There was a heated debate at the national conference  over a motion calling for more action to be taken to ensure the activities of Boko Haram insurgents does not extend to the South South region of Nigeria.

Some members however took exception to the motion and cautioned against steps that may be taken as discriminatory at some citizens of the country.

The capture of a wanted Boko Haram suspect amongst the 486 traders arrested in the southern part of the country brought about a sharp division in the house.

“We do not want Boko Haram in our area. We want the confab to beg the security agencies to be very more proactive. From dependable security sources, we have been told that the apprehended Boko Haram members are not the only ones. Many of them have already infiltrated the city,” said a delegate, Sergeant Awuse.

But a delegate from the North, Bashir Dalhatu, said the arrest of the suspects could lead to serious crisis adding, “a warning is enough for the wise.”

Awuse noted that “we require some decisions in this house because you will find oil installations scattered all over the place in Port Harcourt and other parts of the state. We are worried because any attempt to inflict harm on oil installations and innocent citizens will cost the country a great fortune and serious catastrophe. The people of South South enjoy the peace of this country.”

According to him, a situation where 486 traders move around at night claiming to be looking for jobs, is questionable.

Dalhatu however disagreed, insisting that “we must exercise great and serious caution when we address serious national issues on the floor of this house. For us to quote a newspaper report as authentic sources is not the best; we were told that those arrested in Abia State are migrant traders. We have been so far informed that only one of them could be a suspected Boko Haram member.

“When traders travel to the North at midnight, we don’t describe them as armed robbers. They do their legitimate businesses. Let nobody here think because I dress the way I dress or speak Hausa, think I am a Boko Haram member”, he said.

Miss Sitting And Lose Your Allowance

The Deputy Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, also warned delegates on the consequence of being absent from plenary session.

“We don’t want to be treating delegates as secondary school pupils,” he said.

“As from Monday, delegates who don’t show up will not be paid sitting allowance unless on medical reasons. We want you to know that this is because we are all adults and we must be seen to be responsible.”

He conveyed the displeasure of government with the absence of more than half of delegates at the plenary, saying the sight of empty seats on television stations is a great disservice to the work of serious delegates.

“It is shown live and this is not good,” he said.

“They [the government] are now reminding us that there are government rules, and that when we are being paid sitting allowance, it must be seen to be so.

“Delegates have to learn to be responsible, because they were selected to deliberate over issues of national importance, which require the attention of everyone.”

Meanwhile, the conference has passed an amendment proposing death penalty for anybody found guilty of raping a minor.