The Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has rejected the proposed national dialogue by President Goodluck Jonathan.
According to them, it is a ploy aimed at realising Jonathan’s 2015 re-election bid.
Addressing journalists in Bauchi yesterday, its spokesman, Ango Abdullahi, maintained that the planned National Conference cannot address the problems of the country.
He said several conferences held in the past failed to achieve any tangible result, wondering why the Jonatha’s proposed dialogue would be an exception.
Continuing, the former Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, said “If conference, conversation, dialogue is necessary in addition to so many that we had from 1914 to date, then what conversation are you going to hold that is different from the numerous ones that we had?” he asked rhetorically.
Abdullahi recalled that Nigeria’s problems started way back in 1976 when the military opted for Presidential system of government for the country, lamenting that the system was too expensive and corrupt.
“I have always argued that the parliamentary system of government is cheaper. The Presidential system of government, from our investigation recently, is four to five times more expensive than the parliamentary system of government.
“It is more accountable to the electorate; as a Minister or Commissioner must first be elected as a member of the parliament and as such, the people at the grassroots could challenge his performance.
“So I will argue strongly that the first constitution amendment that Nigeria should be talking about is for Nigerians to decide whether to go back to the parliamentary system of government and abandon the Presidential system because the Presidential system is corruption prone and expensive,” he added.
On the N255 million armoured vehicles bought by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, for the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, Abdulahi asked: “How can you go and buy two cars for N255 million?
“Can you believe this can happen in a disciplined parliamentary system, for a Minister without a debate in the parliament to buy this kind of facility? He queried further.
“It can only happen under this kind of system.’’
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