Memo to Prof. Okunrounmu-led National Dialogue, by OPC

The Oodua People’s Congress under the leadership of Otunba Gani Adams wishes to reiterate our support and commendation for President Goodluck Jonathan over the convocation of a National Dialogue Conference.
It is, however particularly commendable that the presidency has publicly declared that there would be no-go areas for the NDC in its attempt to make sure that all the problems that have stood in the way of the country from developing would be discussed.
THEREFORE:
1. We expect this to encourage all those previously opposed to the convocation of the NDC that it may offer a rare opportunity for all Nigerians to come together to discuss our problems and seek the way forward for the country.
2. Meanwhile, let the committee ensure that it does not go beyond the six-week time frame it has been given to submit its report, as doing this will go a long way to the world that the committee is serious and committed with the assignment.
3. Also, we want to stress it here that the time-frame for discussion at the conference should not exceed four months. This time-frame is particularly important bearing in mind that the 2015 general election is fast approaching.
4. As stated earlier, we believe that the National Dialogue Conference will attempt to proffer solutions to most of the problems besetting our nation.
5. Bearing in mind that agreements reached at the NDC would be incorporated into the constitution, we want to advise the committee to put in place machineries that will ensure wide consultations among the various ethnic nationalities that make up the Nigerian federation. The failure to do this will surely give the opponents of the NDC more ammunition to criticize the efforts of the Federal Government to solve some of the problems threatening to tear the country apart.
6. And more importantly, let all the members of the committee bear it at the back of their minds that they are in the committee to work for the interest of Nigeria. Therefore, we implore them to make sure that the interest of the country should supersede any sectional or personal interest that they may have.
7. Let the members know that their selection into the committee is a rare opportunity to write their names in the sand of time.
8. The members should know that whatever decisions reached will be recorded for posterity. And whenever the history of the country is written, their names will be mentioned as the people who stood above personal or sectional interest for the survival and development of fatherland.
9. It is very important that the committee is not politicized in any way
10.. Therefore, the committee should ensure that it invites NGOs, civil society groups, religious organizations, socio-cultural groups, opposition political parties and self-determination groups to contribute to the discussions at the conference.
11. This will go a long way to convince the self-determination groups on the need to keep the nation one.
12. Therefore, let all the members of the committee begin to seek the face of God in all their dealings at the NDC. We believe that doing this would ensure that God’s blessing will be upon the activities of the committee, with the hope that God in His infinite mercy will hearken to the cries of Nigeria and lead us to a happy discussion
Otunba Gani Adams, the National Coordinator, Oodua People’s Congress, stated the position of the OPC in this statement he made available to the media on Saturday.