Prominent elder statesmen in the country have met in Abuja under the aegis of Committee for the Goodness of Nigeria and have resolved to take actions rather than simply talk.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who was part of the meeting told journalists on Friday in Abuja that the CGN had agreed to present its communiqué to President Muhammadu Buhari, who Obasanjo said was duly notified of the meeting and its agenda.
Obasanjo declined to disclose the full resolutions, stating that the meeting agreed to communicate their decisions to the president before making them public.
He however disclosed that the meeting discussed the issues of security, economy, welfare, well-being, unity and progress of Nigeria.
Obasanjo also spoke about the composition of the meeting, saying, “We are made up of former heads of state and presidents, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, and former National Security Adviser. CGN also comprises of the organised labour, academia, women and other groups. Those who couldn’t be physically present like former President Goodluck Jonathan, Prof Wole Soyinka, and Emeka Anyaoku, sent apologies”.
He added: “We acknowledged the letter written in response to our own letter informing the President of our meeting and his goodwill message was that the outcome of our meeting would be of interest to him.
“We spoke frankly among ourselves after discussing relevant issues of security and economy. We were long on statements but short on action. We decided that our communiqué won’t be issued until after submitting our report to the President.”
The former president also said that Nigerians would begin to notice the outcome of their meetings through actions.
“Actions on our part and other people’s part that are of immediate requirements, you will be seeing them.
“We pledge to ourselves to change the narrative. We have to start building confidence and be reaching out. From now on, you will hear from our actions on the outcome of our deliberations,” he said.
The meeting which held on Thursday was attended by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar; His Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan; former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.); former National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau (retd), the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Etsu Nupe, Dr Yahaya Abubakar; and former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi (SAN);
Others included Otunba Tunde Fasawe; former Minister of Agriculture and Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum, Chief Audu Ogbeh; the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, and the President of Ohanaeze Ndi’gbo, Prof Ralph Obiozor.
