Critical stakeholders in the country cutting across political divides – comprising 14 governors, captains of industries, ministers and pressure groups – have come together under the aegis of the 2022 Committee to chart a new course for the country.
Daily Trust gathered that they were hosted by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Eko Hotel, Lagos at the weekend.
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The meeting, it was gathered, was convened to pull the country from the brinks.
Ahead of the Lagos meeting, the conveners had secured the buy-in of President Muhammadu Buhari, sources at the meeting said.
There is uneasy calm occasioned by insecurity, secession moves, agitation for power shift, the need for a new constitution and restructuring before the 2023 general elections.
The president had recently hosted the organisers of the 2022 Committee at the State House Abuja after an earlier meeting they held at the nation’s capital before the Lagos retreat.
Serving governors who attended the meeting include Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Jigawa), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti).
Daily Trust gathered that former governors who were part of the meeting were Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), Peter Obi (Anambra), Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto), Otunba Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Ikedi Ohakim (Imo), Donald Duke (Cross River), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun).
Two former Senate presidents, Anyim Pius Anyim and Bukola Saraki, were part of the meeting.
From the business community, Chairman/President of Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Chairman of BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu; Mr Femi Otedola, Mike Adenuga, Jim Ovia, Atedo Peterside, Fola Adeola and Tony Elumelu, were on ground during the meeting.
It was further gathered that the pioneer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Nuhu Ribadu, deputy governor of Zamfara State, Mahdi Ali Gusau, director of Publicity and Advocacy of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman and Bianca Ojukwu, wife of late Odumegwu Ojukwu, were part of the group.
Top government functionaries present at the meeting included the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele; Minister of State, Power; Minister of State Petroleum; Minister of Information and Minister of Aviation.
How conveners secured Buhari’s blessing
Daily Trust reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had during his meeting with the committee pledged to hand over a strong repositioned agriculture-led, diversified, home-grown economy, stable democracy and revamped armed and security forces to the next administration.
It was gathered that the massive turnout witnessed at the event as a result of the presidential support secured by the conveners of the event.
A top source told Daily Trust that the president was solidly behind the parley to proffer solutions to the problems militating against the advancement of the country.
The source said during the recent meeting at the villa, the conveners told the president the rationale and the need for stakeholders to chart a new course for the country.
“The president threw his weight behind the move by the conveners. It was based on this that government functionaries attended the Lagos retreat,” he said.
The meeting, it was further gathered, was aimed at achieving a national consensus around some issues and strengthening ideas and strategies that have to do with the transition of the country between now and 2023 as well as the transition of the country from elections onwards.
A member of the team said the idea behind the group was equally to give the current administration some support through some ideas and strategies as well as ease the country from where it is now, beyond the life of the current administration.
Various groups have been calling for national conference, national dialogue, among other meetings to chart new course for Nigeria.
We’re for national rebirth – Conveners
The conveners of the retreat said it was held to attain a new consensus for national rebirth in Nigeria.
In a statement by Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam and Chairman of THISDAY/Arise Media Group, Mr Nduka Obaigbena, they noted that participants recognised that there was an urgent need to seek common ground and irreducible minimum actions to stabilise the polity.
The committee also refuted reports that it was working for the presidential ambition of a particular candidate in the 2023 elections.
“Working on the subcommittees of national security, the economy and Nigeria in transition, the participants recognised that there is an urgent need to seek common ground and irreducible minimum actions to stabilise the polity at this critical time of transition,” the statement said.
It added that while the committee was interested in the quality of leadership that will emerge in Nigeria at all levels, it was only political parties that were empowered to choose candidates for elections.
They called on all patriotic volunteers, who are willing and able, to join the effort to stabilise the system to build a new Nigeria.
A source disclosed that the committee was a gathering of Nigerian elite working together with the political class and civil society to build a better Nigeria.
“The committee is made up of elite for the good of Nigeria. You have businessmen, leaders of thought as well as politicians from most of the political parties,” the source said.
“In fact, some of them have declared to run in 2023 already, so the committee has nothing to do with political parties or candidates. It is just a group of elite who have risen above religious, political and ethnic considerations to build consensus around issues of the economy, national security, governance and other critical areas of national life,” he said.
A top member, however, hinted that the committee will be actively involved in the 2023 elections by ensuring that quality candidates are produced across party lines.
Nigeria will be in trouble if we fail – Kashim Imam
The co-convener of the 2022 National rebirth committee, Kashim Imam, said the country will be in trouble if the committee failed in its national rebirth agenda for the nation come 2023.
Kashim spoke on a Channels Television Programme “Politics Today” monitored by our reporter last night.
The former presidential liaison officer to the Senate who said the committee assembled over 100 people, added that “the country will be in trouble if those gathered in that room do not solve our problems come 2023.
“The members of the committee cut across the APC and PDP during the 3-day meeting because we believe something must be done to salvage the country,” he said.
On the assurance that the template of the committee will be implemented by the would-be president, Kashim said “anybody that wins will have a binding urge to implement our template because all the stakeholders are involved.
“We have members drawn from the political, business, judiciary and every sector you can name in the committee including Aliko Dangote, Jim Ovia, Femi Otedola among others,” he said.
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