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Jonathan Pledges Action On Nat Confab Report
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday thumped his chest for organising a successful national dialogue, saying the peaceful ending of the 2014 National Conference has put the prophets of doom, who predicted its failure, to shame.
Jonathan said he meant well for the country, and promised to implement the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference, which officially closed yesterday.
The president made the pledge yesterday at the National Judicial Institute, (NJI), ýduring the closing ceremony of the conference, where he also received the 21-volume report from the conference Chairman, Idris Kutigi.
Jonathan also said the successful conclusion of the conference has proved cynics, who never gave the conference a chance, wrong.
He said some of the recommendations of the conference will be considered by the National Council of State, while the remaining ones will be sent to the National Assembly.
The convocation of the Conference was packaged by a 13-member Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue headed by Femi Okurounmu, a former senator. The Committee submitted its 69-member report last December.
Apart from its 492 membership drawn from different spheres of life, the Conference was supervised and managed by a secretariat whose six members were also nominated by the Federal Government.
The others, besides Mr. Kutigi, were Bolaji Akinyemi, (deputy chairman), Valerie-Janette Azinge (Secretary), Akilu Ndabawa (Assistant Secretary, Conference Proceedings), Mahmood Yakubu (Assistant Secretary, Administration and Finance), and Akpandem James (Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications).
During the period the Conference sat, its stability was tested by some thorny national issues, which included resource control, derivation principle, Land Use Act, national security among others.
However, at the end of it all, the Conference made some far-reaching recommendations, key among which are Creation of 18 New States 2014 National Conference: Recommended the creation of 18 new states (three per geo-political zone).. Among them are Apa, Edu, Kainji, Katagum, Savannah, Amana, Gurara, Ghari, Etiti (South East zone), Aba, Adada, Njaba-Anim, Anioma, Orashi, Ogoja, Ijebu and New Oyo. Apart from the 18 proposed states, the Conference also recommended one new states for the South East to make the zone have equal number of states with the other zones except the North West which has seven. It also recommended that states willing to merge can also do so based on certain conditions.
2005: NPRC said 36 states structure is too expensive and that the situation will become worse given the number of requests for the creation of new states some of which would need to be met for the sake of peace and stability of the economy.
1994/1995 Constitutional Conference recommended the creation of 20 new states namely Gombe, Apa, Nasarawa, Hadejia, Tiga, Zamfara, Sardauna, Katagum, Ghari, Kainji, Bayelsa, Orashi, Anioma, Ekiti, Ebonyi, New Oyo, Ogoja, Itai, Ijebu-Remo and Rivers East. Some of the states have since been created.
Resource Control/Derivation Principle/Fiscal Federalism
2014 NC: The Conference noted that assigning percentage for the increase in derivation principle, and setting up Special Intervention Funds to address issues of reconstruction and rehabilitation of areas ravaged by insurgency and internal conflicts as well as solid minerals development, require some technical details and consideration. The Conference therefore recommends that Government should set up a Technical Committee to determine the appropriate percentage on the three issues and advise government accordingly.
2005 NPRC: Recommended an increase in the level of derivation from the present 13% to 17% in the interim pending the report of the expert commission. Massive and urgent programme of development of infrastructure and human resources of the Niger Delta should be embarked upon by the Federal Government.
1994/1995 CC: It said in determining the formula, the National Assembly shall take into account allocation principles especially those of population, equality of states, internal revenue generation, land mass, terrain as well as population density provided that the principle of Derivation shall be constantly reflected in any approved formula as being not less than 13% of the Revenue accruing to the Federation Account directly.
The various mineral resources should be controlled and managed by the Government of the Federation through an arrangement which involves Oil Producing States and Communities, in particular, the rights and privileges which the Mineral and Mining Act of 1999 confers on States, Local Governments, Communities and land owners should equally be extended to the case of petroleum resources
Public Finance/Revenue Allocation
2014: That the sharing of the funds to the Federation Account among the three tiers of government should be done in the following manner: Federal Government – 42.5%, State Governments – 35% and Local Governments 22.5%
That the percentage given to population and equality of states in the existing sharing formula be reduced while that assigned to Social Development sector be increased to a much higher percentage so as to ensure accelerated development of all parts of the country.
2005 NPRC: No specific recommendation, but advised that the number of local government in a state should not count as a criterion for revenue allocation
1994/1995 Constitutional Conference: The National Assembly shall determine the Revenue Allocation Formula which formula shall each time remain in force for a period of not less than five years from the day the bill shall be assented to by the president.
