• Confab panel disagrees over voting pattern• Conference adjourns till Monday
IN what stunned many conferees, the Lamido of Adamawa, Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha, one of the delegates representing the National Council of Traditional Rulers at the National Conference in Abuja, Wednesday threatened to lead his people to join the Republic of Cameroun in the event of any disintegration in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the meeting between the leadership of the National Conference and the 50 delegates selected to consult and arrive at a consensus on the controversial voting pattern to be adopted by the conferees ended in a deadlock yesterday, forcing an adjournment of the conference till Monday next week.
In a related development, barely a week after Jama’atul-Nasril Islam criticised the selection of delegates to the ongoing National Conference in Abuja, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), an umbrella body of Islamic organisations in the country, yesterday followed suit and met with President Goodluck Jonathan behind closed-doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi (rtd), had yielded the microphone to gauge members’ contribution to a proposal on the need for members of the public to submit their opinion to the conference via memoranda. But rather than addressing the issue, Mustapha Adamawa strayed away from the subject.
The traditional ruler specifically faulted the contributions and utterances of some delegates whom he described as ‘loyalists to President Goodluck Jonathan’ and the conduct of the conference proceedings which, according to him, had deviated from its mandate as clearly defined by the President during the inauguration.
“The conference is contradicting what the President said. And the way we are going in the long run, if we are not careful, this conference will flop and the resultant effect can only be imagined.
“If the country disintegrates, many of those loyalists will have nowhere to run to. But if that happens, I and my people (kingdom) which transcends beyond Adamawa will join our kinsmen in the Republic of Cameroun. A part of my kingdom is called Adamawa State in Cameroun and if I run there, I will easily assimilate”, he said.
While alluding to the debate on the controversial issue of adoption of a voting pattern which nearly marred the session on Tuesday, the traditional ruler whose submission was greeted with protests from aggrieved members also threatened to lead other delegates from Adamawa State to stage a walk out of the conference hall if the group was pushed to the wall.
“I have been sitting here for three days and I have made several attempts to speak but without success. We should not borrow from the so-called civilised countries. Those countries use anything, including coercion, to force the achievement of their interests. If we are pushed to the wall, we will easily walk out of here; jingoism is not the exclusive preserve of anybody,” he added.
The quick intervention of Justice Kutigi prevented yesterday’s session from degenerating as other conferees began to boo the traditional ruler amidst shouts of protests.
Consequently, Justice Kutigi who immediately adjourned the session at 11.00 a.m. to resume at 4.00 p.m., yesterday named a 50-member group tagged wise men, made up of eminent Nigerians and leaders of delegation cutting cross the six geo-political zones of the country to join the six-man conference secretariat for a special consultation that will decide on the voting system the conference will adopt.
Specifically, through a motion on Tuesday, delegates suggested to Justice Kutigi to convene a meeting with leaders of the various delegates across the country to deliberate on the knotty issue of consensus - whether three-quarters majority vote or two-thirds majority will be adopted as the voting method.
Announcing the adjournment yesterday, Justice Kutigi said it had become inevitable to shift the deliberation on the issues in contention because the ‘50 wise men’ selected to bring back a collective resolution for the House to adopt could not conclude before the earlier announced resumption time of 4.00 p.m.
Kutigi said: “We went into a meeting and that meeting continued until lunch time (4.00 p.m.). At the meeting, we made a lot of progress but what I want to inform you is that we may not proceed with this meeting (plenary session) now. We have to adjourn because we have to go back and finish our meeting, and when we finish, the people that we earlier called randomly here and who are holding the meeting will come back and brief you about our discussion.
“As soon as we finish, maybe tomorrow - but if you are still here today (Wednesday), they will see you. If not, then till Monday. Because they have to make a comprehensive report to you of the meeting we are holding. It is all in respect of the conference and nothing else.
“Because if you had watched the proceedings of the conference from the television yesterday (Tuesday), you would be embarrassed how some of us behaved and we don’t want a repeat of what happened yesterday. That is why we called some of you to join the principal officers to discuss.
