National Confab sets up reconciliation committee over revenue derivation brohaha

The National Conference has constituted an 18-member Reconciliation Committee made up of three leaders from each geo-political zone.
The committee is expected to reconcile delegates on the report of the Committee on Devolution of Power, the 20th committee which considered the Derivation Principle and National Intervention Fund for the North-East.
The committee had recommended a National Intervention Fund, which would be five per cent of the annual revenue accruing to the account of the Federal Government.
It said that the fund shall be used for the stabilisation, rehabilitation and reconstruction of areas affected by terrorism and insurgency in the first instance in the North-East of Nigeria.
However, there was disagreement on the phrase “and any other parts of the country affected” included in the recommendation.
Delegates from the south wanted the phrase to be retained but their northern counterparts disagreed.
Northern delgates wanted the phrase to be: “North-East, North-Central, North-West and any other part of the country.”
The disagreement made it impossible for the report to be presented by Prof Ibrahim Gambari on Thursday.
Chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Kutigi consequently adjourned plenary till Monday.
Kutigi announced that the leadership would on Friday meet the 50 “wise men” and all committee chairmen and their deputies earlier to resolve contentious issues.
(NAN)