POLITICS 17
Sanctity of Truth
Friday, September 12, 2014
Leading
Woman Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, human rights activist and President of Women Arise for Change Initiative, was a delegate at the just-concluded National Conference. In this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, she speaks on the confab report, expectations and fears. As one of the representatives of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at the justconcluded National Conference, how do you see the convocation of the confab despite opposition from certain quarters? The eventual convocation of the National Conference is a direct response to the long term agitation of not only those of us in the civil society movement but also of other well-meaning Nigerians who have become dissatisfied with the dangerous direction that our country has been heading. I will want to say that those views as expressed then were inevitable since we mustn’t forget that it is a component of democracy. Like I said earlier, while some were just being unnecessarily pessimistic, some were opposed to it in their desire to ensure that the status quo is maintained and are afraid of seeing Nigeria being taking towards positive direction. Also, were those who did that, taking into cognisance, the failure of the past of such processes. I must therefore say that those were part of the factors that eventually became responsible for our resilience as delegates to the National Conference at ensuring that the conference did not only succeed but also came out with tangible resolutions. Are the CSOs really satisfied with the outcome of the conference? We are surely satisfied with the outcome of the conference not only because of the resolutions that we were able to produce but also for our ability as Nigerians from very diverse groups and sections of the country to converge under one roof and discuss our nation and yet come out with a collectively agreed resolution on issues discussed. What were the specific agenda the CSOs took to the confab? Many issues that have to do with the welfare of Nigerians such as labour, rights of the vulnerable and basic responsibilities of government formed the priority of the CSOs. Others were issues of integrity of government; for instance, the removal of immunity clause and several others that have to address the question of leadership in Nigeria were championed by the CSOs at the conference. Do you think the agenda and issues raised by the CSOs were really addressed at the conference? Our agenda and issues were thoroughly addressed not just at every plenary that issues that were being championed were raised but we also devised a system where we regularly meet to brainstorm on issues and harmonise our position before bringing them to the entire house. Therefore, on most occasions, we were able to present our position in clear and united manner coupled with the credibility of the voices that represented the body most of whom were no push overs. Do you think the confab really achieved the original purpose for which it was convened? It surely did and because the resolu-
Okei-Odumakin: We’ll resist doctoring of confab report
Okei-Odumakin
tions were aimed at taking Nigeria towards a new direction and this we hope to pursue beyond the submission of the conference report to President Jonathan. President Jonathan has stated that he would send the conference report to National Assembly and Council of State. Do you support this idea? The decision of President Jonathan on the report is not out of place but we must also be reminded that the report is all-encompassing as some have to do with policy issues that are to be directly addressed by the executive. Some of the recommendations are of course legislative matters while there were those that have to be referred to the authority of the people from whom the government derives its sovereign powers. Issues such as the making of a new constitution will surely be the responsibility of the constituents that will be a product of the people’s referendum. Do you think the National Assembly will do justice to the conference report, considering that some of the recommendations in the report, like part-time legislation would not be in favour of members of the parliament? The contents of the report like I said are beyond the monopoly of decision of a single arm of government since they are not all exclusively legislative matters. The report can therefore not be subjected to the interest or otherwise of an assembly of just four years tenure. More so, we must realise that the members of the National Assembly are answerable to the Nigerian people that have elected to be there and therefore cannot act in defiance to the aspiration of the people as captured by the report of the National Conference. What is your take on President Jonathan’s decision to set up seven-man committee to implement the National Conference report? While I see the decision of President Jonathan to set up an implementation committee on the confab report as a good step, I will not but warn that Nigerians will resist any attempt to doctor the ex-
we must survive beyond now.
Nigerians will resist any attempt to doctor the existing report which is a product of the representation of the people isting report which is a product of the representation of the people. I suggest that the job of the committee be limited to suggesting modalities to ensure a timely and adequate implementation of the resolutions of the confab. But there have been suggestions that the confab report should be subjected to a referendum. What is your take on this? That has remained our position particularly at the civil society level and we remained committed to that. You should also remember like I earlier said that not all the contents of the report are subject to the National Assembly, it is enviable that several aspects of the reports are brought before the Nigerian people to decide upon. As it is, how feasible is the implementation of the confab report? Nation building in the world is a continuous process, while it is not certain that we expect a 100 per cent implementation of the recommendations of the conference, I am optimistic that a considerable proportion which shouldn’t be less than 80 per cent is implementable, as we continue to dialogue as a new Nigeria emerges. Do you see the 2014 confab going the way of other previous conferences? I do not envisage that. This is one confab that has an unprecedented quality representation of the Nigerian people and also devoted time at critically addressing the current challenges of the nation most of which have become inevitable for us to address as a nation if
What were the fears you expressed at the earlier stage of the confab, especially the disagreements among delegates who wanted a change and those that wanted status quo to be maintained? The fears were such that have to do with the alarming rate of pessimism of some Nigerians who are either of the view that the conference will collapse midway or cannot produce a resolution coupled with the security threats that were built around us as delegates, particularly at the venue of the conference at the initial stage. Those disagreements were inevitable at such convergence but like you rightly stated, many of them were propelled by those who wanted the status quo maintained and are afraid of seeing Nigeria moving towards a new direction. But the beautiful thing was that in all, superior arguments were also allowed to prevail even at some point where you have scenarios of charged atmosphere. What were your high and low moments at the National Conference? Some high moments were those times that the plenary gets so charged that delegates are at each other’s neck, moments where there were threats that the venue of the conference is likely to be bombed and most importantly the very day the conference sang the old National Anthem and all delegates held hands in unison, hall soaked in full emotion. The closing day of conference was also one of such. Few of the low moments I could recall were those moments that we have threats of pull outs by delegates from some groups and sections. How do you feel about you and your husband being the only couple at the confab? It was no special feeling since we did not attend the conference as couple but rather in our individual rights and as delegates representing clearly different interest groups at the conference. The confab actually is not the first time we have had to be at similar engagements in our individual rights at the same time.