Forms of Government
2014 NC: Recommended the Modified Presidential System, a home-made model of government that effectively combines the presidential and parliamentary systems of government.
The president shall pick the vice president from the Legislature.
The President should select not more than 18 ministers from the six geo -political zones and not more than 30% of his ministers from outside the Legislature. Reduce Cost of governance by pruning the number of political appointees and using staff of ministries where necessary.
2005 NPRC:
The Conference recommended the retention of Presidential System of Government.
The number of ministries at the centre should be reduced to between 15 and 18 and to a maximum of 10 at the state level. Similarly, appointment of Special Advisers should be pegged to six and not more than three at the state level. Appointment of special assistants should be made from within the public service.
1994/1995: Recommended presidential system and federalism.
Legislature
2014 National Conference: Bi-cameral legislature, but all elected members of the legislative arms of all the tiers of government should serve on part-time basis
Power Sharing/Rotation
2014 NC: Recommended that the presidential power should rotate between the North and the South and among the six geo-political zones while the governorship will rotate among the three senatorial districts in a state.
2005 NPRC: The principle of power rotation should be enshrined in the Constitution so that executive positions rotate at federal, state and local governments. The office of the president, governors and local government should rotate in such a way that all the geo-political zones in the federation, states, local governments, as the case may be should have a chance to produce a president, governor and local government. It should not however be included in the constitution because of the emotive nature of the issue.
There should be legislation by the National Assembly to ensure that the office of the president should rotate between the north and the south as well as amongst the geo-political zones of the country on the basis of equity, justice and fairness. The principle should be applicable to states and local government on senatorial basis for the governorship and at ward or district for the position of chairman of LGs.
1994/1995 CC: Rotational Presidency should be enshrined in the Constitution. The same logic should apply to rotation of the governors and chairmen of LGs. It recommended multiple vice presidents with a way to ensure that at least one comes from the same zone as the president.
Local Government
2014 NC: Local Government will no longer be the third tier of government. The federal and states are now to be the only tiers of government. States can now create as many local governments they want. The Joint State/Local Government Account be scrapped and in its place the establishment of a State RMAFC with representatives of LG and a Chairman nominated by the Governor. The Constitution should fix the tenure for Local Government Councils at three years. Conference recommends the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commission, SIECs.
2005 NPRC: The Conference retained three levels of government comprising federal, state and local government councils
1994/1995 CC: The Local government shall be a third tier of government in Nigeria, but in order to save costs, a local government council shall consist of the Chairman, Vice Chairman and elected Councillors without a legislative arms.
Each State shall maintain a special account to be called “State Joint Local Government Account” into which shall be paid all allocations to the Local government councils of the state from the Federation Account. State Houses of Assembly to create local governments and the life of local government officials will be three years.
Immunity Clause
2014: The immunity clause should be removed if the offences attract criminal charges to encourage accountability by those managing the economy.
2005 NPRC: Recommended that immunity clause as enshrined in Section 308 should be amended to remove immunity provision for crimes bothering on corrupt practices, economic and financial crimes and other serious offences such as suicide and murder.
Independent Candidacy
2014 NC: It recommended that every Nigerian who meets the specified condition in the Electoral Act should be free to contest elections as an independent candidate.
2005 NPRC: Recommended the recognition of Independent candidate in election
1994/1995: The Conference recommended that Independent Candidature should be recognized and should be in the constitution
Governance
2014 NC: The creation of the office of the Accountant General (Director-General) of the Federation as a distinct and separate office from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federal Government. The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation shall oversee the accruals of revenue into and disbursement from the Federation Account as and when due; and shall administer these funds as required by the Constitution, while the office of the Accountant General of the Federal Government shall oversee the accounts of the Federal Government.
2005: Separation of the offices of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice. The Attorney General for the Federation shall be appointed by the President for a single term of six years subject to the confirmation by the Senate
Anti-corruption:
2014: A Special Courts to handle corruption cases should be established in the light of undue prolongation in the trials and prosecution of corruption cases in the regular courts. A non-conviction-based asset forfeiture law should be enacted with broad provisions to deal with all issues of proceeds of crimes by the anti-graft agencies and the courts.
2005: Special Courts should be set up for prosecution of cases emanating from corrupt practices and such cases should not last more than 90 days. Secondly, it recommended that the authorities should Investigate and confiscate corruptly acquired wealth of past rulers and bring them to justice.
