The Federal Executive Council has approved the the recommendations of contained in the main report of the 2014 National Conference with to implementing the recommendations soon.
The FEC meeting was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, who briefed journalists on the outcome of the meeting alongside the Minster of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Edem Duke, 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 the government how to implement the recommendations and resolutions.
The SGF explained that what FEC did at the Wednesday meeting was to approve that those modalities be adopted in implementing the report.
Anyim said that 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), had 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.
Adoke is chairman while Anyim is the Secretary.
Other members of the committee are the Minister of Transport, Idris Umar; the Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; the Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka; the Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory Administration, Olajumoke Akinjide, and the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen.
The committee’s terms of reference include studying the Report of the 2014 National Conference; articulating the recommendations therein and developing appropriate strategies for its implementation and advising the Federal Government on all matters necessary for the effective implementation of the report.
The national conference recommended among others, that anybody aspiring to become the country’s President must be a degree holder.
It approved the rotation of Presidency between the North and South and governorship among three senatorial districts of each state.
The conference also recommended the creation of additional 18 states.
The proposed states are Aba State to be created from Abia State; Adada State from Enugu State; Amana State from Adamawa State; Anioma State from the present Delta State; Appa State from Benue State and Edu State from Niger State.
Also listed are Etiti from the present South-Eastern Nigeria; Ghari to be created from the present Kano State; Gurara out of Kaduna State; Kanji from Kebbi and Niger states; Katagum from Bauchi State and Ijebu from Ogun State.
The conference also listed other expected states as New Oyo from Oyo State, Akana-Anim from Anambra and Imo states; Ogoja out of Cross River State; Oil Rivers out of Akwa Ibom State; Ose from Ondo State and Savanna from the present Borno State.
The conference voted in favour of drastic reduction of number ministers to 18.
Presently, there are about 42 ministers with one coming from each of the 36 states of the country and one each from the six geo-political zones of the country.
The conference also resolved that the Minister of Finance should be be presenting annual budget to the National Assembly instead of the President as it is currently obtainable.
Under the new arrangement, both the President and the ministers would be expected to appear before the National Assembly to render account of their stewardship on quarterly basis.
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