Council of State moves to abolish indigenisation, citizenship registration

The National Council of State (NCS) has set up a committee to work towards the abolition of internal indigenisation and citizenship policy.

Council took the decision to abolish citizen registration at the extra-ordinary meeting, which was called by President Goodluck Jonathan to discuss the state of the nation on Thursday.

The council had a fortnight ago discussed the ongoing issues of relocation and indigenes’ registration in states, especially the Northern part of the country, stating that if allowed to continue the effect may be worse than that of Boko Haram.

Briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, the Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Apkabio, who briefed alongside the governors of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu; Enugu, Sullivan Chime, and the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, said the meeting was one of the most important and frank meeting held in the last five years.

Noting that council discussed the issue of how Nigerians can actually be Nigerians in their own country, he said it also frowned at the idea of even registering citizens in any part of the country.

Subsequent to this, a committee of six state governors was set up to further discuss with Nigerians and come up with the possible solutions on the way to permanently stop the issue of indigenisation.

Members of the committee include governors of Sokoto, Niger, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Ondo and Gombe states, selected from the six geo-political zones of the country.

“One of the most important thing we took up at the meeting today was the issue of how Nigerians can actually be Nigerians in their country and feel free to live and do their business without molestation.

“So the issues of indigeneship, the issue of deportation or return of Nigerians from any part of the country to their various states were discussed.
“Council viewed the report seriously that some citizens were being deported, deportation should be from one country to the other but where you have a Nigerian who is being returned to his state of origin to other states then you know there is a problem. We felt that was capable of disrupting the unity of the country, making Nigerians to become apprehensive and unsafe. Also council frowned at the idea of even registering Nigerians in various parts of the country and felt this must be brought to an end immediately.

“And so we looked at all these issues and the role every leader should play from the local government level to the federal level. The role each one of us should play to ensure that we solidify the unity of this country. We also looked at this discriminatory practices across board from all parts of the country, north, south, west and the east, and we felt all those issues must be brought to the front burner, solutions proffered to ensure that Nigerians are united, live freely and do their businesses without hindrance”, Akpabio said.

The committee is to further discuss with Nigerians and identify discriminatory practices in all states of the federation and in all the local government areas and submit its report to council in the next two months.

“Whether we need to go to the National Assembly then we will go to National Assembly, whether we need to do so through policies at federal, state or local government levels just to make sure that the country is totally united and all those discriminatory practices are brought to an end (we will do) so that Nigerians can truly feel free and safe to work in any part of the country without hindrance”, he said.

The National Council of State also resolved to deliberately support President Goodluck Jonathan to enable the country get rid of the insurgency in the North before December.

Governor Aliyu said that most of the threats posed to democracy emanated from politicians and leaders, noting that the boundaries and responsibilities of leadership must also be understood.