Re-introduction of the War Against Corruption and EFCC and Code of Conduct should be made members of Screening Committees at all levels of government to screen all candidates aspiring to political office before elections
Land Tenure Act
2014 NC: The Land Tenure Act should remain in the Constitution but be amended to take care of those concerns, particularly on compensation in Section 29 (4) of the Act to read “land owners should determine the price and value of their land based on open market value
2005 NPRC:
1994/1995 CC: Recommended that the Land Use Decree should be reviewed in line with the recommendations made by the Nigeria Law Reform Commission in 1991. It rejected the suggestion that the law should be completely abrogated.
National Anthem
2014 NC: Re-introduce the old National Anthem
Religion
2104 NC: The Conference recommended that there will be no government sponsorship of Christian and Muslim pilgrimages to the holy lands. It also resolved that churches and mosques should begin to pay tax to government.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has expressed concern over certain unprofessional practices within the surveying profession, urging practitioners to address issues surrounding the acquisition of Rights of Way and seismic operations in the State.
The governor also raised strong objections to what he described as threats to land ownership and title in the State through the alleged issuance of Federal Certificates of Occupancy by the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation and other affiliated federal agencies.
According to him, such actions are contrary to Section 1 of the Land Use Act, Cap L5, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, which vests all land within a state in the Governor as trustee on behalf of the people.
Fubara made the remarks while speaking as Special Guest at the National Conference of the Association of Private Practicing Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN), a sub-group of the National Institute of Surveyors (NIS), held at the Obi-Wali Cultural Centre, Port-Harcourt, yesterday.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Benibo Anabraba, the governor also expressed concern over the problem of land grabbing through illegal survey plans and the payment of inadequate compensation to landowners during compulsory land acquisition for oil and gas exploration by licence holders, urging surveyors to uphold professionalism and fairness in their practice.
He said such illegal activities negatively affect the development of the State.
Fubara urged surveyors to promote ethical and sustainable planning practices that protect the environment, including the preservation of green spaces, marine areas, and forest reserves.
He described the role of surveyors as pivotal to the growth, development, peace, and orderly governance of any society.
According to him, the services of surveyors are critical to physical and urban planning, housing development, land administration, and the provision of infrastructure.
He stressed that surveyors play indispensable roles in land use and management, infrastructure provision, environmental management, and conflict resolution, noting that their presence in government ministries, departments, and agencies ensures adherence to best practices.
“The role of surveyors in governance is pivotal to the growth, development, peace, and order of society, particularly in land administration, infrastructure development, environmental management, and conflict resolution,” the governor said.
He noted that the conference theme, “Mapping the Future: The Vital Roles of Surveyors in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry,” was particularly significant to Rivers State, given its position as the hydrocarbon heartbeat of the nation.
The President of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Surv. Pius Eze, urged all participants to optimize the opportunity provided by the conference for professional upgrading and networking, adding that the conference displays consistency of vision and dedication to the welfare of private practitioners.
The National Chairman of APPSN, Surv. Simepiriye Kalio, thanked leaders and members of the association for their sacrifices to achieving the successes recorded.
The Chairman of APPSN, Rivers State chapter, Surv. Andy Nwikinane, said that the association was working with relevant stakeholders to prevent the infiltration of quacks in the profession.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for a generational shift in African leadership, urging countries across the continent to deliberately promote younger leaders between the ages of 25 and 50.
According to him, younger leaders are more physically and mentally equipped for the rigours of modern governance.
Jonathan made the call in Abuja, yesterday, at the International Memorial Lecture and Leadership Conference marking the 50th anniversary of the assassination of former Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed.
Reflecting on the demands of leadership, the former president recalled that while in office, he sometimes had no more than two hours of sleep in 24 hours, stressing that advanced age can limit the capacity to cope with the pressures of governance.
“Why do we begin to think that you must be a hundred years old before you can rule your country?” Jonathan asked.
He noted that leadership requires unusual stamina and resilience, arguing that younger leaders are better positioned to withstand the pressure.
“If they need to stay awake for 24 hours, they can stay awake for 24 hours. When I was in office, some days I did not sleep up to two hours. If you subject an older person to that kind of stress, the person will spend 50 per cent of the time in hospital,” he said.
Jonathan aligned his position with the spirit of Nigeria’s “Not Too Young To Run” movement, which seeks to lower age barriers for elective offices and encourage youth participation in politics.
