COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE JUNE 12 DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT ON THE OCCASION OF THE COMMEMORATION OF THE 24TH EDITION OF JUNE 12 DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT HELD ON JUNE 12 2017 AT THE RESIDENCE AND TOMB SIDE OF THE MARTYR; MKO ABIOLA IN LAGOS, NIGERIA
DATE ISSUED:
Wednesday, 14 June 2017
ETHNIC TENSION: PRESIDENCY TASKED TO PROPERLY INITIATE INTERVENTION PANEL
The June 12 Democracy Movement hereby wishes to issue a far reaching communique arising from its solemn parley held during its NATIONAL BREAKFAST PRAYERS & TRIBUTES SESSION organised to commemorate the memorial of the heroism and martyrdom of the winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential elections in Nigeria annulled by the Nigerian military led by Gen Ibrahim Babangida.
ATTENDANCE:
After a painstaking assessment of the current precarious state of Nigeria within the ambience of the THEME: JUNE 12 MOVEMENT AND THE HOPE OF EQUITABLE RESTRUCTURING FOR NIGERIA, the assembly which was well attended by Leaders of thought, Ideologues, Political and Civil Rights Activists, who converged at the residence of MKO Abiola to dissect the burning issues in Nigeria; among who are; Distinguished Senator Comrade Shehu Sanni, who stood in as Keynote Speaker for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, GCON ( Former Vice President of Nigeria), Rt Hon Adeyemi Ikuforiji (Former Speaker, Lagos state), who stood in as Chair of the event for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Hajia Ramatu Dalhatu Musa, mni, OFR, Former President of National Council of Women Societies in Nigeria, Prof Bola Akinterinwa, Former DG of Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Veteran Poet, Odia Ofeimun, Former Private Secretary to Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Che Olawale Okunniyi, Convener, June 12 Democracy Movement in Nigeria, Dr Innocent Chukwuma, Director of Ford Foundation in West Africa, Alhaji Tanko Yinusa, Chairman, National Conscience Party, Chief Sunbo Onitiri, MKO Associate, who got the Judgement for June 12 elections to proceed against military postponement, Prof Ishaq Lakin Akintola, Director of MURIC, Comrade Joseph Eva from the Niger Delta, Dr Richard Akinola, Human Rights Activist, Comrade Barr Promise Adewusi, mni, NPOM, Former Deputy President of NLC & Head of Communiqué Team, Hon Adijat Oladapo Adeleye, Comrade Ayodele Adewale, Mr Tony Uranta, Madam Odetola Odeleye, Comrade Prof Chris Nwokobia, Rotarian Olukayode Salako, LOC Chair and Partner, Foluke Daramola, Dr Biodun Adeyanju, NMA chieftain, Barr Ikechuckwu Ikeji, Erelu Gbemisola Alabi, Alhaja Aminat Irawo, Comrade Adesokan, MKO Abiola’s Children, Olalekan and Abdul Mumuni Abiola, Mr Niyi Babade, Veteran journalist among host of other leading Activists in the country resolved as follows:
OBSERVATIONS:
The solemn assembly noted that the 24th Anniversary of the popular struggle for the restoration and consolidation of popular Democracy in Nigeria could not have come at a more auspicious time with the theme, “June 12 Movement and the Hope Of Equitable Restructuring For Nigeria”
This year’s event was both topical and instructive, coming at a time when virtually all segments of the Nigerian Union are acrimoniously agitating for equity and Justice, thereby in the process, pushing the fragile unity of Nigeria towards the precipice.
The solemn assembly however noted that June 12 has therefore become a metaphor for Nigeria’s continued unity and also for a people’s – driven constitutional democracy based on equitable imperatives.
In the light of this, the assembly, while appreciating the supreme sacrifice made by the martyr, M.K.O Abiola, for helping to midwife the present democratic experiment, also commended the June 12 Democracy Movement for bringing together eminent Nigerians from all the geopolitical regions of the country to pay Tribute to MKO Abiola Martyrdom and to solemnly reflect to chart a veritable way forward for the equitable co-existence of the diverse peoples of Nigeria.
The forum also noted the latest effort of the Presidency through the office of the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo to selectively engage stakeholders on the raging ethnic acrimony and tension in the country contrary to the reality that all the peoples of various geopolitical zones of Nigeria are victims of a corrupt and warped constitutional order foisted on Nigeria by the military in 1999.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
After a thorough x-ray of burning and contending issues within the theme for discussion, the house resolved and recommended as follows:
1. The Presidency invoking its powers in section 5 of the current defacto Constitution of Nigeria, should as a matter of urgency, formally, properly establish, an independent intervention Panel to be known as Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Panel, to reconcile Nigerians and douse the growing ethnic acrimony and tension in the country. This initiative should however go beyond the present selective approach of the Acting President to engage only stakeholders from the North and South East on the current ethnic logjam in the country.
2. The proposed interventionist Panel should however be designed to recognise the popular desire of the diverse peoples in Nigeria for a new peoples’ democratic constitution to drive a fair and just democratic political system and culture in Nigeria.
3. The proposed Panel, working with Civil Society Groups such as PRONACO, Project Nigeria Movement, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC Nigeria Democracy Platform, Change Agents of Nigeria, KIND including Indigenous and Citizens platforms and organized self determination movements should take profound cognizance of the longstanding popular advocacy and agitations of the various sections of the country towards the Restructuring of the Nigerian State into viable geopolitical regions to contain the lingering acrimony and deep seated animosity among the diverse constituents and citizens of Nigeria.
4. The proposed Truth, Justice and reconciliation panel should be empowered to invoke the required capacity to mobilise and orientate the generality of Nigerian Citizens to appreciate and imbibe the need for tolerance of one another in a sustainable, just and equitable Union
6. History and Civic Studies, for the purpose of appropriate trans generational political enlightenment for the citizens of Nigeria should be made compulsory in our primary and Secondary School Curricula.
7. The Federal Government must as a matter of necessity make Youth and Women Empowerment an irrevocable priority henceforth in the political governance of Nigeria.
8. The assembly further demanded that the FGN should immortalise Bashorun MKO Abiola as a National icon of Democracy and family be compensated, while the National Stadium in Abuja should be named after him in accordance with the resolution of the 5th National Assembly. Same with Eagle square to be known as MKO Abiola Democracy Centre.
9. The forum also recommended to the FGN to henceforth recognise and declare June 12 as National Democracy Day in Nigeria.
10.The June 12 Democracy Movement in conjunction with Organized Civil Society and the Nigerian Government should, as a matter of honour and international advocacy for popular democracy world over, establish a National Institute for Democracy to be named as MKO Abiola Institute for Democratic Studies
SIGNED
Veteran Olawale Okunniyi (Convener, June 12 Democracy Movement)
Mr Abdul Mumuni Abiola (Rep Hosts)
Rotarian Olukayode Salako (LOC, 2017 Chairman)
Prof Bola Akinterinwa (Chair, Communiqué Session)