Day 9: My National Conference Exploits...

Yesterday (2nd April 2014). Well, I won't say it went well or not, because I was so disappointed and disgusted by the utterances of some born again, saints that milk our nation dry. 

At a point I couldn't even keep record of what some of them were saying because it doesn't make sense at all, but as I promised my friends here, I will share with you my experiences. I will try as much as possible not to be frustrated out of keeping up.

I did a lot of psyching and listening and looking closely, I have seen a lot from expression to body language but I won't be hasty of making conclusion.

Conference started at 10am after the opening prayer was said like every other day, the proceedings of the previous day was read, corrected and adopted and the 3-minute session continued...

Here are some of the submissions.

The first speaker said "We should stop playing politics with the issues of insecurity and issues bothering us. They have moved from stealing to looting to mass looting. We should form a truth and forgiveness committee in this conference so that people of this magnitude that stole from us and are amongst us in this conference will return their loot so we could quietly forgive them"

"Yesterday, two pastors said the 1999 constitution is an Islamic constitution. I felt very sorry to hear this from learned men. The constitution was based on common law, Christian common law, Islamic law and the customary law. But they singled Islamic and customary laws saying there's a problem with these laws". A speaker pointed out.

"There is no part of the North that has not been affected by insecurity, we should provide security for our country - Nigeria"  

"Well, an Old Youth - NANS member, said he is 36 and that he has since at the age of 24 slept in prisons fighting for the masses, so it's time things start working for Nigeria" 

"Before, other tribes from other states go to other part and get elected, like someone from Borno was elected by in Benue state. Another Yoruba man was recently elected in Kano and they sang for him "Skiru ya ci zabe shi ma dan kano ne" meaning Skiru has won election he is a Kano person too. This is the type of integration we want to be seeing in this nation".

"The Ruler-followership issues is our problem. The problem of Nigeria is that there is a serious disconnect between the citizens and the leaders. As a mother and a woman, we carry pregnancy for months not for our children to be slaughtered. If we want to protest, we get prevented. But whosoever is involved in killing our children should stop".  A woman leader proclaimed. 

"With due respect to the president, I have gone through page to page of his speech but have not seen anywhere he spoke about the recent insecurity facing the country, life is not worth a penny to him apparently. Even yesterday, there was bombing in Borno and we have been told that the security and welfare is the primary responsibility of any government. We have to wake up! Don't know what happened to our securities - SSS have been turned to prison service warders, they have abandoned their responsibilities, they have taken over VIO and Road Safety. That is why the security has been politicized. A total overhaul and retraining of the police, army and SSS is needed" said a delegate

"We have to be careful, it is already on the papers that religion tears conference."

"I am disturbed that the President didn't assure the people of this country that the submission on the conference will be implemented. I am appealing to the president to make history."

"In the North west,  people from other part of the country have won elections - a Yoruba man won election in shinkafi, a speaker earlier spoke about his 35 years in Lagos yet he is still not considered an indigene, why? and of recent, my people in the Southern part of the country are redeployed - they should learn to accommodate please"

"Diverting the wealth of our people to develop other parts has to stop. We can't deal with that anymore."

"We have subsidy billionaire and sure-p billionaire, the president should go beyond this conference. He can change what he can, without waiting for this conference. He can start by sacking any minister that doesn't keep up." A speaker submitted.

"We cannot move forward if untouchable are not touched, everyday people are slaughtered, we cant continue this way. We can only move forward as a nation if something is done about the security lapse".


A royal chief added that "The current generation are born in the computer age, they are not patient, they need change and if they don't get it soon the may turn violent" 

"It is unfortunate that if you meet some of these men in private, you will hear brilliant contributions but when they come to plenary they only spew bigotry"

"During the 2005 conference I told them that issues of corruption deserves capital punishment and immunity clause be removed and they said mine is a military mind".

"We the minorities of the north will present our submission when committee work begins, we are tired" a speaker lamented.

"In the north the Christians are a minority and the government should find solution without infringing the majority Muslim, so also in the south where Muslims are the minority, the government should look for a solution without infringing on the Christians rights. I am the only Igbo Muslim here and we igbo muslims feel greatly marginalized". 

"This president will rule this country today and always". The unity of this country is genuine for we the Igbo. I want what is happening here in Abuja to be replicated in other parts of the country."

After lunch, the deputy chairman had to preside over the conference because the Chairman didn't show up. He later showed up and the deputy chairman made jest of him saying "I had to assure them that you have not been kidnapped by the conference liberation group" and we cheered.

"We need rural health provision, there is nothing to show for health in this country. Millions of dollars are spent abroad yearly. The Medical and mental fitness of leaders should be checked, they should present their mental and medical certificate before they swear an oath to office".

"Our land contributes immensely to the account of this country, yet we only have a dilapidated police post to show for. It's like the more you give to the nation the less you enjoy, we don't need to take up arms to be recognised please"

"We are not here to make this country disintegrate, yet, we can't paint a house whose pillars are collapsing or plant flowers in a house that is being destroyed. This federation is collapsing we have to fight injustice"

"Nigeria is bleeding and is on her knees with no sign it want to stand up".

"Corruption is not regional or ethnic. After this conference we will still meet poverty and corruption in our various states, no conference can single handedly change this nation" 

"Last week I almost went to the secretariat to get my seat changed to the exit door side because of the heat in the house but I am glad things are calm now. But I am sure in the coming weeks when critical matters are raised I fear we will experience the same heat". 

"When I hear some comments of some leaders, I don't know if I should laugh or cry, if yesterday's men are complaining about yesterday, what then did they do during their time? We have ministers and senators here complaining, what did they do during their time? When I saw the former minister speaking I thought he was an activist, when he was an education minister he threw party when children were on strike. Religion is your private business, give the youth their right, give them education. I don't care about your religion, I don't care what religion the president is". 

A point of order was called by a delegate and was read; "no delegate should insult another delegate". If this is allowed Mr Chairman, delegates will be insulting delegates that looted"

Many delegates shouted "Didn't they loot" is "it a lie"? the chairman upheld the point of order and allowed the speaker to continue.


"Immunity clause should be removed" another delegate said and someone shouted "a lot of them here would have been death by now" 

"We have passed the first acid test on the issue of consensus, let's continue that way".

"When I schooled in the North, we played together with my Northern friends, ate together and slept on same bed, no difference. It is only of recent that I began to see the difference"

"What is the role of traditional rulers since the military came to being? we have been reduced to nothing, no activities"

"Our judiciary is failing us, everywhere the judiciary is the last resort of the poor man but in this country the reverse is the case"

"We murdered regional government which were more effective, the regional government was murdered under the military and also the parliamentary". 

"People are poor in the middle of plenty. We have kidnappers, robbers, terrorist and the worst, the pen criminals, lets warn the president and remind him that he still has a year to turn the country around. He should create employment and not extort from youths. A minister just earned millions from youths from recruitment. Let's tell the IMF and world bank we are a free people." 

At 5:55 pm the deputy chairman on behalf of the chairman addressed the house, he said to have noticed so many of the speakers because of anger and need to express their innermost feeling are using indicting words like genocide - genocide is an international crime and we might invoke them to check us. He explained that he was part of a 7 month terrorism check programme and what he saw, he wish nobody in the hall ever see it - "I wept more than I did when I was a child" he said, it was a terrible experience. I understand the pain and anger but there are other words we can use to express them. I am not belittling what is happening" he concluded.

Well gradually, we are seeing things in the conference...

We have gradually moved to Alphabet "G" and my name is "M" so I still have a long wait, but I will keep updating you..

On Twitter: @Yadomah