Arguments upon arguments; motions upon motions is what can best describe
\nthe process that led to another adjournment on Monday of deliberation on
\nwhether legislation on mining of mineral resources should remain the
\nexclusive right of the Federal Government.<\/p>\n
Another crucial issue, shot down by the Committee on Devolution of Power
\nafter a lengthened argument, was for the establishment of State Police.<\/p>\n
While delegates from the south were favourably disposed to it, those from
\nthe north were apprehensive that politicians would subject it to abuse. It
\ndied on the floor.<\/p>\n
For more than two hours, the debate on mining lingered, as members battled
\nto resolve the impasse, which was basically whether state governments
\nshould have a say in mining of natural minerals.<\/p>\n
The house was divided along regional lines as a section wanted the status
\nquo as contained in the 1999 Constitution sustained; and others from the
\nother section wanted an insertion that state governments should be
\ninvolved in the mining industry.<\/p>\n
On Thursday last week, the Committee Co-Chairman, Obong Victor Attah, in
\nthe midst a heated argument, had advised Committee members to make their
\nwritten submissions available on Monday stating how Item 39 in the
\nExclusive List could be amended for state participation in the mining
\nbusiness.<\/p>\n
Attah\u2019s absence at the Committee sitting on Monday turned the table on the
\nissue. While some delegates insisted that the matter be put to vote in the
\nabsence of a consensus, others settled for further negotiation for a
\nconsensus.<\/p>\n
Retired Inspector General of Police and Co-Chairman of the Committee,
\nIbrahim Coomasie, who presided, had drawn the attention of the Committee
\nto the fact that the issue was undecided at the close of session on
\nThursday and should therefore be sorted out immediately.<\/p>\n
Retired Lt. General Jeremiah Useni opened discussions on the matter as
\nsoon as the session opened on Monday, when he moved a motion that the
\nissue be left the way it is in the Constitution. He received instant
\nsupport from delegates, particularly those from the north.<\/p>\n
However, former Minister, Professor A. B. C. Nwosu, quickly cautioned that
\nItem 39 on the Exclusive List was a contentious issue that could trigger
\ncrisis in some parts of the country depending on how it was handled by the
\nCommittee.<\/p>\n
He said that from the days of Adaka Isaac Boro who launched the first
\nbloody revolution in Nigerian history, till today, the twin issues of who
\ncontrols mining activities and environmental matters have always been
\ncontroversial.<\/p>\n
Nwosu noted that an amicable consensus could be reached on the issue
\ndepending on how it was handled, \u201cbut if we bully our way through on this
\nmatter, one way or the other, we may end up continuously promoting
\nmilitancy in the affected areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Haruna Yerima from Borno State was of the opinion that the issue be put to
\nvote since, according to him, it was clear that reaching a consensus would
\nbe impossible.<\/p>\n
Buba Galadima informed the Committee that a quorum had been formed and
\nthat the matter should be put to vote without further argument as the
\nCommittee still had other issues to discuss.<\/p>\n
Adeniyi Akintola, SAN, however objected. He cited certain sections of the
\nStanding Rules of the Conference which allow for further consultation on
\nissues that could not be decided on consensus at the first instance.<\/p>\n
Professor Eddy Erhagbe said the two seemingly incompatible positions were
\ncapable of tearing the meeting apart and suggested an amendment which he
\nbelieved could satisfy the two sides; by adding the clause \u201cprovided that
\ngovernment of the state where the mining activities take place is
\ninvolved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although other arguments followed immediately, both Nwosu and Sanusi
\nHaruna suggested that the amendment proposed by Erhagbe be looked into and
\npossibly adopted in the interest of peace.<\/p>\n
Bashir Dalhatu stoutly opposed suggestions by Chief Dozie Ikedife and
\nProfessor Nsongurua Udombana that the matter be stood own until written
\nsubmissions agreed upon last Thursday be made available for amicable
\nresolution of the argument.<\/p>\n
Dalhatu argued that submission of written positions by members would only
\nreflect the trend of arguments that had been heard already, adding, \u201cWe
\ncan adjourn for 15 minutes for consultation, but we have to vote.\u201d<\/p>\n
Junaid Mohammed supported the position with a declaration that the matter
\nmust not be returned to the plenary undecided. He insisted on a vote being
\ntaken immediately.<\/p>\n
A suggestion by former Deputy President of the Senate, Ibrahim Mantu, that
\nthere was need for adjournment in view of the rising tempers, was
\nsupported by Akintola.<\/p>\n
Hoever, just as Akintola finished talking, Useni, who moved the initial
\nmotion, repeated his motion and insisted on a vote being taken.<\/p>\n
Shortly after another support by Chief Ayo Adebanjo to Mantu\u2019s suggestion,
\nthe co-chairman ruled in favour of adjournment till Tuesday to enable
\nmembers submit their positions in writing for a consensus.<\/p>\n
When the issue of State Police came up for debate, the same fervour
\nwitnessed in the previous debate surfaced as delegates tackled each other.<\/p>\n
Udombana told the Committee that if the issue of devolution of power must
\nbe a reality, then there was no replacement to State Police, adding that
\nthe issue of abuse would be taken care of by laws.<\/p>\n
Dalhatu was emphatic that Nigeria is not yet ready for State Police as the
\nlevel of abuse by politicians would be too high, adding, \u201cI don\u2019t think we
\nare yet ready in this country for State Police.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adebanjo and Tony Adefuye were of the view that with the establishment of
\nState Police, most of the crisis that have rocked the country would always
\nbe chased away at the roots.<\/p>\n
According to Adebanjo, the issue of Nigerian factor should not be brought
\ninto every discussion because, \u201cif we have all agreed on going federal,
\nwhy should we disagree on issues associated with federalism. We should not
\nconcentrate police power at the federal level only, it is un-federalism.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was his view that the issue of Boko Haram would have been dealt with at
