The controversy dogging the National Conference may well continue into its inauguration. Many groups and individuals yesterday complained about exemption from the list or the ability of some delegates to represent their constituencies.
The Southern Taraba Stakeholders Forum (STSF) yesterday rejected the nomination of Mrs. Salome Jankada as one of the state’s delegates.
Jankada, a politician from Southern Taraba, was nominated alongside Justice Adamu Aliyu and Alhaji Suleiman Zubairu by Acting Governor Garba Umar.
The Taraba Christian Youth Vanguard (TCYV) is also not happy that the list has two Muslims and a Christian, which, according to it, is not a true reflection of the ratio of Christians and Muslims in Taraba.
Spokesman of the Southern Taraba Stakeholders Forum, James Abe Nwunuji, in a statement yesterday, said Jankada’s name should be dropped because she was not the choice of Southern Taraba people.
“Jankada did not emanate from us, she must be dropped,” said Nwunuji.
Nwunuji was reacting to a statement by the Acting Governor Umar’s Chief Press Secretary Kefas Sule that Jankada, among the other nominees, were selected in consultations with stakeholders in the three senatorial zones.
Nwunuji said: “We heard with a sense of disbelief what Mr. Kefas Sule said concerning the national conference nominee Mrs. Salome Jankada.
“Sule said Jankada emerged (on the delegates list) as a nominee after consultation with stakeholders from Southern Taraba. He is lying devilishly.
“When and which stakeholders did the deputy governor consult from southern Taraba?
“At no time were we consulted as stakeholders, unless Umar does not know who the (real) stakeholders from the zone are.”
The forum said if they were actually consulted, they would not have suggested Jankada’s name, adding that Jankada was not a member of the ruling PDP but a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP).
“Jankada simply does not qualify, both morally and politically.
“If Umar had asked us, we have elder statesmen and women that could competently represent us.
“Southern Taraba has a slew of quality materials that will provide sound representation at the confab.
“By handpicking Jankada, Umar has a plan to ridicule the people of Southern Taraba.
“We once rejected Jankada’s candidature for senate on the same moral and political grounds. As a minister, she was not in touch with us, as she largely stayed in Abuja.”
The forum insisted that Jankada’s name must be dropped; if she is not substituted, President Goodluck Jonathan and the Chairman of the conference, retired Chief Justice Idris Lagbo Kutigi should not inaugurate her –in the interest of the people of Southern Taraba.
Jankada’s sin is that, apart from being a strong political foe of recuperating Governor Danbaba Suntai, the former minister has been supporting Umar who hails from Northern Taraba for governorship, against the agitation for power shift by the people of Southern Taraba, The Nation learnt.
“By picking Jankada, Umar has only paid her with the confab slot, for her services of insisting on his (Umar’s) governorship in 2015. She must be dropped.” The forum said.
Itsekiri, Urhobo kick
Many Itsekiri people in the Niger Delta have also kicked against the Federal Government’s allocation of a single delegate to represent them at the national conference, which kicks off next Monday.
A member of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, Chief Isaac Jemide, was named as a delegate to the much-awaited conference after several protests by Itsekiri leaders over their ‘marginalisation’ in the list released last Thursday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Comrade Mathew Itsekure of the Itsekiri National Youth Council said the Itsekiri nation was neither impressed by the manner of the announcement nor a single delegate allotted to his kinsmen.
Speaking in a telephone chat with The Nation, Itsekure said: “Even the announcement of Chief Jemide, to us, is still a rumour and mere reactionary move from the Federal Government. We demand a minimum of three candidates because it is not safe for us to have a single delegate to represent the Itsekiri nation.
“It is unacceptable to Itsekiri people who are a major contributor to the nation’s resources – we contribute as much as 30% in Delta State and we cannot accept a situation where we are relegated to a conference where the life and future of this country is being discussed.”
He denounced the manner of Jemide’s appointment via a television broadcast by the SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, describing it as an afterthought and indication of how the Federal Government sees the Itsekiri nation.
Itsekure said the Itsekiri ethnic nation was able to produce four delegated during a similar conference held on the eve of Nigeria’s independence in London.
He said the Itsekiri were not against other ethnic groups having whatever number of representatives in the talk shop, maintaining that the Itsekiri people merely wanted a strong voice at the conference.
He listed devolution of power, true fiscal federalism and resource control as some of the issues that the Itsekiri people would want to canvass at the conference.
The Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) said its people have been shut out of the conference. The Urhobo People’s Forum (UPF) described its single representation as an injustice to its people.
Speaking to reporters in Warri yesterday, President of the INYC, Shola Jakpa, said it would be difficult to get the Itsekiri people to be calm in the face of the ongoing exclusion of the people in a matter that affect their destiny.
“We have been told to be calm about being made not to have a say in a conference to determine who gets what, when and how in a renegotiated Nigeria. How does anybody expect us to be calm? This is the only National Conference since in the annals of Nigeria that we are being alienated.
