Confab: South West, Itsekiri to form alliance

    
Delegates to the National Conference 2014 from the South-West and their counterparts from Itsekiri ethnic group, Delta State are planning to form a common front.

The two groups were expected to meet last night in Abuja for what a source called a “unification meeting”.
Although details of the meeting was sketchy as of press time, our correspondent gathered that the meeting is a follow up to a publication by the Itsekiri group pledging to align with the position of the South West caucus at the conference.
“The meeting is to fine-tune the workability of the accord with a bid to form a common position”, the source said.
The South-West caucus was also expected to review the progress made so far at the plenary session of the conference.
It would also harmonise its positions ahead of this week’s plenary sitting starting on Monday.
Last week, the conference adopted a 70 per cent majority in decision making following a truce brokered by the 50-member Consensus Group.
This was against the initial position of two-third majority by delegates from the south in contrast with three-quarter insisted by their northern counterparts.
The Consensus Group also recommended the restoration of the power of the conference Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi (retd.) to appoint chairmen and deputy chairmen for the proposed committees.
The reversal has already generated protest from the labour, civil society organizations and human rights activists at the conference.
It could not be ascertained last night if the issues would form part of the proceedings at the meeting.
Justice Kutigi, had explained that the change became necessary after it was observed that there was need to ensure that committee leadership achieved geo-political and gender spread.
But the coalition of Labour and CSOs at a press briefing addressed by the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Abdulwaheed Omar; President of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Bobboi Kaigama and Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) distanced themselves from the decision.

They accused the leadership of manipulation.
“The committee of 50 acted in violation of their brief since their mandate was to determine what should constitute a majority vote in the absence of a consensus and not to do other things. Yet, the same committee acting, in concert with the conference leadership reversed the decision on the election or selection of committee chairmen and their deputies.

“The committee’s recommendations on the issue of presiding officers of the committees therefore cannot, and should not, stand. This scenario of a few privileged people tinkering with the decision of a whole House is nothing but dictatorship and tyranny of a few. If it is allowed to stand, it may become a feature of the conference. One of the reasons for convening this conference is to deepen democracy and not to reinforce impunity.”

Falana had in a petition which he signed with members of the CSOs said the action of the conference leadership undermined the tenets of democracy.
Others who signed the petition were Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Festus Okoye, Dudu Manuga and Jaye Gaskia on behalf of other delegates.

But in a statement, the Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications, Mr. James Akpandem said, “Delegates voted to retain Order VI (6) as earlier proposed, to the effect that Principal Officers of the Conference select Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the Committees to reflect spread and competence.

“A motion to adopt the Procedure Rules as amended was subsequently moved by Dr (Mrs) Hannatu Ibrahim and seconded by Ambassador Adamu Aliyu. The Conference adopted the Procedure Rules as proposed and amended.
“The Votes and Proceedings for March 31, 2014 when the amendment was made, which clearly stated the issue in question, was read on the floor of Conference on Tuesday, April 1, 2014 and there was no delegate raised any issue regarding the amendment as contained in the Votes of Proceedings of March 31, 2014.”