Confab torn by allegations of ‘inducement’

There was an unusual tension at the plenary of the ongoing national confab on Monday, following allegations that some delegates have been induced to move a motion for the adoption of a new constitution.

On Sunday, Daily Trust newspaper quoted its source as saying some prominent delegates from the north were being consulted to convince the confab to endorse a resolution for a new constitution.

Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, former minister of external affairs and deputy chairman of the conference, was visibly disturbed as most of the delegates who took turns to comment on the issue pointed accusing fingers at him.

“You are a man of integrity. I have known you since your days as a minister. It’s unfortunate that you could be involved such a thing as this. You are supposed to clear yourself,” a delegate said.

The deputy chairman who could no longer endure the attack appealed for a moment to clear his name, but Justice Idris Kutigi, chairman of the conference, implored him to exercise patience for a delegate to finish talking.

“I want to talk. Senator, give me just one minute,” Akinyemi said, interrupting the delegate.

“Distinguished delegates, this is a very simple matter for me to address. Since the beginning of this conference, whenever I sense that there are conflicts emerging from the floor, I always take the initiative to approach both sides to reach across to each other rather than using the floor to have a conflict.

“If we are going to be honest with ourselves, we will agree that we have noticed that there have been some people who have said that they are here to write a new constitution. There are also those who have said no to this.

“So I approached those who said they were writing a new constitution to ask them: ‘What exactly do you mean’? I approached Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie [former inspector-general of police] as head of the northern delegation and Prof Gambari and made enquiries.”

At this point, the house went into a rowdy session, as all appeals by Akinyemi to continue explanations fell on deaf ears. It took the intervention of the chairman to restore normalcy.

Akinyemi then explained that as a means of resolving the issue, he suggested that since a motion for the amendment of the 1999 constitution had been moved, those who were in support of a new constitution could assume that the proposed amended constitution is a new one.

“This not what we should have a big issue over,” he said.

“That was the beginning and end of this discussion that has now become or is being called a lobby or whatever it is called. All I did was to ensure that both sides started talking to each other before to avoid having a big conflict over the issue.”

However, Senator Ibrahim Idah, a delegate from Katsina State, argued that since it had been widely circulated that the national conference has a hidden agenda, it was important for those who indicted by the corruption allegations to defend themselves.

Coomassie corroborated the account of Akinyemi, saying he was approached to discus some issues but sent a delegation because he was unsure of the motive behind the invitation.

However, he alleged that Chief Raymond Dokpesi, a representative of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), convened gatherings that had ulterior motives.

“Chief Raymond Dokpesi has been organising meetings with northern and southern delegates since the beginning of this conference. I have always been invited but I have never attended for once,” Coomassie said.

“I ask questions on why I should be there and what the terms of reference of such meetings were. I refused to go. Eventually, one day Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari asked me to come and they said they wanted to set up a technical committee to look into certain contentious issues in favour of the conference.

“But just recently, I was told that a new constitution has been written and later Chief Dokpesi came over to me, handing over a paper that I was to give Senator Iyioricha Ayu to sign; and from that day, the northern delegates agreed not to participate again.”

The former IG, who said he later gathered that signing the document meant that they were in support of not just a new constitution but also creation of new states, challenged Ayu to defend himself.

Responding, Dokpesi admitted to have convened meetings, but claimed the meetings were in the interest of the conference.

“It is absolutely true that Prof Gambari and I convened the National Consensus Bridge building group, which has — as its objective — areas that are potentially difficult for the conference to handle without prior consultation,” he said.

“Membership was extended to as many delegates as were possible and groups and we have been meeting regularly. I want to state that from the reports presented by committee, we knew there would be challenges and therefore it became imperative to build some consensus across all the geo-political zones.

“All what we discussed were on the need to harmonise the conference. We had a clear-cut situation until I received a letter that the northern delegates were withdrawing. They stated that we had already taken some decision and only invited them as rubber stamps to decisions that have been taken.”

Dokpesi explained that from the actions of way the delegates who pulled out, he envisaged that there would be problems.

“There is no iota of truth in saying that the conference leadership knows about this. I want to affirm that the leadership of this conference has nothing to do with that document, and that those who want to break this conference are aware of this but choose to act otherwise. We did not discuss about any constitution.”

Absolving the leadership of the conference of any misgivings, the chairman warned delegates from attempts to discredit those saddled with the task of overseeing the conference.

“I think it is now clear that the leadership of the conference knows nothing about the document,” Kutigi said.

“We know nothing about all these. So please if you want to do anything by yourselves, you are free to do so but please don’t put us in your discussions.”