“In fact, the meeting with the 50 selected delegates is not permanent, and anytime the need for another meeting arises, some other delegates will be selected. We are not putting them as a permanent body; that is why we will select other people to come and assist when there is need for another meeting.
“We don’t want this conference to be a failure and by the grace of God, we shall succeed. For that reason, this meeting (conference) will have to stand adjourned until Monday while we go back with the elders (the 50 delegates) we selected in the morning and continue with the meeting. This meeting stands adjourned until Monday, March 27, 2014.”
The members of the National Conference Consensus Group are Chief Olu Falae, Dr. Kunle Olajide, Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, Chief Mike Ahamba, Chief Peter Odili, Chief Edwin K. Clark, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Prof. Jibril Aminu, Prof. Jerry Gana, Alhaji Adamu Waziri, Malam Tanko Yakassai, Senator Ibrahim Idah, Gen. A.B. Mamman, Chief A.K. Horsfall, Chief Josephine Anenih, Issa Aremu, Hauwa Evelyn Shekarau, Hajiya Bola Shagaya, Olisa Agbakoba, Ambassador Vincent Okobi and Ambassador (Prof.) Lawrence Ekpebu.
Others are Senator Femi Okunrounmu, Dr. Joe Nwaogu, Honourable Mohammed Umara Kumalia, Prof. Auwalu Yadudu, Prof. Iyorchia Ayu, Obong Victor Attah, Senator Khairat Abdulrazaq Gwadabe, Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba, Alhaji Adamu Aliero, Mr. Atedo Peterside, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Prof. Isa B. Mohammed, Kashim Ibrahim Imam, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, H.E. Ken Nnamani, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, Alhaji Sule Yahya Hamma, Dr. Abubakar Saddique Mohammed.
The rest are Chief Olusola Akanmode, Justice Lawal Hassan Gummi (Emir of Gummi), Mr. Ledum Metee, Mr. Fola Adeola, Senator Mimibariya Amange, Rt. Hon. Anayo Nebe, Dr Raymond Dokpesi, Chief Benjamin Elue, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, Nduka Obaigbena and Justice Mamman Nasir.
However, it was gathered that at the consensus meeting, the controversy surrounding the voting pattern that led to the deadlock stems from the fear that one interest group has numerical advantage over another. Therefore, when it comes to the issues of regional interest, the one that has an upper hand would overwhelm the other one that is supposedly disadvantaged.
The Guardian learnt that if resolutions are to be taken, the South, which seems to be in the majority, may take a single stand and out-vote the position of the North, which at a glance appeared numerically disadvantaged.
For instance, the issues of resource control, local council creation and revenue sharing formula were considered as being of particular interest to some regional representatives, and would therefore form the crux of their demands that would be put to vote during the sessions, which will ultimately be part of the recommendations at the end of the conference.
But this fear was dispelled as it was gathered that the northern delegates were made to understand that the composition of the conference representatives is balanced and considering that every geo-political zone represented has its agenda, it will therefore be difficult to take a simple stand on one issue, a source said.
The delegation, which was led by the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the NSCIA, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, also has the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Garbai, the Secretary-General, Prof. Ishaq Oloyode, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Dr. Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, and former Aviation and Education Minister, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim (SAN).
Secretary-General of JNI, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, had alleged at press conference in Kaduna on March 19 that the process of selecting participants to the conference was not done with fair representation which will affect the credibility of its outcome.
He said Muslims were cheated in the process in spite of having the largest population as revealed by many international agencies.
Though no official statement had been made available by the Presidency on the outcome of yesterday’s meeting, Oloyode, who spoke to State House correspondents after the meeting, said the body came to discuss with the President on matters affecting Muslims in Nigeria. He also gave a tacit confirmation of the dissatisfaction of the Muslims community, especially on the representation of the Muslims in the ongoing national conference.
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