welcome to the 37th day of the #NGconfab. The National Conference started this morning on controversial note as delegates are bent on discussing every aspect of the reports and recommendations presented.

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14.12

Victor Attah said he supported the move to stop the funding of political parties from government funds and also supported the issue of independent candidacy.

He argued that if they was a construction bank was created long ago, the issue of abandon projects should have been overcome before now. He called for policies that would enable workers in the country to own their houses and means of transportation.

He said that the existence of the immunity did not stop the country from prosecuting former leaders who breached the oaths of their offices. Mr. Attah, however, blamed the judiciary for not living up to its responsibilities.

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Jibril Aminu supported the call for the removal of immunity and said that country’s like Benue Republic, the United States and others do not have immunity clauses in their laws.

He said, “Nobody should have access to public funds. There is no grounds why a governor should give the accountant general of the state to pay out huge sums of money which are donated out carelessly.

“I know that the local government in my state is the state government. They take money from the local government.”

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Mr. Aminu also spoke against defection and suggested that anybody that defects should be removed from office and also begged traditional ruler to keep away from politics. “I have always advised them to stay out of politics. Be like the Queen of England and don’t get into politics.”

On independent candidate, he said it sounded good but that in some places, INEC may grapple with over 100 independent candidates.

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With Mr. Aminu’s contribution, the Conference adjourned for lunch break and will resume at 4pm.

14.11

Festus Okoye said having considered the report of the Committee; he drew attention to the failure of Nigeria to determine the number of international treaties and conventions signed by the Government of Nigeria.

He called for an audit of all the conventions and treatise signed and domesticated in the country. He drew attention to asset declaration which he said was being done in absolute secrecy against the provisions of the law.

Mr. Okoye drew attention to the situation where state governors have castrated local government administration in the country and called for urgent action to free the third tier of the government from corrupt and power hungry governors.

Femi Okorunmu commended the Committee for recommending that the country should get quality leaders to lead at the various levels of governance. He said, “The way to have good leadership is to get out youths to start now to learn to lead.

“The National Orientation Agency should create a National Youth Movement that will be located in schools. Through that we will inculcate the values of patriotism, hard work, truth and fare play to our young people. It is from this that we will have good leaders.”

13.52

Albert Horsfall suggested that the voting ag be brought down to 17 years, while youths given a proportion of the local government office to vie for during election to enable them learn the act of governance.

While supporting the call for independent funding of political parties, he called for those, who steal public funds and give them to politicians to be sanctioned.

“We should ensure the highest level of responsibility in the use of public funds,” he advised.

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Fati Ibrahim said the leadership of the country was being surrounded by sycophants and people who do not add value to governance.

She argued that even when there was affirmative action, a lot of women were still being made to pay huge sums of money. She said, “It is only in Nigeria that these kinds of things happen. That is why we have always been saying there is God.”

She also complained that physically challenged people were being disenfranchised during electoral processes and called for the Conference to support efforts to make for an inclusive electioneering.

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Alfred Diete-Spiff had commented on the need to get traditional rulers back into the Constitution, saying at the time Nigeria became independent, traditional rulers had functions under the law. He thanked the Committee for recommending the inclusion of the traditional institution back to the constitution.

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Dan Nwuanyawu drew attention to the fact that the rule of the traditional rulers would be advisory under the constitution.

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A delegate called for urgent steps to contain insurgency in the country, saying that it this was not done, could lead to major catastrophe that will affect many countries in Africa.

13.17

Ken Nnamani said there were many overlapping points in the report but limited his intervention to the recommendation for the creation of strong institution. He said, “Democratic institutions could only be possible in the country with strong leaders.

“I have always insisted that the immunity clause is a precursor to corruption. The chances of buying justice are so high. I am one of those, who support the removal of immunity. If you do well while in office don’t have anything to worry about immunity.

“I am only worried that we are going to have a situation where good candidates are not able to contest elections because of lack of money. We should come out with a recommendation that will reduce the cost of electioneering in the country.”

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Adamu Aliero said he supported the removal of immunity clause. He said, “I say it with all sense of responsibility. When I was in office, I was the one who took the commissioner of finance, the accountant-general and others to court for stealing over a billion naira.”

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On the issue of independent candidacy, Mr. Aliero said the issue of independent candidacy would be thrown away after it failed to scale through the National Assembly based on the recommendation of the Justice Uwais panel.

13.02

Mr. Gana had just finished presenting the report and bowed alongside members of the Committee.

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Ahmadu Ali was the first to open debate on the report. He argued that while the report was good and well-written, it would be difficult to implement it. Mr. Ali spoke against the removal of immunity clause.

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Abubakar Galadima said there is a problem in the report. He said that the report has given in the right hand and take away from the left hand by creating an independent candidature. He recommended that there is no need to regulate any political party by anybody or institution.

In Benue Republic, he said there are over 200 political parties, arguing that anybody willing to contest an election should be allowed to do so without let or hindrance.

He said, “I reject and impartial judiciary and there are the cause of the problems we have in Nigerian. If they are impartial we would not be having the problems we are having in this country.

