The National Conference officially ended
its plenary on Thursday amidst solidarity songs by delegates who
adopted its final report.
Thursday’s plenary drew the curtains on
the almost five-month conference which was characterised by heated
debates, political maneuvering and caucus meetings by various interest
groups.
President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated the conference on March 17, 2014.
The opinion during the plenary was
that the political maneuvering by the Chairman of the conference,
Justice Idris Kutigi , made the angry delegates to sheath their swords.
Sources said that Kutigi had meetings with the leaders of the various zones on Wednesday where several issues were addressed.
One of the sources said it was during
the meetings that a decision was reached that a motion should be moved
at the plenary to change the title of one of the volumes of the reports
from ‘draft constitution” to “ proposed amendments to the 1999
Constitution.”
At the plenary on Thursday, a delegate from Yobe State, Alhaji Maina Waziri, therefore moved the motion for this correction.
Waziri’s motion read, “To cultivate a
conducive environment for delegates to validate and adopt the final
report of the conference, we the undersigned delegates, hereby offer and
endorse the following observations and recommendation that seek to
facilitate the process and lead to amicable ending of the conference
proceedings.
“We note that the secretariat of the
conference on August 11, 2014 tabled before delegates a draft report
contained in three volumes that are broken down in seven chapters
“In particular, we observed that volume
III titled draft constitution, conveys an attempt to insert various
resolutions and recommendations of a constitutional nature that were
adopted by the conference as proposed amendments to the appropriate
sections of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
“We recall and welcome the clarification
and confirmation offered by conference chairman at plenary on August
13, 2014 that indeed Volume III contains proposals for the amendment of
the 1999 Constitution.
“We urge the leadership of the
conference, in collating the final report, to more appropriately
designate Volume 111 as: Draft Proposals to Amend the Constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
“Furthermore, we note and welcome the
amenability of the conference secretariat to entertain suggestions from
the delegates that point out any specific error to misrepresentation of
decisions taken or resolutions adopted by the conference and/or any
inadvertent failure to incorporate same in the draft report.
“We are aware that delegates have
responded to this call and submitted to the Secretariat their various
observations and suggested amendments to the draft.
“In preparing the final report, we urged
the conference secretariat to keep faith with and reflect fully and
accurately all resolutions and recommendations accepted by the
conference and as contained in votes and preceding that were formally
adopted.
“Subject to the acceptance of the
foregoing understanding, assurances and conditions and in accordance
with the Procedure Rules, 2014 of the conference, we move for the
validation and adoption of the draft reports contained in volume 1,2 and
3 without further debate.
“In the spirit of the consensus building
cultivated by members and to maintain the bridges built during the
currency of the conference, we urge all delegates to subscribe to this
plea.”
The motion, when put to voice vote separately by the chairman received a unanimous acceptance by the delegates.
Another motion had earlier been moved to
“mandate the secretariat to vet and effect amendment” to the three
reports prepared by the secretariat.
The motion was sponsored by Chief Jerry Okwuonu and a former Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili.
The motion says, “Whereas the
secretariat has done a very marvelous job of compiling the report of the
Conference and presenting same to us in easily readable and
cross-checkable format; and
“Whereas delegates have perused all the
reports and submitted in writing all items of omission or incorrect
addition to the final report; and
“Bearing in mind the dual necessity of
bringing the conference to a close for purposes of not unduly
over-reaching the logistics provision of the conference and not
unnecessarily prolonging the continued conglomeration of people in
contradiction to the prescription of Health Authorities especially as
the country tackles the Ebola crisis.
“It is hereby moved that the secretariat
be mandated to vet all the written submission by delegates and make
necessary correction thereby providing the final draft of the Conference
reports”.
After the adoption of these motions, the
delegates spontaneously stood up and enthusiastically sang the old
National Anthem “Nigeria We Hail Thee”.
The chairman then called on Chief
Richard Akinjide (SAN) to formally move a motion for the adoption of the
final conference report.
Akinjide, while moving the motion, said
it was an honour to be called upon to move a motion for the adoption of
the final report of a “very successful conference”.
The youngest delegate to the Conference, 24-year old Miss Yadoma Mandara, seconded the motion.
Shortly after, delgates took turns to
pour encomium on the leadership of the conference for their maturity in
steering the conference proceedings.
Former governor of Akwa Ibom State,
Obong Victor Attah gave the vote of thanks which received spontaneous
applause from delegates.
A delegate representing the South-South,
Mr. Orok Duke, read out a farewell poem titled “How Can We Say
Farewell,” to the delegates.
After adoption of Votes and Proceedings
for the day based on a motion by Josephine Anenih and seconded by Dr.
Bello Mohammed, Kutigi called on the Lamido Adamawa, Alhaji Mohammed
Mustapha, to move a motion for the closure of the conference.
Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), who seconded
the motion, said Thursday was a day of pride and honour because “when we
came here, nobody expected us to end this conference. We have
disappointed skeptics.”
