IBADAN_A Yoruba Social Political Group, Oodua Development Initiative (ODI) has called for a consensus Yoruba agenda for the national dialogue
being proposed by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a four-hour
Colloquium organized by ODI with the theme:" National Conference: True Federalism and the Yoruba Nation" held at the Premier Hotel, Ibadan.
At the end of the deliberations, which was moderated by Professor
Alade Fawole, had Professor Ayo Olukotun and Mr Yinka Odumakin as the lead discussants, the group insisted that Yoruba must have a set agenda adding that the decision of the conference must be subjected to a referendum and should not be subjected to a review or debate by the National Assembly or any other body including the executives.
Other resolutions of the communiqué includes that the decision of President Goodluck Jonathan to accede to the yearning of Nigerians for a National Conference is welcomed, commendable and
should be supported by all Nigerians.
The communiqué further includes that there is a consensus that there must be a National Conference and that the representation to the National Conference must be on the basis of equal
representation of the six geo-political zones.
It also notes that the National Conference should have sovereign powers to the extent that the outcome of the Conference would not be subject to review by any organ of the federal government, but the outcome may be subject to a referendum by the people of Nigeria.
The outcome of the referendum according to the communiqué should be consequently incorporated in the Constitution and the National Assembly should promulgate same after repealing the existing Constitution.
The group further agreed that the Yorubas must present an agenda at the National Conference stating that such agenda must incorporate a demand for true Federalism that will give the federating units autonomy.
It also agreed that once there is true federalism, other contentious issues like revenue sharing, resource control, and state police would be easy to resolve.

The ODI advised that there must be no "no go" areas, and that whatever the motive of the President is in calling for the National Conference, Nigerians should commend him for giving them the opportunity to dialogue.
It urged civil society groups and Nigerians in general to set a course for
the conference to lead to a better Nigeria.
In his welcome address, the president of ODI, Dr. Olusanya Awosan, stated that the National Conference at this time is imperative because it will assist to tackle burning issues in the nation.
On the argument about whether the conference should be a Sovereign
National Conference, Awosan who is also the Special Adviser to the
President Jonathan on Public Relations noted that they should only have a conference with a sovereign power.
Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, who was the
Chairman of the event, condemned the critics of the conference, especially the current South-west governors, describing them as anti-Yoruba, reactionary and unjustifiable.
He said the conference will be successful and positive, unlike the
previous conferences in recent times adding that every nationality should be giving equal representation at the confab and the conference should be encouraged to start and end before the 2015
elections in order to calm tensions that are already brimming up.