nigeria but a self-centered leader. A leader that destroys the country’s educational infrastructure and portends to love his/her people must be declared persona non grata no matter which part of the country they come from. SNC will assure citizens that Nigeria as an entity will never allow citizens of disrepute to represent her collective interest because a leader is part of the whole and such leaders reflect the fundamental flaw of the community they represent.

The most important reason, I think for SNC, is that with a weak center, state control but fair and equitable distribution of resources, negotiated reasons for unity among Nigerian nations, it would not really matter whether an IBB or an Obasanjo, a Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa man becomes president or whether any leader hates a tribe because the nations that form Nigeria would have law abiding lawmakers, "almost" incorruptible but informed citizens. Nigeria would have setup performance measuring standards with which to evaluate and even impeach non-performing leaders. It is time for Nigeria’s interest to supersede self-interest in order to destroy the usual "me-mentality" forever.

The next most burning issue is the control of resources. One does not see any reason why the States cannot control their resources. For example, during the first Nigerian democratic experience, the regions commissioned most of the infrastructures seen today because regions controlled their resources. For instance, Sir Ahmadu Bello established many functional edifies in the North of which Ahmadu Bello University is one. Ahmadu Bello University admitted more Westerners than the Northerners themselves and he insisted that the North must learn to compete on the same level as the West and the east without lowering the bar. Sir Ahmadu Bello could have decided that such University was for Northerners only but he didn’t. At the same time, Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s government in the West established free primary education from which many Igbos and some Northerners benefited. The products of resources from the east also benefited both the North and the West. What we are saying here is that the states are closer to their citizens and know the needs of their citizens and should be able to tailor their resources to such needs.

The South-South governors seem to be telling the nation that they are now sensitive to the needs of their constituents. If this is not an empty gesture, then, Nigeria has great hopes for the future. The North that I know has thoughtful and accommodating leaders of integrity and it does not make sense to me that North is now producing mediocre leadership capable of inciting riots and setting up political Shari'ah. Political Shari'ah is a symptom of hidden national pain waiting to be expunged. Again, if SNC is convened it will help open such wounds and attempt to negotiate a solution to the root cause of the problem in a fair and open manner.

Many of us have been clamoring for Nigerians: 1) to convene a Sovereign National Conference; 2) to encourage States to embark on projects that can generate needed revenue; 3) to have a weaker center such that only those that have the interest of Nigeria at heart would venture to run for the administration of Nigeria; 4) to seek a different but fair revenue generation formula; 5) find benevolent leaders whose policies will lift the deaden spirit of lots of Nigerians; and 6) to elect leaders of purpose to the center rather than schemers because the center is too juicy. Nigerians cannot continue to silently tolerate undeserved poverty or self-serving wealth. We need leaders that will define Nigeria’s strategic interest and allow it to coexist with those of latent powers without one dictating to the other programs that are cohesive, corruptive, and disruptive in nature. With SNC, Nigeria can define an agreed upon central issue that will be a rallying point and prick the patriotic conscience of the citizens.

Reviewing the setup of the present democratic dispensation, the North claimed she looked for someone they could trust to protect their interest. The North found president Mathew Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo to match her need. There was nothing wrong for the North to use this strategy. Indeed, it was a good strategy. It would, therefore, seem to a right thinking person that the North is not looking for a way to hold on to power but rather a way to make sure that her interests and survival are protected and even guaranteed. So if the North is interested in making sure that her interests are protected, she can seek any leader (Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa) that can satisfy the requirement and not necessarily leaders from the North. The North must also make sure that she sends a leader that can negotiate a better deal on her behalf to the SNC and not a schemer. We are all aware that North had succeeded in presenting capable negotiator in the past. The Igbos, on the other hand, are concerned with their marginalization since after the civil war. Hence, the negotiator to be send to SNC must be capable of articulating their position and so must representatives for the Easterners, the Midwesterners, the Mid-belters, et cetera. The Yoruba must be able to come up with their requirements for equitable resource distribution, and assurance that one section of the country will not hold on tightly to power even if they are incompetent represented. Niger Delta areas need environmental and ecological purity, improved infrastructure (NEPA, NITEL, road constructions, etc.) since 90% oil revenue is generated for their area. Niger Delta region also want to control the oil resources and I agree with them to some extent that they must also realize that Nigerian nations supported the building of the petroleum infrastructures and this is why percentage formula must be use. With this model, all the six political zones should be able to provide capable representatives/negotiators to SNC. Indeed, after the conclusion of the SNC, Nigeria should be able to come up with a unified grand strategy that connects all and upon which the citizens’ patriotism can be called upon, a rallying point if you please.

At the present stage of development, Nigerians are constantly concentrating on the symptoms rather than deal with the root cause of her problems. Her problems are embedded in finding true leaders that believe in the entity called Nigeria, leaders that can be trusted to pursue right economic policies which are likely to revamp the comatose economy, leaders that don’t just pay lip service to the unity of Nigeria but leaders that can work assiduously for the benefit of mankind and leaders that see their financial remuneration tied to performance. We must work very hard to break the chasm of tribalism, corruption, and ego centrism that can only be achieved through a good understanding for our unity, fairness, and equitable distribution of resources. We must all be terrific stewards of the riches that the almighty has bestowed upon Nigeria.

When our leaders ask us to sing the National Anthem, what exactly will be their reasons? How many Nigerians take time to understand the lyrics of Nigerian National Anthem, "Arise O compatriot, Nigeria’s call obey, to serve our fatherland, …" Many, including the past leaders, may just be going through the motion of incantation when they sing the song because, it seems that they neither understood the meaning of the lyrics nor believe in what they were invoking. It is time to mean what the Anthem says and sing what it means. In the new Nigeria, all hands must be on deck and we must be willing to die empty and give Nigeria and indeed the world our best in the processes of creating a lasting legacy for Nigeria.

Long live a truly united Republic of Nigeria.