National Confab Begins On Shaky Note …Logistic Challenges Force Adjournment To Monday

National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers, protesting over the stampede that led to the death of some applicants during last Saturday’s recruitment into Nigerian Immigration Service in Kaduna, last Monday.

The much-talked about National Conference which was inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday in Abuja yesterday suffered setback as delegates adjoined on the first day of sitting to Monday, following logistics challenges.
The Tide gathered that the delegates will take advantage of the adjournment to sort out their logistics issues before settling down for the national business.
Delegates to the conference, some of whom did their accreditation on Monday morning, are optimistic that the conference will achieve its prime objective of re-inventing and re-enacting Nigeria by coming up with a new roadmap acceptable to all sections and making the nation the toast of the international community.
Announcing the adjournment after a brief session that was meant to integrate delegates into the business at hand, ensure compliance with the directive of President Jonathan that the indivisibility of Nigeria is non-negotiable and ensure that the three-month conference was hitch-free and successful, Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi said the adjournment was meant to allow delegates, most of whom live outside Abuja, to settle down for the national assignment.
Present at the conference’s maiden session were other members of the secretariat, including the Deputy Chairman and former external affairs minister, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, Secretary, Mrs Valerie Azinge and Assistant Secretary (Media and Communication), Mr James Akpandem.
After the adjournment, the 492 delegates were given conference materials in seminar bags in an orderly manner by Mr Akpandem, who is also an aide of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.
Those who expressed hope for the birth of a new Nigeria at the end of the conference in separate interviews with The Tide, include former military governor of old Rivers State, General Zamani Lekwot, former secretary to Rivers State Government, Chief Sampson Agbaru, former deputy governor of Lagos State, Senator Kofo Bucknor-Akerele, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, former chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Senator John Braimbeifa and Chairman, Abuja council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Chuks Ehirin.
Meanwhile, all delegates to the National Conference will earn same allowances, the conference’s Assistant Secretary, Administration and Finance, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has said.
Yakubu also told the delegates, at their inaugural meeting yesterday in Abuja, that the secretariat would not disclose the amount that would be paid to each of them.
According to him, the payment covers accommodation, transportation and sitting allowances.
He said that the delegates would be notified by their respective banks.
“Everything (allowances) has been monetised. Every delegate will be paid through e-payment and will be alerted by their banks.
“The payment, that covers accommodation, transportation and sitting allowances, will be paid every two weeks.
“We will not disclose it but the delegates are free to do so when they receive their payment slips. The allowances paid are the same for everybody,” he said.
Yakubu said that the Federal Government policy did not allow payment in physical cash except through e-payment and every delegate would be notified by his/her bank.
The Secretary to the conference, Dr Valerie Azinge, said no provision was made for aides of the delegates.
She, however, said facilities would be provided for the physically-challenged and the elderly where necessary.
Some of the delegates complained about facilities at the National Judicial Institute (NJI), which they said were not very conducive for the conference’s proceedings.
Azinge, however, appealed to them to make use of the facilities available adding that it was the best facility they could get in Abuja.
She explained that the International Conference Centre (ICC) is currently being occupied by the ECOWAS Parliament and that the centre had a standing rule with ECOWAS.
She said other issues which were also noted not have been included in the president’s speech would form part of the agenda when the conference reconvenes.
Azinge said that the speech would also form part of the major business of the conference for the next two weeks before breaking into committees.
According to her, the presiding and principal officers have set out clear cut plans to achieve the purpose of the conference.
She, however, said that before Monday’s session the rules of proceedings would be presented to the House to endorse, reject or make amendments.

Justus Awaji, Abuja