National Conference: North Intensifies Move For Common Agenda As different regions of the country brace up to present their agenda at the National Conference, the northern delegates to the confab are not taking anything for granted. They have resolved to come up with an agenda that can put the delegates in a better position to tackle the interest and aspirations of the north. Arising from a retreat in Abuja on Thursday night, the delegates resolved to form some layers of consultation among them with a view to comparing notes while away from the conference centre in order for them to prepare and have a common position on issues to be tabled before the conference, and those already at the conference. Speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday last night, the leader of the Sokoto State delegates to the conference, Engineer Bello Suleiman, said that the strategies that were agreed upon by the delegates include the creation of two layers of consultation among them. The consultative layers are: Delegates Assembly comprising all members of the conference from the north, and Committee of Leaders of Delegates from each of the 19 northern states. Also, there is a plan to create a 20-man think-tank who are not members of the conference but would serve as advisory committee members. Engr Bello added, “This was the same strategy we adopted during the National Political Reform Conference convened by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.” The retreat, which had in attendance the chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Ibrahim Commasie, who read the communiqué of the meeting, also resolved to meet every Wednesday and Thursday. The retreat, which was held at a park and chaired by former chief justice of Nigeria Justice Alfa Belgore, serves as a platform of interaction between the northern delegates preparatory to the commencement of the National Conference. Part of the reasons for the formation of the two committees by the delegates was to ensure cohesion and foster unity among the ethnic nationalities in the north. Also, contrary to some media reports, the north was yet to agree on a common agenda, because the conference was yet to take off; hence, any agenda or programme by any region could be pre-emptive and counter-productive. According to Engr Bello, the northern delegates want to use the opportunity to discuss some thorny issues confronting the nation such as corruption, war against corruption, security and observance of rule of law. Leadership.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 12:52:58 +0000
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