Confab was successful- Adebanjo
The confab report will be presented to the President tomorrow. What are your expectations as a member of the conference that produced the report?The President asked us for a job and we have done it. Anything that will keep this country together I am ready for it. All causes of rancour, complaints here and there, […]
The confab report will be presented to the President tomorrow. What are your expectations as a member of the conference that produced the report?
The President asked us for a job and we have done it. Anything that will keep this country together I am ready for it. All causes of rancour, complaints here and there, as far as I am concerned, we have tried to iron them out with a formular that is suitable to all.
Do you think it was proper for the National Conference to have reviewed the constitution?
Whether review or not, what we have done is what the country wants at this period? If the country believes what we have done is good then why these problems…? ; the people are not elected, the people are not this or that, that is not what we want now. We want solutions to our problems.
Some of your members are not comfortable with the outcome of the report. Are some things missing?
Everybody is not bound to agree on everything but the most important thing is that majority have agreed upon it. We have a consensus which brought about the production of the document. Because one or two people complained, I equally have my reservation on one or two issues but they are not major. Let’s say that the document we have made was to move this country forward. Go through it. That was the reason for consensus.
There is fear the document may have been doctored?
We went through all these when we got back. We have all the documents, the recommendations are all with us, how that will be possible I don’t know. Let us believe in what we have done. Don’t let us anticipate the awkward side. We have heard many things, some people even said the conference would end in confusion and that the outcome will not be implemented and all that. We should steer away from these and carry on, on the positive side.
But the conference agreed that the secretariat can make adjustments on ommissions?
Yes, we agreed on that. You see, the secretariat was there to guide and correct such omission but if there is any major oversight or omission, it can bring it back to us. I don’t want us to look at some group of people in the North making some insinuations, all that we have seen now are from those who don’t want the conference to succeed. They are looking for faults here and there to discredit it. Look at the people who said they disassociate themselves from the outcome of the conference, they could not pinpoint exactly what their bone of contentions are in the final document. What is in that report that does not contain the resolution of the conference? We just need to move the country forward. If you say something is not good point it out.
Are you satisfied with the outcome of the conference?
What do you mean by that? I’m a member of the conference. Yes of course. Even if you were not there at the end of the conference you would have seen us on the television, did you see us quarreling? All those that don’t want this country to move forward let us try and discourage them.
There is this fear of extension of the president’s tenure?
Stop this lazy talk. Let them point it out, where in the document does it show plan to extend the tenure of President Jonathan. We challenged the people when we met last time. That was what the elders in the North are saying. But, where in the document is that written and you pressmen you are to educate the public. Where in the document is it suggested that the President has agenda for third term. We should not encourage this rumor mongering on issues that are not useful for the development of the country.