“I have to reinforce the Not Too Young To Run movement. We have to bring some of these age limits down. If we are looking for people who can run nations in Africa, we should look within the 25 to 50 age bracket. That is when you can be very vibrant, physically strong and mentally sound,” he said.
He also questioned the practice of some public office holders spending extended periods outside their states or countries.
“In a country like the United States, some governors do not leave their states for four years. But here, some of our governors spend 50 per cent of their time outside. So who runs the state? Why will we not have security problems? Coming of age must transcend many things. First and foremost, we must have the discipline to manage ourselves,” he added.
Reflecting on the legacy of General Murtala Muhammed, Jonathan said the late leader demonstrated that age was not a barrier to decisive and visionary leadership. Muhammed became Head of State at 38 and, despite ruling for only 200 days, left a lasting impact.
“General Murtala Muhammed assumed office at the very young age of 38. Despite a tenure of only 200 days, his achievements were profound because he was driven by a clear, unyielding vision.
“His leadership sent a clear message: leadership was to serve the national interest, not personal ambition,” Jonathan said.
The former president also referenced other Nigerian leaders who assumed office at relatively young ages, including General Yakubu Gowon, who became Head of State at 32 and later introduced the National Youth Service Corps, which remains in existence to this day.
“Young man of 32 managed to pull the country through the civil war. So why do we now think leadership must only come at old age?” he asked.
However, Jonathan cautioned that youth alone is insufficient without discipline, patriotism and strong institutions.
While praising Muhammad’s decisiveness, he stressed that democracy depends more on institutions than on individuals.
“Democracy requires vision rather than decree. It requires persuasion instead of command. It depends on institutions, not individuals. Above all, it requires respect for the rule of law and the willingness to submit power to the will of the people,” he said.
He urged African leaders to view governance as stewardship rather than entitlement and encouraged young people to see leadership as service.
“Young people must see leadership as service, not entitlement. Leaders must see governance as stewardship, not a right,” he said.
“I sometimes remember when I contested as a deputy governorship candidate. You had to be 40 years old before you could even be a senator, a deputy governor or a governor, not to talk about president. Yet the Head of State we are celebrating today assumed office at 38,” he added.
Calling on Nigerians and Africans to draw lessons from history, Jonathan said leadership should be measured by impact rather than duration in office.
“As we mark 50 years of General Murtala Muhammed’s legacy, let us remember that leadership is not measured by how long you govern; it is measured by the courage to act decisively when the nation needs direction and by the impact you make on society,” he said.
He emphasised that while military leaders govern by command and authority, democracy demands a different approach anchored on strong institutions, credible electoral bodies, an independent judiciary, well-trained security agencies and accountable governance systems.
“While General Murtala Muhammed symbolised decisive leadership, our democratic future depends on strong institutions. Democracy requires vision rather than decree. It requires persuasion instead of command. It depends on institutions, not individuals. Democracy also demands restraint and respect for the rule of law,” Jonathan said.
The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two men linked to a criminal syndicate that lured, kidnapped, and robbed women working as “run girls” in Port Harcourt hotels.
The suspects, 27-year-old Albert Koko-Ete Hanson and 18-year-old Wisdom Okon from Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, were apprehended after victims reported the crimes to hotel security.
One of the victims, simply identified as Faith, told the police that she was invited to a hotel under the pretense of a client request and was led to a two-bedroom apartment where the suspects were staying.
She said the suspects showed her a photograph of another woman, whom they claimed was owing them N5 million, and demanded her phone password to access her bank account. Her phone was seized, though she had no money in her account.
Faith also alleged that another female victim had already been tied and blindfolded in a bathroom, and both were later stripped and sexually assaulted, with threats of organ harvesting reportedly made by the suspects.
It was learnt that a third victim alerted friends in the hotel via text message while the suspects tried to access her bank app. The quick action of the hotel security team led to the rescue of all the three victims.
The prime suspect, Albert Koko-Ete, reportedly confessed to the crimes and revealed that he had been operating the syndicate for six years, earning over N18 million naira.
Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, warned young women against engaging in prostitution, citing the high risks involved.
Iringe-Koko advised women to acquire skills and seek legitimate means of income, revealing that the syndicate specifically targeted women with high-end devices such as iPhone 15 and above.
The Police confirmed that the suspects’ method involved identifying women they could abduct to extort money from them or their relatives.
The Police said the suspects remain in custody and will be arraigned in court once investigations are complete.
The Command reiterated its commitment to protecting citizens and dismantling criminal networks preying on vulnerable individuals.
King Onunwor
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