FEC APPROVES CONFAB REPORT

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved the main report of the 2014 National Conference at a meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The PUNCH had reported exclusively that the council will receive and debate a report of a committee set up by Jonathan to draw up the implementation strategy for the conference chaired by Justice Idris Kutigi.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim and the Minster of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, briefed State House correspondents of the meeting’s outcome.
Anyim described the council’s approval as the first leg of concrete steps aimed at implementing the conference report.
He recalled that apart from the report, the national conference recommended to government on how to implement those recommendations and resolutions.
He explained that what FEC did at the Wednesday meeting was to approve that those modalities be adopted in implementing the report.
Anyim said recommendations and resolutions that require constitution amendment and enactment of new laws would be forwarded to the National Assembly for promulgation into law.
He said the Attorney-General of the Federation, Muhammed Adoke (SAN), has been asked to compile, vet and make such recommendations available to the President for onward transmission to the National Assembly for enactment into law.
He added that agencies’ policy matters in the report shall be referred to the affected agencies and the tier of government concerned, whether federal, states or local governments, for action.
The SGF said, “On other matters that require legal issues, for instance, where it concerns constitutional amendment, it is not really the responsibility of the National Assembly alone.
“They have to work with the state assemblies in bringing effect to this.
“So, today, we are taking steps towards implementing the resolutions of the national conference and we believe that the vision of Mr. President in setting up the conference and the wonderful work done by eminent Nigerians who attended the conference in producing the report, the resolutions and recommendations, would be given consideration.
“We also believe our country will benefit immensely from the work of this conference.”
Anyim said while the process leading to the implementation of the report might not end during the life time of the present administration, a bold step forward had been taken with the approval.
Jonathan had in September 2014, shortly after the end of the conference, approved the composition of a Presidential Committee to study and draw up the implementation strategy.