Confab: CSO delegation protests, rejects list of committees chairmen

Bode Olagoke

The 20 delegates that make up the Civil Society delegation at the ongoing National Conference have jointly protested and rejected the composition of the committees, as well as list of its leadership.

A statement signed by Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Femi Falana, Festus Okoye and 17 others yesterday in Abuja, a copy made available to Blueprint, said they were shocked to see the list without discussions and validation of suggestions by the delegates in the plenary, arguing further that the leadership of the conference erred by not getting back to the delegates in relation to their preferred committee choices before placing them in committees.

“We hereby demand that the list should be completely reviewed in line with the national outlook of the conference. We wish to place on record that this conference is a National Conference of Nigeria people from all walks of life, and that it is neither a conference of ethnic nationalities nor a conference of regions or state.

Furthermore, we totally reject the list of committees’ leaders that have been released. We find it disturbing and unacceptable that civil society is not represented at all on the committee leadership, including even on the committee on labour and civil society; nor on the committees on social sector or environment where civil society competence is not in doubt.”
The activists therefore called on the leadership of the conference to henceforth conduct the activities of the conference in an open, transparent, fair and equitable manner.