Monday 14th July 2014
Conference resumed sitting at 09:18m, presided over by the chairman.
Votes and processings of the previous day was read, amended and adopted as amended.
The deputy chairman called on a delegate Mr. John Dara who had sent a note to speak, to name the two states proposed for creation from the southwest and south-south (remember I told you that 2 of the states out of the 18 ridiculous states proposed to be created were not named?). Check day 53 of my exploits if you haven't read it already. Dara mentioned that one for the south south will be called Oil River state and that of the South West - Ode state.
I informed you that the chairman called for a meeting of the 50 wise men, chairpersons, co-chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of committees on yesterday's post, right? The Chairman on Thursday called the meeting due to the lack of consensus on the matter as the special committee that assigned itself to find a solution could not come up with one. So the Chairman called on the wise men and chairpersons who had, in the past found wise solutions to both our unwise and wise problems. The meeting was scheduled for Friday but due to a lack of quorum, the meeting did not hold.
So on Monday - 14th July 2014, the Chairman of the conference announced that he will meet with the Wise men and the chairpersons and deputy chairpersons and co chairpersons today.
The conference took a short break while the meeting went on.
As a deputy chairperson of one of the committees, I was part of the meeting and I would say it was an eye opener; oh my days!
We had a long and heated debate over the matter. Some even lied over issues; grown men lie too? That shouldn't be strange, should it?
Some however made brilliant recommendations, they earned my respect.
Anyway the meeting actually came up with the following resolution:
Having critically examined the issues in contention, Conference recognizes the need to:
a) Review the percentage of revenue to states producing oil (and other resources)
b) Reconstruct and rehabilitate areas affected by crisis of insurgency and internal conflicts; and
c) Diversify the Nigerian economy by fast tracking the development of the solid minerals sector;
The Conference also noted that assigning percentages for the increase in derivation principle, and setting up Special Intervention Funds to address issues of reconstruction and rehabilitation of areas ravaged by insurgency and internal conflicts as well as Solid Minerals development, require some technical details and considerations.
Conference therefore recommends that Government should set up a Technical Committee to determine the appropriate percentages on the three issues and advise government accordingly.
The report of the Committee on Devolution of Power, after adopting the above recommendations which substituted all recommendations relating to Revenue Sharing, Derivation Principle, Solid Minerals Development Fund and the proposed National Intervention Fund, was adopted as amended.
The chairman then announced that following the adoption of the last Report of the conference, plenary would be adjourned till 4th August 2014 when delegates would resume for the consideration of the Draft Report of the conference.
We then adjourned at 3:09pm to resume on Monday 4th August 2014 at 9am.
Eventually Though, the date of resumption was extended till 11th August 2014.
See you then...
On Twitter: @Yadomah...
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