Thursday, 3rd July 2014....
Conference resumed sitting at 09:14am, we said the opening prayer and kick started the day.
The Chairman presided over the morning session.
Votes and proceedings of the previous day were read, amended and adopted as amended.
On that day debate continued on the report of the Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government and was concluded that same day.
During the afternoon session presided over by the deputy chair, recommendations made by the committee and additional recommendations from the floor were put to vote by the deputy chairman and the verdict of the vote was given by the chairman - this procedure started since we began deliberation on the reports of the critical and controversial committees.
Some of the recommendations made by committee and additional recommendations made by delegates were:
- Henceforth, the office of the President of Nigeria shall rotate between the North and South and revolve among the geo-political zones.
- Office of state governors shall be rotated among the three senatorial districts of each state while that of the local government chairmen shall be rotated within the local government areas.
- Local government councils not democratically elected shall not be recognized by all authorities and persons and would not be entitled to any revenue allocation from the Federation Account or the Account of the State Government or exercise any function exercisable by local government councils.
- Where the President dies in office, is incapacitated, impeached or where he resigns, It was agreed that the Vice President shall operate in acting capacity for a period of 90 days, after which an election to the same office would be conducted.
Reason: Each zone is expected to run the full course of the constitutionally allowed tenure without undue disruption.
- Based on the adopted zoning formula, when a president leaves under any of the circumstances stated above, another president would be elected from the same zone where the previous one came from.
My major problem with zoning as a whole in Nigeria, is that one day we will be forced to elect a person just because he is from a particular zone not based on competence.
But we have to protect everyone's interest; right?
- Modified Presidential System of Government; described as home-made model of government that combines the attributes of Parliamentary and Presidential systems was adopted.
Reason: The concept is believed to have the potentials of entrenching the principle of Separation of Powers as practiced in the presidential system and promotion of co-operation and harmony between executive and the legislature as operated under the parliamentary system.
- The President elected under the new system shall exercise full responsibility for his government and shall select ministers, not more than 18 of them, from the six geo-political zones of the country.
-Henceforth, The Minister of Finance and no longer the President as presently obtained, that would present the annual budget to the National Assembly. Under the new arrangement, both the President and the ministers would be expected to appear before the National Assembly to render account of their stewardship on a quarterly basis.
- Delegates voted to retain the bicameral legislative system instead of the unicameral system proposed by the Committee.
- Delegates approved the scrapping of Joint State and Local Government Accounts; it is to be replaced with a State Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission. The body would be expected to have as members, representatives of local government areas and a chairman nominated by the state governor for confirmation by the state House of Assembly.
In addition to the functions conferred on the local government councils as specified in the Fourth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution as amended, a State House of Assembly may by law, confer other functions on the local government.
- Financial autonomy to be conferred on State Houses of Assembly as a way of freeing them from direct control by the Executive.
- There shall be quarterly question time for the President and for ministers at the legislature to enhance accountability and transparency.
- Constitution shall fix the tenures for local government councils.
- Local government should be politically and economically independent.
- Each state of the federation could have its own constitution which would be subservient to the Federal Constitution.
- Delegates adopted a proposal that Nigeria reverts to her old National Anthem, “which is a more credible symbol of unity, peace and prosperity.”
Instantly, delegates - the old ones and the middle aged ones, were up on their feet and in unison sang the first stanza of the old National Anthem - As for us, the younger people, we sat and watched them sing.
- The Federal Government was urged to set up a new commission to address the plight of indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory and the Local Content Act Provision should be extended to the original citizens of the Federal Capital as it relates to procurement within the territory.
- 13% of the entire revenue generated from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) should be remitted to states whose lands were acquired for the FCT, to support them in handling the burden of population pressure on resource and infrastructure.
- Dividends for maintaining the host communities that were displaced for paltry compensation should be introduced.
- There shall be revenue sharing formula established by law in every state.
- Referendum/Plebiscite shall be provided for by law.
- The official entourage of political office holders should be curtailed by 80%.
