PRONACO PROPOSES A NEW CONSTITUTION

UNCLAS LAGOS 000586

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W
STATE FOR INR/AA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV NI DOMESTICPOLITICS
SUBJECT: PRONACO PROPOSES A NEW CONSTITUTION

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Summary
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1. (U) The Pro National Conference (PRONACO),a coalition
of Nigerian civil society groups and ethnic nationalities,
held meetings in Lagos from April 3 - 7 to begin drafting an
entirely new constitution. PRONACO intends to generate
public support for a national referendum to ratify this
constitution and subsequently to demand GON compliance.
While PRONACO enjoys support from many high-profile
opposition figures, the convention has little traction with
the general public and does not promise to be a vehicle to
mobilize popular discontent against the Obasanjo
administration. Moreover, the group has been stricken by
internal divisions that have weakened its message and its
impact. End Summary.

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PRONACO Plans to Create New Constitution
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2. (U) On April 3, representatives from several ethnic
nationalities and civil society organizations commenced a
week-long constitutional conference. PRONACO is led by
elder statesman Anthony Enahoro and Nobel laureate Wole
Soyinka. Enahoro urged delegates to use the conference to
identify and resolve critical issues which they considered
vital to social justice, equity, accountability,
transparency and development. PRONACO Public Affairs Officer
Wale Okunniyi said their main objective was to draft a new
constitution to achieve true participatory democratic
governance, in which all Nigerians would have a chance to
contribute to the country's development and progress.
Okunniyi said PRONACO wanted the conference's resolutions to
be subjected to a national referendum and then forwarded to
the GON for implementation. (Comment. PRONACO forgot to
answer how they would conduct a national referendum without
GON imprimatur and participation. They did not answer
because they could not. The idea of a referendum is pabulum
without the GON, and to think the GON would hold a
referendum to benefit PRONACO is the acme of wishful
thought. End Comment.)

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PRONACO Produces Committees, Not Much Else
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3. (U) After a week of deliberation, the conference
established six committees to make recommendations in the
areas of government's geo-political structure, fiscal
arrangement, system of government, security forces,
citizenship, and human rights. The conference adjourned
until May to allow sufficient time for the committees work.
Enahoro told the closing session that the long adjournment
would also enable PRONACO leaders to consult with key
interest groups to ensure larger and wider participation,
including private and business organizations, women's
groups, youth associations, religious bodies, political
parties, academic and professional bodies as well as other,
large civil society groups. He explained their absence
would otherwise weaken the conference's ability to make
demands of the GON.

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Comment
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4. (U) Conceived as the popular alternative to the Obasanjo-
inspired political reform conference held 2004-2005, the
PRONACO conference did not get off the ground until 2006,
after the constitutional amendments from the pro-Obasanjo
reform conference had been tabled before the National
Assembly. Despite lofty goals and objectives, PRONACO
leaders do not have clear plans for actualizing conference
resolutions and lack power to do so. In addition, PRONACO
is probably incapable of mustering the financial resources
that such a referendum entails. Given this scenario, the
PRONACO conference will likely be yet another exercise in
futility. End Comment.

BROWNE