Thursday, 12th June 2014….
Conference resumed sitting at 09:28am, presided over by the chairman.
Votes and proceedings of the previous day were read, amended and adopted as amended.
Motion of urgent national importance was moved by a delegate, urging delegates to observe a minute silence in honor of all those who lost their lives during the June 12 1993 election crisis and the series of events that trailed the annulment of the result of the presidential election, which was presumably won by late Chief M.K.O ABIOLA, as it was June 12 2014. So many delegates applauded the motion and seconded it.
Comments:
“So many Nigerians died on that day. That is why we are here. Moshood Abiola paid the ultimate price. It is something we should never wish away like it never happened. Some of us here were victims of June 12.
“Those who fell for June 12 should be remembered today. We should pay tributes to those who fell for the cause of democracy spearheaded by Moshood Abiola. We should always remember this day as a watershed in the history of Nigeria.”
“Those who fell for June 12 should be remembered today. We should pay tributes to those who fell for the cause of democracy spearheaded by Moshood Abiola. We should always remember this day as a watershed in the history of Nigeria.”
“Without June 12, there would be no May 29. “That is the basis of our freedom and democracy, and for that, we should remember the day for what it is worth. I therefore support that motion.”
“The best way Nigerians could mark the significance of June 12 was to use the occasion to call on all politicians to reaffirm the need for a free and fair election in the coming year, and what we are seeing today is like we have not learnt from that unfortunate situation that happened on June 12, election is now do or die. There is unnecessary violence. The real memory of June 12 is to reaffirm our commitment to free and fair election.”
“June 12 has continued to remain critical in Nigeria’s history. June 12 gave rise to May 29. We should not deceive ourselves. Some people paid the supreme price to attain the democracy we have today. We should not trivialize June 12 and I think that is something that is important. So many elder statesmen here went into exile and some of them were detained unjustly. We should observe a minute silence for all those that died in the struggle. They paid the supreme price in their sense of messiasm. We should give honour to whom it is due. June 12 is not just important; it is a watershed of Nigeria’s democracy.”
“Regard June 12 as the authentic democracy day; “I lend my voice to the observations made; but for small mindlessness, June 12 should have been Democracy Day. May 29 is there because someone came to office and decided to make May 29 the Democracy Day.
“June 12 is democracy day in Nigeria. That day, the man that contested against Abiola came from Kano State and he agreed that he was floored by Abiola in Kano, his home town.”
“That shows how popular, how valuable Abiola was.
“The best way Nigerians could mark the significance of June 12 was to use the occasion to call on all politicians to reaffirm the need for a free and fair election in the coming year, and what we are seeing today is like we have not learnt from that unfortunate situation that happened on June 12, election is now do or die. There is unnecessary violence. The real memory of June 12 is to reaffirm our commitment to free and fair election.”
“June 12 has continued to remain critical in Nigeria’s history. June 12 gave rise to May 29. We should not deceive ourselves. Some people paid the supreme price to attain the democracy we have today. We should not trivialize June 12 and I think that is something that is important. So many elder statesmen here went into exile and some of them were detained unjustly. We should observe a minute silence for all those that died in the struggle. They paid the supreme price in their sense of messiasm. We should give honour to whom it is due. June 12 is not just important; it is a watershed of Nigeria’s democracy.”
“Regard June 12 as the authentic democracy day; “I lend my voice to the observations made; but for small mindlessness, June 12 should have been Democracy Day. May 29 is there because someone came to office and decided to make May 29 the Democracy Day.
“June 12 is democracy day in Nigeria. That day, the man that contested against Abiola came from Kano State and he agreed that he was floored by Abiola in Kano, his home town.”
“That shows how popular, how valuable Abiola was.
However what baffled me was the resistance of some delegates of the idea of observing a minute silence. This tensed up the house – conference. Screams, shouts and insults hauled. The chairman had to roar in a strong voice that; “I ORDER ALL DELEGATES TO RISE FOR A MINUTE SILENCE” most stood up, but few reluctantly did, it was the most noisiest minute silence I have ever experienced whew. I later realized that those that were against it were actually pissed that those who are trying to support the motion actually caused the crisis or were part of the problem of June 12 so they felt insulted by the bunch trying to claim good men.
Conference considered the report of committee on Economy trade and investment; debate on the report began. These were some of the recommendations of the committee and additional recommendations by delegates – I made a contribution to the report during my three (3 minutes speech as captured in the 5thparagraph of this piece.
Recommendations;
- Removal of immunity clause as enshrined in the Constitution. The clause, which has attracted unfavorable comments at every National or Constitutional Conferences, currently protects the President, Vice President; and state governors and their deputies from prosecution as long as they remain office. However, except otherwise decided, both the President and their deputies can now be dragged to court over criminal and civil cases.
- Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation should be made to pay prevalent interest rates on duly delayed remittances to the federation account. This resolution was meant to discourage late or non-remittance of money by the corporation into the Federation Account for allocation to the different tiers of government as demanded by law.
- Government, the armed forces and the private sector should collaborate and invest in the development of a military industrial complex that can support Nigeria’s defence needs as the largest economy in Africa.
- In a bid to attract patronage of goods produced in Nigeria, the National Assembly was urged to enact a law that would prohibit government from going abroad to source for goods that are available in Nigeria. The decision was meant to encourage promotion of campaign on locally produced goods so that Nigerians would be enticed to consume home made products.
- Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation should be made to pay prevalent interest rates on duly delayed remittances to the federation account. This resolution was meant to discourage late or non-remittance of money by the corporation into the Federation Account for allocation to the different tiers of government as demanded by law.
- Government, the armed forces and the private sector should collaborate and invest in the development of a military industrial complex that can support Nigeria’s defence needs as the largest economy in Africa.
- In a bid to attract patronage of goods produced in Nigeria, the National Assembly was urged to enact a law that would prohibit government from going abroad to source for goods that are available in Nigeria. The decision was meant to encourage promotion of campaign on locally produced goods so that Nigerians would be enticed to consume home made products.
My three minutes contribution on that day;
- To improve the value of naira, we must regulate the circulation of dollars in this country - Schools, hotels, land and other transaction are done in dollars in some parts of this country, this has to be regulated.
- We need to look at the most important GDP – Gross Devastating Poverty in Nigeria, Where poverty becomes a norm, things naturally become abnormal. We need to declare a state of emergency on poverty in this country.
- The need to recognize and favor our home trained - Nigerian contractors when giving contracts in Nigeria – we have brilliant contactors.
- The need to reduce unfair competition by reducing cheaper imports.
- Cut the bureaucracy of registering companies in Nigeria, in other countries you get this done at a short time and cheap but in Nigeria you get it done at high cost and wait for a long period of time.
Further recommendations made by the committee and other delegates.
- To prevent excessive personalization of policies and promote policy consistency, it was decided that government submits a Bill on National Participatory Development Process to the National Assembly, to be enacted into law.
- As a pro-gender policy, government was requested to provide a special fund for interest-free loans for women farmers, marketers, traders, transporters, and owners of rural cooperatives.
- All banks should establish gender desks to ease the stress of borrowing by women.
- Government was also mandated to build fuel depots in remote areas and riverine communities where there is plenty of crude oil but no fuel to buy at affordable price.
- Reduction by 50% of the cost of tuition, books, equipment and hostel for all female students in secondary and post-secondary education – it was later changed to all students.
- Central Bank of Nigeria should establish a special interest regime of a single digit for industries and condemned situations where banks record billions of naira in profit yearly while the manufacturing sector dies.
- Operators of micro, small and medium enterprises should be duly registered and provided with tax holidays of three years to relieve them of the burden of multiple taxation and enhance their productivity.
- In addition, local textile manufacturing industries were exempted from paying Value Added Tax (VAT) for three years while imported textiles should attract a levy of not less than 5% of the value of goods imported to boost the textile revival fund.
- Central Bank of Nigeria should establish a special interest regime of a single digit for industries and condemned situations where banks record billions of naira in profit yearly while the manufacturing sector dies.
- Operators of micro, small and medium enterprises should be duly registered and provided with tax holidays of three years to relieve them of the burden of multiple taxation and enhance their productivity.
- In addition, local textile manufacturing industries were exempted from paying Value Added Tax (VAT) for three years while imported textiles should attract a levy of not less than 5% of the value of goods imported to boost the textile revival fund.
- Government should completely release the N100 billion budgeted for the cotton, textile and garment revival scheme through the Bank of Industry.
- As a move towards preventing monopolies in the privatized sector of the economy the Federal Government was asked to send Anti-Trust Bill to the National Assembly for passage into law.
- Government should initiate a program for small farm holders to significantly increase their productivity.
- As a move towards preventing monopolies in the privatized sector of the economy the Federal Government was asked to send Anti-Trust Bill to the National Assembly for passage into law.
- Government should initiate a program for small farm holders to significantly increase their productivity.
- There should be short and medium term poverty eradication programs with specific provision for; social welfare package for the vulnerable population i.e children, women, unemployed, elderly persons, mentally and physically challenged. Skill acquisition and empowerment programs and viable job creation.
The report of the committee on Economy, trade and investment after the amendment was adopted as amended.
We adjourned at 6:35pm to resume on Monday 9am.
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