“But where judges are being tele-guided and threaten by the top people especially in electoral cases, we will continue to have problems. We do not conduct elections in this country. People sit and write out results. We must conduct real elections in this country now.”

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Awalu Yadudu had supported the call for independent candidature, saying that all relevant electoral legislation and the electoral Acts are amended to allow for Nigerians to stand for election as independent candidates.

12.48
Co-Chair of the Conference Committee on Politics and Governance Mr. Jerry Gana has been presenting the report of the Committee during the last 15 minutes. Some of the recommendations of the Committee approved independent candidacy for Nigerians who met the statutory requirement of the law.

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On corruption and impunity in governance, the Committee recommended that the country adopts and implement a national anti corruption strategy.

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It also called on the National Assembly to pass laws that would help in the fight corruption which the Committee said was the bane of development in the country.

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The Committee also said it has made robust recommendation for the protection ethnic minorities in the country, preserve traditional institution and the media and urged the Conference to consider and adopt the recommendations to help in building a strong and virile democracy in the country.

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Called for the creation of solid democratic institution and instituting good and responsible leadership at all levels of society.

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The Committee recommended that the people be henceforth allowed to chose the country’s leadership and if need be allow them make wrong choices and right choices and live with such choices.

12.17

The Conference adopted the recommendation that the office of the Chief of Defence Staff should be incorporated in the Nigeria Constitution.

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A delegate said that most soldiers buy their uniforms and sow them and noted that the military was no longer giving uniforms to the troops. The Conference, therefore, adopted the recommendation that the government should provide uniforms to its troops.

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The Conference adopted the recommendation that the Federal Government should compensate communities destroyed during internal security crisis.

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Adebola Ogunsola moved for the adoption of the report of the Committee on National Security and was supported by Attedo Peterside.

11.58

The Conference adopted the recommendation that retired military personnel be trained and engaged in the fight against Boko Haram.

It, however, rejected the recommendation that the National Security Adviser establish a Homeland Security Force. It also rejected the recommendation to merge the FRSC with the police.

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Delegates adopted a recommendation for a life insurance to be created for all armed security personnel in the country. The Conference rejected the recommendation for the establishment the Police Complaints Authority. It also rejected that the NSCDC be merged with the Police.

11.28

The Conference has also rejected the recommendation to bar the Nigerian Army from being drafted for electoral duties as well as the recommendation that the NSCDC, the Nigerian Immigration Service, the NDLEA, the Custom Service to expand the composition of State Security Council.

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Sam Egwu said the Conference should place the security votes of state governors under the control of the state security council, arguing that the situation where billions of Naira was being approved as security vote without any control was inimical to the proper utilization of the funds.

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There appears to be another stalemate on the mode of operation and superiority between the Federal police and the state police.

A delegate said the Federal and state police existing differently would result on conflict of command and operations.

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Ayo Adebanjo said the state police should be autonomous and should operate as a coordinate with the federal police. He argued that the State is a coordinate to the Federal Government.

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Femi Falana said there are states with different police operations with commissioners of police manning them. "The state police will police and maintain state law while the Federal police will maintain Federal laws" he said.

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Other delegates shouted that the Conference should make progress.

10.41

The Conference also adopted the recommendation for the establishment of a National Border Patrol Force under the ministry of defence.

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The recommendation that the proposed Border Patrol Force should ensure a single entry point in Nigeria was rejected by the delegates.

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Jonathan Temlong argued that it was impossible to get a single entry point into the country. We cannot do something that is impracticable. “I have commanded troops, I have been there and I know that it is impossible to do that,” he said.

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The Conference adopted the recommendation for the creation of Security and Intelligence Services Oversight Commission. The Vice Chairman, Bolaji Akinyemi had taken a little time to explained why it was

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Also adopted is the recommendation to re-organise the Defence Industry Company of Nigeria and creation of a Military Industrial Complex in the country.

10.31

The Conference also adopted the recommendation for the state laws to provide for community policing.After a brief disagreement, delegates adopted the recommendation that the deployment of Federal police to any state from Deputy Superintendent to the least rank should be indigenes of states they are posted to.

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The Conference adopted the recommendation that the number of vehicles on government convoys and the speed limit be set by the Federal Road Safety Commission.

10.23

The Conference had commenced the process of adopting the recommendations of the report of its Committee on National Security but there seems to be a stalemate.

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Delegates tend to disagree with the recommendation that 70 percent of Federal police officers in any state should be indigenes of that state.

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The Conference also considered the recommendation for the establishment of state police and community police through state law.

The Conference adopted the recommendation that any state that require it, shall establish a police force to be operated and run by the state.

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The Conference also adopt the recommendation for the state laws to provide for community policing.

10.20

Obi Onoliefo said having looked at the perimeter of the NJI, it was observed that there were no security operatives manning them. He, therefore, called for security operatives to be drafted to the perimeter fences to forestall insurgents from breaking into the premises and causing bloodshed.

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This was noted by the Chairman, but other delegates had a good laugh at the man, who they consider raised the issue out of fear for his life.

10.19

Day 37: Nigeria National Conference – Live Update