The Nigerian Senate has expressed its support for the convocation of a National Conference which President Goodluck Jonathan announced during his nationwide broadcast to mark the 53rd Indepencence Anniversary of the country.
In a statement issued by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the Senate welcomed the convocation of a national conference which is limited in scope where the sovereignty of the country is not in any way called to question.
“The Senate notes also that the national confab as announced is limited to the scope where the sovereignty of Nigeria is not called to question.
”It is therefore given that the proposed conference is in tandem with the time tested stand of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and as enunciated by the President of the Senate, Senator David A. B Mark in his address at the last Nigerian Bar Association Conference in Calabar and to Senators penultimate week.
”The Senate has always canvassed the position that it will always welcome a conference where all ethnic nationalities would converge to discuss all critical issues and proffer the very best way that will enhance national unity.
”The Senate red-line and for which was aptly factored in the President’s broadcast is the conferment of a sovereign status to the conference.
”The Senate is happy that it is a conference that will hold with due respect to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. It has always been Senate’s considered stand that there cannot be two sovereign processes at a time.
”The Senate is therefore gratified with the development and sees it as an opportunity to address all of Nigeria’s structural problems that keeps agitating the mind of her ethnic nationalities.
The Senate is confident that the conference’s final outcome would go a long way to cement Nigeria’s unity.” The statement stated.
