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…Says Federal Government should;
Recognize MKO Abiola as a national icon
Recognize and declare June 12 as National Democracy Day
Compensate his (Abiola’s) family
Name Abuja National Stadium and Eagles Square after him
The June 12 Democratic Movement, an NGO set up to immortalize the life and times of the late philanthropist and acclaimed winner of the June 12 Presidential elections in 1993, Chief MKO Abiola has advised the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to set up a more inclusive peace and reconciliatory committee to bring about a permanent solution to the current secession agitation and crisis rocking the country.
The Movement stated this in a communiqué issued at the commemoration of the 24th edition of June 12 Democracy Movement held on June 12 2017 at the residence and tomb side of the late businessman cum politician.
The forum reiterated its commitment to a unified and indivisible Nigeria.
The movement recommended thus:
- The Presidency invoking its powers in section 5 of the current defacto Constitution of Nigeria, should as a matter of urgency, formally, properly establish, an independent intervention Panel to be known as Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Panel, to reconcile Nigerians and douse the growing ethnic acrimony and tension in the country. This initiative should however go beyond the present selective approach of the Acting President to engage only stakeholders from the North and South East on the current ethnic logjam in the country.
- The proposed interventionist Panel should however be designed to recognise the popular desire of the diverse peoples in Nigeria for a new peoples’ democratic constitution to drive a fair and just democratic political system and culture in Nigeria.
- The proposed Panel, working with Civil Society Groups such as PRONACO, Project Nigeria Movement, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC Nigeria Democracy Platform, Change Agents of Nigeria, KIND including Indigenous and Citizens platforms and organized self determination movements should take profound cognizance of the longstanding popular advocacy and agitations of the various sections of the country towards the Restructuring of the Nigerian State into viable geopolitical regions to contain the lingering acrimony and deep seated animosity among the diverse constituents and citizens of Nigeria.
- The proposed Truth, Justice and reconciliation panel should be empowered to invoke the required capacity to mobilise and orientate the generality of Nigerian Citizens to appreciate and imbibe the need for tolerance of one another in a sustainable, just and equitable Union
- History and Civic Studies, for the purpose of appropriate trans generational political enlightenment for the citizens of Nigeria should be made compulsory in our primary and Secondary School Curricula.
- The Federal Government must as a matter of necessity make Youth and Women Empowerment an irrevocable priority henceforth in the political governance of Nigeria.
- The assembly further demanded that the FGN should immortalise Bashorun MKO Abiola as a National icon of Democracy and family be compensated, while the National Stadium in Abuja should be named after him in accordance with the resolution of the 5th National Assembly. Same with Eagle square to be known as MKO Abiola Democracy Centre.
- The forum also recommended to the FGN to henceforth recognise and declare June 12 as National Democracy Day in Nigeria.
10.The June 12 Democracy Movement in conjunction with Organized Civil Society and the Nigerian Government should, as a matter of honour and international advocacy for popular democracy world over, establish a National Institute for Democracy to be named as MKO Abiola Institute for Democratic Studies