Confab: List of committees’ membership out this week

    
Delegates at the ongoing national conference have indicated their interest to serve on some committees considered to be strategic.

Investigations by our correspondents in Abuja showed that delegates believed that some committees were very strategic and that they needed to be there in order to serve the interest of those that sent them.Already, the management of the conference had proposed the setting up of 20 committees. The list of the committees is contained in the Work Plan already distributed to delegates.
The Chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, had already told the delegates to make it three options in order to know their areas of interest.

He said if it was difficult for delegates to get into their first choice, they would find their names in either the second or third choice.

Some of the committees listed are Committee on Devolution of Power, Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government, Committee on National Security, Committee on Environment, Committee on Politics and Governance, and Committee on Law, Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Reform, Committee on Social Welfare, Committee on Transportation, Committee on Agriculture, Committee on Civil Society, Labour and Sports, Committee on Public Service and Committee on Electoral Matters.

Others are a committee on Foreign Policy and Diaspora Matters, Committee in Kand Tenure Matters N National Boundary and Committee on Trade and Investment.

The rest are Committee on Energy, Committee on Religion, Committee on Public Finance and Revenue Generation and Committee on Immigration.

Of all the committees, it was gathered that the Committee on Devolution of Power, as well as Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government received the highest interest.

“You can’t imagine the number of people that have signified their intention to serve in this committee and the Committee on Public Service and Committee on Electoral Matters,” a source told our correspondent.

However, it was also gathered that the management of the conference had started collating the names of the delegates and discussing the areas where they would be best suited to serve.

Some of the criteria being used in determining where to put the delegates include their background, education, previous appointment or position and area of specialization.

Last week, the conference restored the power of the conference Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi (retd.) to appoint chairman and deputy chairmen of the proposed committees.
The reversal followed a recommendation of the 50-member Consensus Group selected to resolve the impasse over what constituted the majority in taking decisions.
A source told one of our correspondents that the reversal was to promote confidence building in the decision-making process of the conference.
“We believe it will further strengthen the conviction and trust people have about the leadership of the conference before accepting to serve as delegates”.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Secretary in charge of Media and Communication, Mr. Akpandem James, said the list of the committee membership may be released this week.He confirmed that delegates had indicated the committees they would want to serve.
He said, “Yes, the list is being compiled because delegates have submitted their names. The list may be released this week.”