Pro-National Conference Organizations

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The Pro-National Conference Organizations (PRONACO) (dt .: Organizations for a national conference) is a network of Nigerian organizations which, as a non-governmental organization , has set itself the goal of convening an independent national conference in Nigeria. It was launched in 2004 after numerous consultations dating back to 1989 and today comprises around 300 different organizations, such as companies, professional associations, academic institutions, trade unions, women's groups, religious associations, ethnic organizations, civil society groups or charities . Prominent members are the human rights activist Bekololari Ransome-Kuti († 2006 ) and the writer Wole Soyinka . PRONACO is currently headed by Chief Anthony Enahoro .

aims

PRONACO has set itself the goal of drawing up a constitution for Nigeria that includes the consensus of all social groups. It wants to create political transparency through participation and balance between the interest groups, which forms the basis of the people's trust in the political leadership. Thus, nothing less than a redefinition of the Nigerian Union is pending, which is to be placed on a truly democratic basis, which, in the opinion of PRONACO, it was previously denied. PRONACO regards the current constitution and democracy as the result of a reconciliation of interests of influential lobbies, which largely took place to the exclusion of large sections of the population.

Important events

The activities of PRONACO prompted the Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to convene a national reform conference, which took place in Abuja in 2005 and which was boycotted by PRONACO. The relentless stance of PRONACO and its refusal to enter into dialogue with the government has been heavily criticized by the Nigerian press. However, this conference did not produce any results in terms of a constitutional amendment or the restructuring of political institutions. The death of Bekololari Ransome-Kuti, which sparked a leadership crisis, resulted in a further loss of legitimacy in the eyes of many Nigerians.