President Muhammadu Buhari will not implement the report of the
2014 National Conference convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
A top
government official confided in our correspondent on Tuesday that Buhari was
not favorably disposed to the implementation of the report despite the fact
that Jonathan handed over the document to him alongside his (Jonathan’s)
handover note. Jonathan had, during his handover ceremony on May 28, told
Buhari that the confab report was more important than his handover note.
Shortly before he left office, the former President had forwarded the report to
the National Assembly for action.
But the Presidency source told one of our correspondents that
Buhari would not implement it because he never believed in the conference.
Rather,
he said the President would stick to the recommendations of his transition
committee led by Ahmed Joda.
He
said, “The conference and its report are Jonathan’s babies and you won’t expect
this administration to implement the report, especially in this era that all we
have been doing is to try and clear the rot left behind by the same
administration. “The President had not even at any time made any reference to
the report. It is not on his agenda.”
Jonathan, had during his different meetings with traditional
rulers from the South-West ahead of the March 28 presidential election,
promised to ensure the implementation of the conference’s report if re-elected.
He had argued that since the APC refused to take part in the conference, a
government formed by the party would not implement the report. Apparently
confirming Jonathan’s position, Buhari had also at a time taken a swipe at the
Federal Government over the conference, saying that billions of naira was spent
on it.
The Federal Executive Council led by Jonathan had on March 18
approved the report of the conference led by Justice Idris Kutigi.
The
then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim, had
told reporters that the approval was the first leg of the steps aimed at
implementing the conference report.
Anyim
had said recommendations and resolutions that require constitutional amendment
and enactment of new laws would be forwarded to the National Assembly.
He
added that agencies’ policy matters in the report shall be referred to the
affected agencies and the tier of government concerned – whether federal, state
or local governments, for action.
Anyim
said while the process leading to the implementation of the report might not
end during the Jonathan administration’s tenure, a bold step forward had been
taken with the approval.
The
National Conference recommended that anybody aspiring to become the country’s
President must be a degree holder, among other recommendations.
When
contacted, Buhari’s spokesperson, Mr. Femi Adesina, said he has no information
on the matter.
He
said, ‘‘The President will do what is in the best interest of Nigerians.’’
The
National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, said, “Like I said before, we will look at the document and any area
that is beneficial to Nigeria and Nigerians will be considered.”
But
some delegates to the 2014 National Conference have called on Buhari not to
dump the report of the confab and its recommendations.
A
delegate, who is the Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Sola Ebiseni,
and the National Publicity Secretary of a pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, Mr.
Yinka Odumakin, who represented the South- West, argued that restructuring was
imperative.
Has laoreet percipitur ad. Vide interesset in mei, no his legimus verterem. Et nostrum imperdiet appellantur usu, mnesarchum referrentur id vim.
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