By Oghenekevwe Laba
As delegates to the National Conference arrived at Abuja on Monday to kick start deliberations on resolving issues affecting Nigeria, former Secretary of State to Delta State Government (SSG), Obarisir (Barr.) Ovie Omo-Agege has commended the courage of President Goodluck Jonathan for offering a national conference knowing that its outcome would take away some of his powers.
Omo-Agege in a paper titled, “National Conference is the Urgent Need of the Time” made available to our correspondent said Jonathan’s action is truly sacrificial, transformative and unprecedented leadership of a President who is determined to leave Nigeria much better than he met it and structurally equipped to match into the future of delivering on the long delayed promise of unchained greatness.
Advising the delegates to make good use of the opportunity, Omo-Agege who is the Chairman of Urhobo Political Congress (UPC) pointed out that a successful deliberation at the conference would unite the country more than ever.
He advised delegates on the need to listen to one another and appreciate each other’s point of view and position on the issue, adding that with courage and compassion added to their moral fiber, they would be able to take the big decisions that would change the trajectory of Nigeria.
According to him, “At this defining moment of the nation, the national conference is the urgent need of the time and delegates must set aside their doubts and fears and embrace the command of consensus and compromise. There is no doubt in my mind that a successful national conference will radically and positively transform our nation and affect the well-being of us all, North and South, rich and poor, Christians and Muslims, men and women, young and old.”
He recalled that through the years, Nigerians have tried so hard to forget their differences but the time has come to understand their differences and turn them into strengths so as to build a united nation, adding that in spite of the time spent in the wilderness, Nigeria is not beyond salvation.
“All it will take is undivided commitment from all the delegates to understand the issues and design a structure that will serve the nation well,” he opined.
He suggested that the conference delegates don’t have to look far to other lands to find solutions to Nigerian problems, stressing that all they have to do is to look back to the nation’s first Republic and return to the core principles of true federalism adopted by country’s nationalist leaders in 1963 constitution before the advent of oil.