- The official vehicles of political office holders should be made in or assembled in Nigeria.
- State ad hoc electoral councils shall be expanded to include women and youth representatives.
- As a way of improving the wellbeing of Nigerians, Conference called for adoption of fiscal federalism.
- Attempts by some delegates to increase the number of senators from the Federal Capital Territory from one to two was opposed and voted out.
- Constitution should be amended to allow for less onerous process for state creation - the hustle for state creation is real o!
- On the creation of new states, Conference said such aspiration must be backed by the potential viability of the proposed state in terms of economic potential, human, natural and material resources as well as minimum land and water mass. The envisaged state, must have cultural and historical antecedent, with strong cultural affinity amongst its population while the components should be contiguous.
- For any new state to be created such a new state must have a minimum population of one million persons - Given the absurdity of the demand for new states, when all of us are aware that the present states are largely unviable, why not just have 170 million states for the 170 million Nigerians? At least that might help underline the absurdity of the largely opportunistically driven, elite demand for ever newer number of states! (my opinion).
- Conference approved the creation of 18 more states especially one additional state for the South East zone, “in the spirit of reconciliation, equity and justice.”
The 18 states;
- Apa state from the present Benue state
- Edu state from the present Niger state
- Kainji state from the present Kebbi state
- Katagun state from the present Bauchi state.
- Savannah State from the present Borno state.
- Amana state from the present Adamawa state.
- Gurara state from the present Kaduna state.
- Ghari state from the present Kano state.
-Etiti state from the present south east zone.
- Aba state from the present Abia state.
- Adada state from the present Enugu state.
- Njaba Anim state from the present Anambara and Imo states.
- Anioma state from the present Delta state.
- Ogoja state from the present cross river state.
- Ijebu state from the present Ogun state.
- New Oyo state from the present Oyo state.
- That the third state to be created in the south south and south west zone will be named later along with its state capital.
This I found really absurd and amusing to say the least; well I actually told them in my speech that what we need is a change in the state of affairs in this country and change of state of mind by some Nigerians, especially members of the elite, not more states.
The following day, Hassan Rilwan and myself, Yadoma Bukar Mandara, issued a press release that was published in most of the national dailies which reads:
The Nigeria of our dream is not Nigeria with more states but a Nigeria in good State. It was extremely embarrassing for us as delegates of the National Conference that approved the creation of 18 more states. What is happening in Nigeria? We understand the issues of marginalization in some states; we support innovative ways of solving it. Not creating more problems to solve a problem. Does state creation solve the issues of maginalization? What happens when others feel marginalized within the new states? Are we going to have to create even more states? Except we want to create states out of the over 300 ethnic groups in Nigeria. State creation as a solution is a short cut which is usually our way in Nigeria.
The only reason the elites want more states is to increase ease of access to power. If that's the case, then rotation along zones would have solved that. What will solve marginalization are responsible leaders who will take special interest in the affairs of the minorities to see that they are adequately catered for. How did the Late Sardauna of blessed memory lead Northern Nigeria as a whole? He did it by making sure all had a sense of belonging which made the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi, a Yoruba and Christian in the North, to respect and remain loyal to him till he died.
On one hand, we say we want to reduce cost of governance and on another we want to build 18 more government houses, create 18 more recurrent expenditure centres?
We the youth of this country reject the balkanisation of our country and urge our elders to please thread with restrain. Let us not make mistakes that will prove more difficult for our children to solve. Let us think out of the box and factually allow justice and selfless leadership take centre stage in our country.
Enough is Enough!
Though some of them argued that the new state will not need new revenues but the revenue of the old state, I still say I do not subscribe to the creation of more states. Left to me there will be a merger of states instead since the creation of states has already served it's purpose.
Anyway back to the conference...
The report of the committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government was adopted as amended with some prospective governors of the newly recommended states to be created jubilating and grinning from ear to ear - wishes.
The conference adjourned at 2:48pm to resume on Monday 7th July, 2014 at 09:00am.
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