A delegate at the ongoing National Conference, Mr Goddy Uwazuruike, on Thursday said delegates expressed surprise at the recommendations made by the Elders Committee of the Six Geo Political Zones committee led by Prof Ibrahim Gambari.
“The wise men- as we call them came in and we expected a very workable report, but by the time they gave the first, second and third reports, we all knew there was tension in the House and then wisely the chairman decided to adjourn the proceedings till today (Thurday).
“That report took everyone by surprise, because when you are expecting something in a totally different direction, you need time to let it sink’’ adding that “as it is this report is not what we were expecting and some of us are suspecting that sme of us have some agenda which they want to come and sneak in”.
Mr Uwazurike was speaking speaking from the Abuja studio of Channels Television during Sunrise Daily.
Mr Uwazuruike noted that delegates must study the report because “we must know what we are voting for” maintaining that “so far all decisions have been taken on the floor and this one will not be an exception”.
Despite accepting that “no one gets what he wants”, Mr Uwazuruike noted that a debate is still on going on a proposed increase of the percentage of resource control of oil producing states from 13 percent to 21.5 per cent, insisting that “at least something tangible should have been added” in the report by the Elders Committee.
He also added that another bone of contention is the proposed five percent to be reserved for the rehabilitation of the northeast, northwest and north central zones of the country, noting that “that is what threw everybody off and that is one of the things we are going to battle out this morning”.
He further noted that delegates are not expected to swallow hook, line and sinker the recommendations of “the leaders of the six zones” maintaining that “we must have our own input and after that there will be voting”.
“It is not going to be easy this morning. Those who want five per cent will dig in and those opposed to it will also dig in” he added.
He however noted that such quagmire is not new to the House, expressing confidence that issue will be resolved like previous ones that rocked the conference, insisting that this one (Elders Committee recommendations) took us by surprise because we were not expecting it; where we thought there will be a battle is not where the battle is”.
He hoped that “by the time we finish (deliberations), we may see wisdom in what this committee members have done or they may see wisdom in what we are saying”.
“I am aware that even the President of Nigeria has set aside some amount for areas damaged through insurgency and so on but not in the range of five per cent- if you have an idea of what five per cent is you will cry-.
“If it is for the whole nation; call it intervention i.e. road network repairs and so on; call it infrastructure funds for every part of the country and nobody will quarrel with it” he said.
Mr Uwazuruike, to further buttress his non acceptance of the report, noted that “some of the roads damaged in Biafra, damaged in the old Mid-West (Edo, Delta and Ondo States) are still” unrepaired years after the war adding that “if they are talkig about infrastructure development for the whole country, there will be no problem” he said.