\nthe roots if Nigeria operated a state police system like other countries
\nof the world and pleaded that in the interest of Nigeria, the constitution
\nand federalism, State Police should be placed on the Concurrent List.<\/p>\n
Akintola informed the Committee that the issue of State Police should not
\nbe compelling on individual states; and that any state that desires it
\nshould be allowed to adopt it because the Conference cannot be talking
\nabout devolution of power while it throws away the ingredients that
\nsupport devolution of power.<\/p>\n
Magaji Dambatta in his contribution said introduction of State Police
\nwould amount to legalizing intimidation of political opponents by sitting
\ngovernors; adding that \u201cour environment is not yet ripe enough for State
\nPolice.\u201d<\/p>\n
After another contribution by a retired police officer, Farouk Usman, the
\nmatter was put to vote and with a majority voice, it was retained in the
\nExclusive List.<\/p>\n
However, a few items were moved from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent
\nList on Monday. They included public holidays; railways, and essential
\ncommodities while a new item, Information and Communication Technology,
\nintroduced by Udombana, was added to the Exclusive List.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Nigerian military on Monday explained what some see as
\nmaladministration in the military. It followed the submission by the
\nchairman of the National Security Sub-Committee on Defence Infrastructure,
\nretired Brig.Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali in that direction.<\/p>\n
Col G. O. Anyamelechi, who represented the Chief of Defence Staff, said
\nthat the total subordination of the military to the civil authority was
\nnever in doubt and that there was nothing to the allegation of existing
\nfriction between the Service Chiefs and the Minister of Defence.<\/p>\n
He said promotions in the military were guided by the provisions of the
\nHarmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for Officers and Men; and that
\nfor a senior officer to be eligible for promotion, he must satisfy certain
\nconditions.<\/p>\n
Anyamelechi informed the delegates that while the issue of Federal
\nCharacter is adhered to at point of entry to the military, as commissioned
\nofficers grow in rank, they are required to scale various hurdles in order
\nto be eligible for promotion.<\/p>\n
This, he said, meant that as officers keep going up, the issue of Federal
\nCharacter becomes less significant while emphasis shifts to merits and
\nthat this accounted to what may seem like an uneven representation at the
\ntop amongst the six geo-political zones.<\/p>\n
On the alleged failure of counter-terrorism measures adopted by the armed
\nforces, he said the allegation was regrettable, \u201cespecially coming from a
\nsource that is in a better position to appreciate the complexity of
\nasymmetric warfare.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anyemelechi said allegations of maladministration in the armed forces
\ncould have far-reaching implications on the general administration of the
\narmed forces and by extension, national security, particularly as no
\nspecifics were given to substantiate the allegation.<\/p>\n
The Chairman of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Dr.
\nSam Amadi was at the meeting of the Energy Committee where he briefed
\nmembers on the state of power supply and generation in the country. While
\ndoing so, a member of the committee, Chief Richard Akinjide said Nigeria
\nwill be better served with alternative sources of energy, especially clean
\nenergy such as solar, water , sun and coal; but Amadi insisted that
\nNigeria is not ripe for renewable energy.<\/p>\n
The Minister of Solid Mineral Resources is expected to appear before the
\ncommittee tomorrow to brief delegates on power generation through coal and
\nuranium.<\/p>\n
The Committee on Foreign Policy and Diaspora Matters had an interface with
\nthe Director General of the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs
\n(NIIA), Prof. Bola Akinterinwa.<\/p>\n
Committee members harped on the need for synergy among NIIA, the
\nPresidential Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of
\nForeign Affairs.<\/p>\n
The Committee on Religion proposed a Religion Equity Commission that will
\nhandle all religion related issues in the country, while also proposing
\nthat government should stop the sponsorship of pilgrimage and any public
\nfunding of religious activities.<\/p>\n
The Committee on Citizenship, Immigration and Related Matters was more
\nconcerned about the nation’s porous borders. Members were of the opinion
\nthat if the borders are effectively manned, the rate of violence attacks
\nwould be minimized.<\/p>\n
The Sub-committee on Census presented its report. It lamented the lack of
\nnational integrated data base and politicization of census figure. It
\ntherefore suggested a National Integrated Data Base that would involve the
\nNational Communication Commission (NCC) and the Federal Road Safety
\nCommission (FRSC), as well as involving traditional rulers and all levels
\nof governments in generating the data.<\/p>\n
It also proposed the enactment of laws to criminalize any census official
\nwho inflates census figures; also the use of national identity cards as
\nvoters\u2019 card as well as advocating that all landed property should be
\nregistered with the names and identity of their owners.<\/p>\n
The Committee on Economy Trade and Investment played host to the Executive
\nSecretary of Nigeria Investment and Promotion Commission (NIPC) who
\nbriefed the committee on investment opportunities in the country and the
\nbottlenecks investors face.<\/p>\n
A member of the committee, Professor Ajakaye, also gave a brief lecture on
\nsteps Nigeria needed to take to join the league of industrialized nations.<\/p>\n
He advocated the development of core industries, the establishment of a
\ndevelopment bank, the rehabilitation of major roads, modernization of the
\nrail system and enhancing efficiency in the power sector. He also said
\nlocalized opportunities in the power sector as well as growing of new
\nenterprises are catalysts for economic growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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