“It is more surprising that this is happening to us at a time the Itsekiri nation remains entirely a PDP territory under a minority President even in the face of the current wind of defections against the ruling party. All Itsekiri lawmakers at state and federal level remain Itsekiri. We respect President and remain supportive of his government. How can we then be calm to be so humiliated?”
Also speaking, Secretary of the organisation, Oritseweyimi Eyitemi, said: “The only reason why this ill-treatment has not degenerated into a breakdown of law and order is because we have given ears to the counsels and directions of our elders. No one should tie the hands of our elders. Whatever direction they say we should take over this matter, we will obey.
“But the right thing to do will be for the powers that be to correct this anomaly. A situation where other ethnic minorities get as much as 20 representations without Itsekiris not being accorded the courtesy of even a single representation is inciting. It does not call for calm at all.”
The UPF, in a statement issued in Warri by its coordinator, Omiregua Nathaniel Dortie, said the list had done injustice to Urhobo people and called on President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure the anomaly was corrected.
Dortie said: “The marginalisation of Urhobo in the forced marriage called Nigeria is very offensive. By every measure, Urhobo deserves a good number of representation in the Southsouth delegates’ list.
“We call on the President to immediately correct this injustice. What sins has the Urhobo people committed that cannot be forgiven. Urhobo population is higher than that of 7 States in Nigeria. As one of the
majority ethnic groups in the Southsouth, we cannot be denied representation in the delegates list.
“We call on the Urhobo Progress Union, Urhobo Kings, politicians,
religious leaders, youth groups, market women and artisans to fight
with one voice in fighting the injustice being orchestrated by the powers that be.”
Ijaw in Ondo reject
delegates’ list
The Ijaw Community in Ondo State yesterday rejected the list of delegates that will represent the state at the National Conference.
The community argued that there was an error in the compilation of the list of delegates from the state for the conference.
Its leader, High Chief Francis Williams, said the Ijaws are a distinct nationality that should be accorded their right in that capacity.
He said it was wrong for the Ijaws in Ondo State not to be represented at the conference having participated in the pre-conference activities.
Williams said: “The other issue which makes the non inclusion of Ijaws in
Delegates’ list confronting and intriguing is the noncompliance with Federal Government’s directive on composition of the National Conference.
“It is clearly stated in the directive that the 15 delegates per geo-political zone must reflect ethnic and religious diversities in the zones. Undoubtedly, the Ijaw and Yoruba are the two distinct ethnic nationalities in the Southwest.
“The point is that, the criteria of ethnic and religious diversity makes it mandatory for the minority Ijaw ethnic nationality in Ondo State and by extension the southwest geo-political zone to be duly represented at the National Conference.
“The fact before us today is that there is an error in the compilation of list of delegates from Ondo state for the national conference. While we do not know whether the error is genuine or a deliberate attempt to rob us of our right, our position is that the error should be corrected without any delay.”
Williams added that the error should be corrected before the inauguration of the conference.
“If the proposed national conference is intended to heal wounds and lay a better foundation for an enduring country, then we all have a responsibility to avoid such as deliberate exclusion as we are witnessing today,” Williams added.
Youths protest
Ozekhome’s replacement
The Kukuruku Youth Renaissance Network has protested the alleged replacement of human rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, with Senator Yisa Braimah to represent Afenmai Ethnic Nationalities at the National Conference.
It said the conference was not a tea or a drinking bar but a place for intellectuals who know how to brainstorm and deliver good ideas.
A statement by its Secretary-General, Tony Igebor, wondered who nominated Braimah after the Afenmai Forum nominated Ozekhome.
The statement reads: “We pass a vote of no confidence in the process that brought Senator Braimah and call for immediate reversal. No man can dictate who represent Afenmai Ethnic Nationalities. We are wise enough to decide who represent us.”
‘Many delegates responsible for Nigeria’s woes’
A youth activist and social critic, Solomon Dalong has said the list of delegates to the National Conference contains names of those responsible for the nation’s woes.
Speaking with reporters after the inauguration of the Board of Trustees of the Northern Youth Consultative Forum (NYCF) in Kaduna, Dalong queried the criteria that was used to choose the delegates.
He noted that having served in several capacity in the country and failed to lay good examples, he said the delegates derailed in their various responsibilities and wondered why such men who are in their seventies and eighties are the ones to chart a new course for the nation.
He noted that the youths who are the future leaders have been sidelined in the nomination and ask President Jonathan to look into the and find ways of having more youths in the conference, because it is their future that would be discussed, he added.
According to him, at least 60 per cent of those selected by the President should be the youth, adding that they were disappointed at the lists, saying many of those going to the conference will only be there to go and sleep and collect allowances without making any meaningful contributions.
“We are still going to have the same thing at President Jonathan’s National Conference because it has sidelined major stakeholders in the Nigerian project and unless those he selected to attend theNational Conference are just a campaign team for somebody,” he said.
Chairman Board of Trustee of NYCF, Mallam Ishaku Garba, said the conference would help Nigerians to know their differences and address them. (0)
No end yet to National Conference controversy
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