Concerns over final report

Last week, delegates in plenary mandated the conference secretariat to rectify some of the problems identified before its presentation to Jonathan.Last Thursday, delegates had pointed out that the report misrepresented some of the resolutions taken at previous plenary sessions.They said some items were wrongly added, deleted or omitted in the proposed constitution amendments and other […]

Last week, delegates in plenary mandated the conference secretariat to rectify some of the problems identified before its presentation to Jonathan.
Last Thursday, delegates had pointed out that the report misrepresented some of the resolutions taken at previous plenary sessions.
They said some items were wrongly added, deleted or omitted in the proposed constitution amendments and other volumes of the report.
But some delegates are saying that some of the corrections might not have been made, and that this would question the credibility of the report.
Some of the misrepresentations pointed out by Northern delegates in a memo to the confab secretariat is that in the draft constitution amendments, Section 315 of the 1999 Constitution was deleted even though the actual decision taken at plenary was for the section to remain.
That section listed four laws that cannot be amended unless they are expunged from the constitution. They are the Land Use Act, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act, National Security Agencies Act and Public Complaints Commission Act.
The Northern Delegates Forum, in a memo signed by chairman Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, said: “Conference recommendation on Wednesday 9th July was to retain the Land Use Act in the Constitution…. However, the document titled ‘Draft Constitution’ on page 267 proposes the deletion of Section 315 of the Constitution contrary to the resolution of the conference.
“This by implication puts the total laws of the country in complete jeopardy and specifically deletes the Security Agencies Act, NYSC Act, and Public Complaints Commission Act.”
They added that another list of recommendations that were included regarding political party regulation and electoral offences “were not resolutions of the conference as they are completely not captured in the votes and proceedings.”
Daily Trust analysis of the draft report revealed the smuggled recommendations thus:
a. Enforcement and administration of the provisions of the Electoral Act;
b. Investigation of all electoral frauds and related offences;
c. Coordination, enforcement and prosecution of all electoral offences;
d. Enforcement of the provisions of the Electoral Act, the constitution of registered political parties and any other Acts or enactments;
e. Adoption of measures to identify, trace and prosecute political thuggery electoral fraud and other electoral offences;
f. Facilitation of exchange of scientific and technical information with other democracies on the conduct of joint operations and training geared towards the eradication of electoral malpractice and fraudulent elections;
g. Examination and investigation of all reported cases of electoral offences with a view to identifying electoral officers and staff of the electoral commission, individuals, corporate bodies or groups involved in the commissioning of electoral offences;
h. Collaboration with election observers within and outside Nigeria.
i. Registration of political parties in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended);
j. Monitoring the organizations and operation of the political parties, including their finances.
It was further observed that in the draft constitution produced by the confab, the president has been relieved of powers to appoint the Inspector General of Police, contrary to the original resolution of the conference which retained the procedure spelt out in the 1999 Constitution.
The original provision approved by the delegates on the appointment of IGP states that “Appointment of The Inspector General of the Police (IGP): Nomination and appointment of the IGP should remain with the President and the National Council of State subject to confirmation by the Senate.”
But the draft constitution provides that the IGP shall be appointed by the Police Council on the advice of the Police Service Commission.
Also, the conference secretariat had added another recommendation rejected by the delegates. The smuggled recommendation on page 260 C5.11 (40) (C) read thus: ”The NSCDC Act should be amended to compel landlords to register particulars of tenants on prescribed format or data forms with the agency, which should be saddled with the responsibility of keeping such records.”
Other issues raised by Northern delegates are the omission of recommendations regarding infrastructure for border towns, extended continental shelf project, and royalties.
Also, a suggestion on situating places of worship away from residential areas and highways, which was rejected at plenary, found its way into the main report of the confab. It says, “Building of worship places should be regulated in such a way that they are far away from residential areas and major highways.”
It was not clear if these corrections are effected as the reported is billed to be submitted to the president today.