•Confab receives requests for 34 new states, wants lawmakers’ job part-time
National conference delegates have lodged complaints over unpaid allowances running into millions of naira. They say life has become difficult, especially for those of them who have no private homes in Abuja, Nigeria’s most expensive city, blaming the hardship on the conference secretariat.
Conference Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi
Sources in the conference alleged that the secretariat staff breach the agreement to pay the allowances two weeks in advance and instead pay two or three weeks in arrears.
The money is allegedly being paid into a fixed deposit in a bank owned by the son of one of the conference leaders.
Each delegate is entitled to N1.46 million per week, but some have not received the allowance for three weeks running.
The non payment is taking a toll on many, especially traditional rulers with a retinue of staff they have to feed and accommodate in Abuja.
Delegates who lodge in high brow hotels such as Transcorp Hilton, Sheraton, NICON Luxury find it difficult to pay their bills. They do not enjoy credit facilities.
Some, who did not want their names in print, complained that the delay in payment makes it difficult for them to concentrate on the work of the conference.
They said they had complained privately to the conference leadership without a positive response.
A Northern delegate recounted to TheNiche that: “I called up an official in charge of finance at about 10pm two weeks ago to complain about the deliberate delay in paying our allowances.
“Surprisingly, the man became hostile, asking if it was because of bank alert that I was disturbing him at that time of the night.”
Asked why the delegates have not raised the issue on the floor of the conference, he said: “You know that many of us here have reputation to protect. We have not done what you just suggested because a lot of people, especially the general public, will misconstrue such a move to mean that we are hungry.
“So we have continued to suffer in silence, but I don’t know for how long we will bear this unjust treatment.”
A delegate from the South East alleged corruption and urged the conference leadership to investigate.
“If it is true that the leadership of the conference secretariat should be paying us at the beginning of every two weeks and they are now paying us in arrears, it amounts to corruption and abuse of our rights,” he said.
“It is regrettable that such a sharp practice of putting delegates’ money in a fixed deposit account could be condoned by this conference that was convened to address such problems in our nation.
“At the beginning of this conference, many delegates complained of shortage of food during lunch time. It was such a serious issue that an elder statesman had to raise it on the floor of the conference, which enjoyed popular support. We urge the leadership to investigate this matter fast.”
But conference Assistant Secretary (Media and Publications), Akpandem James, countered that no official of the conference handles cash, as transactions are done electronically.
“If you know the rules of procedures of this conference, then you will dismiss what they are saying as rumours and fabrications. Nobody among the conference officials touches money.”
According to James, those who handle money in the conference were seconded from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Despite the hiccups, Nigerians unwilling to stop the Balkanisation of the country, have bombarded the conference with requests for 34 new states.
If the request eventually scales through the National Assembly (NASS) and 24 state Assemblies, the country will have 70 states, 20 more than the United States.
TheNiche learnt that the Political Restructuring and Forms of Governance Committee co-chaired by Ike Nwachukwu and Mohammed Kumalia is the one taking the heat.
The agitators want six new states in the South East, seven (South West), four (North East), six (North Central), four (North West), and seven (South South).
There are also demands of one state to be carved out of Delta, Edo and Ondo, to be called Tomedi State.
The committee has recommended the creation of only one state in the South East to level it up with other zones.
There is a caveat, however, that other requests can be considered on the merits of cultural and historical antecedents, contiguity, viability, human/natural resources, minimum land and water mass, and population of at least one million.
On the tetchy issue of power rotation, also known as zoning, the committee recommended that it should be an internal affair of each party within the purview of the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
Other recomendations include: scrapping of the joint state/local government account; modification of the presidential system and the right of states to create local governments, among others.
The Public Service Committee headed by Ebele Okeke also made landmark recommendations, one of which is to make the work of federal, state and council legislators part-time.
Besides, it recommended that
• Legislators’ allowances should conform with what obtains in the civil service, and that legislators should not be entitled to pension, life insurance and severance package.
• Ministers, commissioners and council chairmen should not have special advisers or assistants.
• The Appropriation Bill should get to the legislature by September every year, passed into law not later than November 30, and assented to by the president within 30 days.
• Item 34 on the exclusive list of the Constitution, which deals with labour matters, should remain so, contrary to the proposal by the Devolution of Powers Committee which wants it moved to the concurrent list.
• Public servants should retire after 40 years of service or at the age of 65 years, whichever one happens first. The current rule compels them to retire after 35 years of service or at the age of 60 years, whichever one happens first.