OPINION: NIGERIA'S NATIONAL CONFERENCE AND THE MARGINALIZED ETHNIC NATIONALITIES

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As the federal government of Nigeria kick-starts it roundtable dialogue referred to as national conference, emotions are still streaming high among different group. Despite the defiance of the national rulers not give the notion of ethnic nationalities conference, groups and regional blocs were already in preparation moods in order to form geopolitical unified messages ahead of the bunch. The conference had been declared open with participants closed to 500 individuals referred to as delegates. So far representation doesn't look to be based on ethnicity or not officially stated to include all distinct nationalities that shared in the geography of Nigeria. Notwithstanding, the major ethnic nationalities are enjoying full representations and therefore full citizenships of Nigeria. In most case, these dominance nationalities are going to be overly represented through various tools at their disposal as the current national formula is deliberately skewed in their favor. On the other hand, minority nationalities are not fully represented and would not be, while others are going to be simply ignored and not recognized. Based on the spotted list said to be invitees to the conference - a list with all intents and purposes were influenced and handpicks by the same cabals strangling Nigeria's future. These invitees mostly referred to as delegates by the administration are flocks of military elites (serving and retired), party members and associates, religious groups, and other social grouping including corporate and academic friends. To be somewhat specific, the list included with entities referred to as elder statesmen, retired military and security personnel, traditional rulers, retired civil servants, labor representatives, organized private sector, Nigerian youth organizations, women group, political parties, Moslem leaders, Christian leaders, Nigeria guild of editors, Nigerian union of journalists, Nigerians in diasporas, broadcasting organization of Nigeria, professional bodies, national academies, and the trivial list goes on. Perhaps, while Nigerians are bracing for supposedly national conference, they must not forget that the association of Nigeria is not based primarily on the aforementioned entities as the rulers are forcing on the people. Rather, the association of Nigeria is primarily based on distinct nationalities that makeup Nigeria. That means that if there is to be a true national conference in Nigeria these various nationalities should have to be invited first on equal bases as they are the primary stakeholders of Nigeria. If we should simply accept that the intentions of the conference are genuine; which are partly to restructure Nigeria based on ethnic nationalities and to genuinely correct foundational wrongs that are largely responsible for gross corruption and violence upheavals in strategic part of the country. Then, maintaining a status quo will ultimately paralyze the conference from achieving such major changes the country is dying for. On the other hand, if minorities are not fully recognized as is the case with the dominance group in the conference. Then, those minorities for which their resources are sustaining Nigeria should have to apply other measures to protect themselves and their interests as that should be their primary concern and responsibility. The fact about Nigeria remains that the country was criminally formed and the more rulers are bent on holding on to those faulty principles on which the country was formed, the more they are prolonging all its vices and therefore laying the groundwork for further crises down the road. It is important that Nigerians understands that the issue of ethnicity cannot be ignored away as long as Nigeria remains one country. Meaning that if Nigerians are honest about seeking a stable and vibrant system where citizens can excel based on their nature blessed potentials (and ability and talents) will require that rulers recognizes that distinct nationalities are different from one another and should be treated (equally) on that basis. Rulers must open the tents of justice to every group (big or small) to cultivate self-development from inside out and then contribute an agreeable quarters to central constituted authority. Nigerians should know that the primary obligation of all the nationalities within Nigeria is self development and survival before external obligations as is in contributing to the development of other part of the country. Without genuineness in the restructuring of the faulty structure of Nigeria. It will be difficult if not impossible to simply legislate ethnicity problems away and no amount of halfhearted constitutional amendments and reshuffling or imposed conferences can delete the fact that Nigeria is a country of distinct nationalities with all its attendant growing problems. It is in fact in the country best interest that these various nationalities are giving the freewill to discuss how they intent to coexist in a unified country going forward. Nigeria is a country of distinct nationalities with natural demarcations in territories as are differences in languages and ethnic and cultural views. It is no news that Nigeria has a faulty history that was based on commercial interests of European masters, such that the design of the country was all about what these masters wanted at the expense of the various nationalities. Since the amalgamation of Nigeria by British Empire, there has never been a time where these nationalities were giving the opportunity to discuss their membership of a country, for which they consented to form a country called Nigeria. Nigeria from its formation has been an ongoing problem and the advent of oil and its diabolical arrangements had by far exacerbated the country's problems with all its lawless practices. Crude oil in its natural form is arguably a precious gift to mankind for its remarkable footprint on modern development and civilization. The discovery of oil and other resources had sparks human development and uplifts economies and had increased the paste of development of societies and people from extreme poverty and primitiveness. The same oil had caused unbearable destructions to our ecosystem. The advent of these natural resources have created havoc to people that inhabited the source of this black goal. Its impacts had torn societies apart and are also responsible for high level of corruption syndicates on international scale, between multinational corporations and rogue governments that steak to violence as instrument of control. This especially so in an unstable and violence formed society where crushing poverty, underdevelopment, and the application violence are common on daily bases. Nigeria is a prime example of such society where oil is a huge problems and source of violence and terror. In Nigeria, oil had spread its negative effect contagiously on every part of the society, including every institution that operates within the bounds of the country. The advent of oil on the landscape of Nigeria disrupted and spurned away 'resource control', which was a moderate practice in Nigeria during the regional government. That sound practice was violently replaced with the current handout system by the military and since then, the country has being riding on elevated corruption, lawlessness, and violence of all sorts. The handout system in Nigeria is also referred to as 'Revenue Formula', Federal Allocation or Allocation Formula'. It is a system where crude oil is sold or trade for foreign currencies (or other strategic engagements) and the proceeds are shared among political office holders through the so called federal, states, and local governments allocations and believe it or not. The ultimate result of this reckless policy is the paralytic and stagnant economy that works well for the underworld business activities. The handout system is also responsible for the multiplicities of states given to dominance homogenous groups. These groups, blockheadedly arrogated national power to themselves, simply because of their sheer populations without regard for the soundness of the system based on economic proof. So that, these Nigeria's populous groups are able to use their manipulated national power in creation of multiple states for themselves without economic considerations. These are situation in Nigeria where state creation is less of economic viability but more of relationship to rulers. A situation where any heads of state is able to use his power to create states for his family members, in laws, friends, and other close associates. For example, IBB created Delta state not because that area was rich in oil, but because his wife comes from there. Meaning that if his wife was not from that area, he would not have given them a state, notwithstanding how resourceful and viable they were known to be. The striking effect from such reckless policy is the influx of barren states that cannot boast of feeding themselves. Yet every year, these states are flooded with administrative costs and other overhead expenditures that drained into the pockets of party politicians and cronies that have nothing to do with development. From a broader standpoint, these barren states becomes dumping waste on those few states that are economically viable and you wonder how such economy can survival in this DNA. Ultimately in the national drama in Nigeria, the proceeds from oil and the lands in which oil are milked become the first line of casualties. While those that lived on oil bearing lands are the ultimate victims. So that, the case for further conference based on status quo promised no change, but creating temporary measures where few opportunists will feed fat. Thus this proposed conference is another case of Déjà vu to further the line of extreme corruption and more violence in the arising. Perhaps, for a Nigeria conference to be referred to as a national conference, it must address and resolved major issues bordering on Nigerian nationalities, including: Equal representations of all distinct nationalities that shared in the geography of Nigeria irrespective of size Abolished or repealed of all states created by military regime in Nigeria Abolishment of all draconian laws and decrees including Land Use Decree True/fiscal federalism Loose system based on self-development from the inside out Agreeable and people's constitution or confederacy that reflects the country's ethnicities Address the issue of Religion and State, and There should be no go area and every issue of national concern should be negotiable.