By LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU, Abuja

Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum, a socio-political group has thrown its weight behind the recent call by the southern governors to the federal government to immediately convoke a national dialogue.

The Forum said that the dialogue was the country’s last chance to save itself from disintegration.

It said that though the government would be funding the dialogue, its membership must be devoid of past and present political officeholders.

According to the group, it would be the call of the delegates drawn from the ethnic nationalities to put up a new constitution and spell out how the Peoples of Nigeria shall live together.

The position of the Forum was contained in a statement signed by its President, Akin Malaolu and made available to Vanguard Newspapers on Sunday.

The Forum further said that the country was facing hard times and accused President Muhammadu Buhari of missing in the midst of the challenges.

While alleging fraud in information dissemination, the Forum urged the President to speak to Nigerians, saying that his Spokesman can’t be trusted to be speaking his mind.

The statement read in full: “Nigeria our country as it is today is now on the road full of thorns. Expulsion and displacements of people and the possibility of war can be a harrowing experience hardly forgotten by those who may have experienced the same in a country they grew up in, in a community they took as their homeland. We must confess that nothing seems to be moving or clearly seen to be changing anymore.

“President Buhari is largely missing and it is difficult to trust those who are speaking for him if truly they are speaking his mind.

“The fraud in information dissemination is visibly in the open. It is therefore imperative for the President himself to show more interest in communicating one on one with Nigerians who he claimed to be representing.

“The recent meeting of the southern governors is needful and timely, more so when altercations of tongues rule the waves. Their call for true federalism and restructuring gladdens our hearts and their suggestions are not new but an added voice to what can help bring peace to our nation.

“It is not out of place to clamour for justice, fairness and equity for all federating units in any nation. Uneven standards, terrorism from one section of our country and other social vices including corruption are prominent under President BUHARI’S administration.

“Any leader or leaders thinking that the calls are mere expressions of opinions should have their heads examined.

“The call for National dialogue amongst others must not be delayed we repeat. Such a dialogue must be arranged by government-funded by it but not supervised by it.

“The inclusion of political officeholders past and present must be absent. It will be the duty of attendees from ethnic nationalities to put up a new constitution and spell out in it how we shall live together.

“This national dialogue is our last chance to save Nigeria as an indivisible nation in our own view.

“At this stage, we urge all agitators to redirect their efforts and make meaningful contributions that can move us away from secession.

“We should sheath our swords while remaining ever vigilant. The killing of law officers especially the police and others must cease forthwith. We do not agree with such barbarian behaviour.” (Sunday Vanguard)

Update news