Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has disclosed that the only way to permanently and immediately tackle the menace of insecurity in Nigeria, and to silence various ethical agitations, is by implementing the 2014 National Conference Report.
Jonathan, who spoke during the Rivers State Golden Anniversary Lecture, held at the Dr. Obi Wali International Conference Centre, Port Harcourt, revealed that he approved the Conference, after realizing how important it was to address “grey areas” of national interest.
Recall, that during President Muhammadu Buhari’s first anniversary in office last year, he revealed that despite the persuasion of his predecessor, he had not even read the Confab report, and that it would remain in the archives where according to him, it rightly belongs.
He had said: “I advised against the issue of National Conference. You would recall that ASUU was on strike then for almost nine months. The Teachers in the tertiary institutions were on strike for more than a year, yet that government had about N9 billion to organise that meeting (National Conference), and some (members) were complaining that they hadn’t even been paid.
I never liked the priority of that government on that particular issue, because it meant that what the National Assembly could have handled, was handed to the Conference, while the more important job of keeping our children in schools, was abandoned.
That is why I haven’t even bothered to read it or ask for a briefing on it, and I want it to go into the so-called archives.”
While speaking on Wednesday, Jonathan said: “I was quite pleased with the outcome of the Conference. There was nothing like voting. Every decision was by consensus. And I believe sincerely, that if government is able to implement most of those recommendations, some of the things that agitate our minds today, some of the social issues we have, including insecurity and otherwise, would be addressed”, he said.
Speaking further, Jonathan said he had always advocated for a fiscal federalism, saying it would afford federating States opportunity for development.
“If we look at Federal Government supporting oil-producing areas, if you really sit down and calculate, a lot of funds have actually come into the Niger Delta area. But, we don’t see corresponding infrastructural development”.
Post-Nigeria could recall, that the 2014 National Constitutional Conference, was one of the boldest attempts in recent times, in appraising the operational structure and system on which the country is run.
The Conference, which was convened by Jonathan in 2014, however faced many controversies, the first of which was its acceptance.
The 492 delegates of the Conference following months of brainstorming, finally came up with a report which among others, sought the creation of nearly 18 more States, the systematic restructuring of the polity, rotational Presidency, the creation of State Police, the scrapping of State/Local Government joint accounts, among several others.
The Conference officially cost the Federal Government N9 billion, which was besides incidental costs by State Governments, and other agencies of the administration.
The report of the Conference was submitted to Jonathan, who before he left office, handed them over to his successor, Buhari, as being among the major unfinished issues of his administration, which he would want the new President to deal with.
