Rowdy session again over resource control report

The confusion started very early in the morning when the chairman of the conference Justice Idris Kutigi asked the devolution of power committee to present its report.Immediately after the committee’s co- chairmen former Akwa Ibom State governor Obong Victor Attah and retired Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Coomassie presented the report before the plenary, a […]

The confusion started very early in the morning when the chairman of the conference Justice Idris Kutigi asked the devolution of power committee to present its report.
Immediately after the committee’s co- chairmen former Akwa Ibom State governor Obong Victor Attah and retired Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Coomassie presented the report before the plenary, a member of the committee Ms Annkio Briggs came forward to present a minority report.
After she presented her report, a delegate from Kebbi Alhaji Bello Halliru Muhammed raised a point of order, saying the rules of proceedings of the conference don’t recognise minority reports.
But another delegate from South-South started shouting, saying the minority report is necessary because “there was no consensus and voting.”
The delegate kept shouting on top of his voice even when the chairman asked him to speak gently. He explained that he’s used to speaking very loud because he’s a teacher.
He said Briggs’ report should be consi-dered because “the devolution committee didn’t reach a consensus or even voted.”
Another delegate Atedo Peterside said the minority report was in order because “it is part of the activities of the committee. And all committee activities should be reported.”
It was intervention by Festus Okoye, a civil society delegate that saved the situation. He said accepting minority report will open a Pandora box where all delegates whose hard line views were rejected at committee levels will write a minority report.
“This report is an individual report. It’s not proper for an individual out of 28 members to make an individual report. If that is allowed, then all members whose views were defeated at the committees would open a floodgate of minority reports,” he said.
After Okoye’s submission, Kutigi put a voice vote before the plenary asking whether they need a minority report. The delegates said no.
Kutigi then ruled that the  “minority report was accepted but it stands rejected.” But the chairman’s ruling didn’t go down well with some delegates as civil society delegate Dr Isaac Osuoka, suddenly rose up and started shouting.
Osuoka kept on shouting and ranting for about five minutes despite Kutigi’s repeated warnings that he would walk him out of the plenary.
Finally, the ranting delegate finally sat down and the matter was rested.
Speaking to Daily Trust, Briggs said she had exercised her democratic rights and the “report will still be revisited by the plenary.”
Osuaka accused Attah of “upholding an interest detrimental to the Niger Delta.” He said if the derivation issue is not settled here “then we won’t hesitate to take the battle back to the creeks.”
No date has been fixed for the consideration and adoption of the report of the committee on devolution of power.