‘Why Political Reforms Need Support’

A former President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr Simon Okolo, on Sunday called for political reforms, especially in areas of ethnic dichotomy.

Okolo who made the suggestion in Aba in an interview said he was alarmed by the ceaseless bombing and general unrest that had claimed many lives and property mostly in northern parts of the country by the Boko Haram, an Islamic religious sect.

He appealed to those causing disharmony in the country to sheath their swords and join hands with President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to engender a peace in the country to enhance development.

He urged those fanning embers of ethnic dichotomy and discord to see the importance of unity to the economic, social and political development of the country, adding, “there is strength in togetherness.”

Okolo urged the politicians and Boko Haram sect to embrace peace and give Jonathan the needed peaceful climate to carry out his campaign promises to the nation.

He restated the importance of peace and unity for the rapid development of any nation, and urged Jonathan to implement the report of the Salihu Alfa Belgore-led 21 member of the Presidential Committee on the Reviews of Outstanding Constitutional Issues (PCRCOCI).

Okolo said that the committee was charged to look into areas where consensus had been reached in the past constitutional conferences to come up with a draft the executive would submit to the National Assembly for deliberation.

According to him, the administration must muster the needed political will to enlarge the group to help look into the ethnic issues currently causing frictions across the country.

“Nigerians have since reached a consensus that the first requirement for a just, stable and egalitarian nation should be the adoption of a truly federal constitution where the centre devolves more of its powers to the states/regions as the engines of growth.

“The states/regions can freely exploit their internal human and mineral resources and pay appropriate dues to the Federal Government at the centre,’’ Okolo said.