Northern Elders To Convene Emergency National Summit On Insecurity

Some northern elders have started mobilizing for a major national summit to work out political consensus on how to arrest the growing state of insecurity in the country.This hint was dropped in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Secretary of the National Summit planning committee, Modupe Odubanjo, on behalf of the arrowhead of the summit conveners, Maitama Sule, leader of Northern Elders Forum.

The conveners also said that the three-day national summit initially scheduled to hold next week at Le’ Meridian Hotels and Resorts, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, will now hold from 25 to 27 June 2013, at the same venue.

Ms Odubanjo explained that the national parley is expected to discuss the modality for a nationwide consultations and negotiations, while assessing the controversial issues of amnesty for militants as well as the latest state of emergency imposed in three northern states by President Goodluck Jonathan.

She said those already being invited to convene various sessions of the emergency national summit include eminent jurist and leader of the Patriots, Ben Nwabueze, leader of the Northern Political Leaders Forum, Adamu Ciroma, Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaokwu, Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, former Minister of Defenec, Theophilus Danjuma.

According to a draft programme earlier released by the summit organizers, President Jonathan is expected to deliver a keynote address at the event, which is expected to be attended by governors of the three troubled states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

“Also expected to deliver goodwill messages at the historic event tagged National Summit on the Future of Nigeria are the President of the Senate, David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and all former Presidents and Heads of State of Nigeria as well as senior members of Project Nigeria, the Nigerian Labour movement, civil and political society in the country,” the statement added.