The National Conference, on Monday, failed to resolve the logjam over revenue derivation principle and five per cent National Intervention Fund for rehabilitation and reconstruction of areas devastated by terrorism and referred to contentious issues for President Goodluck Jonathan to resolve.
The conference asked President Jonathan to set up a fresh technical committee to handle the contentious issues of derivation formula, percentage of fund to be allocated for development of solid minerals across the country and another fund for rehabilitation of areas affected by terrorism.
Conference chairman and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Kutigi (retd), also on Monday announced that the plenary of the conference drew to a close following completion of debate and adoption of resolutions arising from reports of 20 committees that considered critical issues arising from the convocation of the conference.
Kutigi said the next plenary would be on August 4, when delegates would reassemble to consider and approve the final reports of the conference for presentation to the Federal Government.
But before the end of business on Monday, the conference formally adopted the Report of the Committee on Devolution of Power under a controversial circumstance, as no conclusive decision on the issue of derivation principle and what percentage should be paid mineral producing areas was reached.
After days of fruitless discussions by leaders of geo-political zones at the conference, Justice Kutigi and other principal officers of the conference met with selected leaders of delegations to the conference; co-chairmen, chairmen and deputy chairmen of all the standing committees, to decide on the matter.
The first meeting scheduled for Friday last week did not hold, as most of the selected delegates scheduled had already concluded their travel plans in view of the imminent closure of Abuja airport that Friday afternoon for maintenance work on the runway.
As soon as the conference resumed on Monday, Justice Kutigi said: “I’m still of the view that the committee that is handling the matter of coming to a compromise will still do their job.
“We couldn’t have the meeting on Friday. So, I am proposing that we give them two hours to meet with us.” He invited the “50 Wise Men, Committees co-chairmen, chairmen and deputy chairmen to meet now in our usual place.”
The conference, therefore, adjourned plenary at about 10:30 a.m. and reconvened at about 2:50 p.m. Deputy chairman of the conference, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, soon after consultation with Kutigi, called out former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, General Ike Nwachukwu Honourable Mohammed Kumalia, former Senate President, Senator Iyorchia Ayu for another round of meeting.
