Posted by By ANSELM OKOLO, Abuja on
Members of the National Political Reform Conference Committees on report and constitution drafting began work Tuesday, with a promise to beat the one week deadline given to them by chairman of the conference, Justice Niki Tobi, to conclude their work.
Members of the National Political Reform Conference Committees on report and constitution drafting began work Tuesday, with a promise to beat the one week deadline given to them by chairman of the conference, Justice Niki Tobi, to conclude their work.
At the International Conference Centre, members of the committees held consultations Tuesday.
A member of one of the committees told Daily Sun. 'We are definitely going to work very late into the nights to meet the deadline for the submission of our reports, but we are ready to make that sacrifice for the nation."
Meanwhile, Chief Wale Oke, a delegate from the oil producing areas of Ondo State, has described the work of the conference as a huge success and the 17 percent reserved for derivation as a 'landmark decision" for the people of the oil producing areas.
He said people should be fair minded in their assessment of the work of the conference beyond the issues of derivation and tenure for the executive.
'Even from the point of view of derivation, the decision increasing it to 17percent was a landmark decision. Yes, I want it to be 25 percent but the fact that it was increased at all is in itself a huge success, with more negotiation and time I am sure that more will be added."
He said the conference made other decisions that if implemented would move the nation miles ahead from the present situation.
'We took decision on the management of local government funds, devolution of power, rotation of the presidency among the six geo-political zones and many more that were considered difficult before, all these have now been resolved by the conference."
Also speaking, Mike Nkwocha said the conference should not be judged from the prism of derivation and tenure for the executive arm. According to him, the conference was a success because it was able to resolve so many issues and set the momentum for the resolution of the resource control and tenure for the executive.
He said all the major issues before the conference had been resolved before the adjournment of Monday and said even if consensus was reached on resource control and tenure for the executive, the conference would still have adjourned Monday.
'The issue of abrupt ending does not arise as all other issues had been resolved. The conference only reconvened to deliberate on the remaining issues. The conclusion of work on Monday was not an accident, it was planned to be so," he said.