A day after the inauguration of the National Conference by President Goodluck Jonathan, religion struck a sensitive nerve when a delegate, Pastor Tunde Bakare, called on other participants to make sacrifices and ensure that religion does not disrupt the conference and divide Nigeria. In the same vein, an agreement was reached by the delegates not to promote any activity that has ethnic undertones. The decision followed the rejection of a call by the conference Chairman, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi (rtd), for closing prayers by Islamic and Christian adherents, and a protest over a motion by a delegate that the seating arrangement should be based on delegates’ states of origin. However, the manner of conducting the affairs of the conference, which will hold deliberations from Monday to Thursday, will become clearer tomorrow, as the delegates are expected to begin a debate on its business rules, which will guide deliberations that will begin from Monday. Notwithstanding the absence of the rules of engagement for participants, Secretary of the conference, Dr. Valerie Azinge, has assured delegates that they would be free to debate any issue, as there will be no constraints on no-go areas for them. But despite the take-off of the conference, the suit seeking to stop the federal government from convoking the national discourse continued yesterday at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which granted the prayer of the plaintiff, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, to join Kutigi, his deputy, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi and Azinge, as the fifth to seventh defendants in the suit challenging the power of the president to convene the national discourse. On their first day of deliberations yesterday, some of the delegates protested the attempts by the conference management to promote religion. Shortly after Muslims were informed that there is a mosque within the National Judicial Institute (NJI), the venue of the conference, for their prayers, a delegate from Edo State, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), demanded the provision of a praying ground for Christians, especially for those observing the Lent season to say their prayers. But Azinge said there was no provision for that and urged Christians to find any place comfortable for their prayers. Also, Pastor Tunde Bakare complained about the greeting by the chairman, who prefaced his opening remarks with “Asalamalaikun (peace be unto you in Arabic). Bakare described it as foreign and wondered what would happen if Christian delegates commenced deliberations by shouting “Praise God”. Accordingly, Bakare called on the delegates to make sacrifices and ensure that religion does not disrupt the conference and divide Nigeria. Also, delegates protested the call by Kutigi for a Muslim and a Christian to say the closing prayers and requested that the lyrics as contained in the National Anthem should be adopted. Based on their unanimous agreement, the lyrics in the National Anthem, which was observed when the president inaugurated the conference on Monday was offered. With the decision, the prayer during the conference shall be “O God of creation, direct our noble cause; guide our leaders right; help our youths the truth to know in love and honesty to grow; and living just and true great lofty heights attain to build a nation where peace and justice shall reign”. Another issue that nearly stirred some controversy was the sitting arrangement, following the suggestion by a delegate from Bayelsa State that delegates should sit according to their states of origin and geopolitical zones for easy consultations. Barely had he finished making his suggestion than a former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, kicked against it. Osoba, who apparently spoke the minds of all delegates, objected to the proposal. In making the case for delegates to sit in alphabetical order of their names, except for the elderly and physically challenged delegates, he said: “I did not come here as a Yoruba, but as a Nigerian and all the time, a fellow Nigerian.” His view was supported by another delegate, Mr. Atedo Peterside, who said he was at the conference as a “confused Nigerian”. According to him, he is from Rivers State, but has lived in Lagos State for over 40 years and is married to a Lagosian. He therefore asked that the issue of ethnicity be put aside. Both Osoba and Peterside’s comments received applause from the delegates and the matter was laid to rest. At this stage, Azinge said at the next meeting, there would be an order of seating and the names of the delegates would be appended to their seats. She added that the conference would sit four days a week and would commence plenary at 10am and close at 6pm, while from noon to 2pm would be observed as a break period and Fridays observed as administration days. She also said the conference would spend two weeks on brain storming, while 10 weeks would be used for committee work. The secretary further told delegates that the rules of the conference would be released tomorrow, stating that the rules would be debated and agreed by them. Responding to a question by a delegate, Azinge stated that there was no restriction on topics to be discussed, adding that the agenda for the conference would be drawn up from the issues addressed in the president’s opening address. Also responding to an observation by the Emir of Gumi, Justice L.L Gumi (rtd), that the conference should liaise with the National Assembly to get draft copies of the constitutional amendments, especially on the proposal for a referendum for the National Conference recommendations, the secretary said the legislators should be allowed to do their job, while the conference deliberates on its own agenda. She added that if the delegates felt that the issue of referendum must be discussed, it could be included in the agenda. Meanwhile, some delegates such as Chief Edwin Clark, Chief Olu Falae, Prof. Jerry Gana and Mr. Chibudom Nwuche have canvassed for the devolution of powers from the centre, fiscal federalism and state police as important issues that should engage the attention of their colleagues. Their attempt to set the agenda for the conference came just as the Ekiti State Government protested the non- inclusion of a nominee from the state, Chief Deji Fasuan, on the delegates’ list. The government, in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, expressed concern over the development. It expressed dismay that Fasuan was excluded despite the fact that he was duly nominated by the state government alongside the recommendation by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), who declined his nomination by the presidency to the conference, that Fasuan should replace him in the elder statesmen category. “It is thus baffling that the presidency chose to deny Ekiti a slot in the conference despite the state government’s adherence to due process for the nomination which included a formal letter by the state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to the president through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF),” it said. It added that the presidency instead of affirming the nomination of Fasuan, announced the name of Dr Kunle Olajide as a replacement for Babalola, thereby leaving the state short of one delegate. However, despite the convocation of the National Conference, the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday granted leave to join Kutigi, Akinyemi and Azinge as the fifth to seventh defendants in a suit filed by Abayomi, a constitutional lawyer, seeking to stop the conference. The court consequently adjourned until March 31 for hearing. Abayomi had on March 4 approached the court asking it to stop the conference on the grounds that Jonathan lacked the powers to convene it. Joined as first to fourth defendants are the president, the Attorney General of the Federation, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives. The plaintiff asked the court to determine whether a National Conference could be convened by the president or the federal government without an enabling law by the National Assembly. He asked the court to declare that a National Conference with stated authority, programme, means and end, howsoever, could not at all be convoked by the president or the government without an enabling law by the National Assembly. He also asked the court to restrain the president and the federal government perpetually from holding any National Conference, without a law by the National Assembly enabling them to do so. At the resumed hearing yesterday, the plaintiff prayed the court for leave to join the chairman, vice chairman and secretary of the conference. He based his application on the grounds that the trio is overseeing the conference and hence the suit would be incomplete without them. Counsel to the defendants, Femi Falana (SAN), did not oppose the application. Instead, he urged the plaintiff to withdraw the interlocutory application so as to pave the way for the hearing of the substantive suit. Abayomi consequently withdrew the suit on Falana’s request
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:51:04 +0000
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