News: FEC okays confab report

THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday gave its nod to the report and recommendations of the 2014 National Conference, asking President Goodluck Jonathan to go ahead and implement the proposals.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim and immediate past Supervising ‎Minister of Information, Chief Edem Duke, in a joint media at the State House disclosed that members were unanimous in praising the President for the efforts.

Duke said the cabinet members applauded the report and commended delegates to the conference for a job well done and urged Nigerians to look at the document and follow up its implementation by government.

Anyim, who presented the report to FEC for deliberation, said that the Council specifically approved the modalities for implementation of the report, adding that going by the political will demonstrated by the President and his avowed commitment to implementing the conference, Nigeria under the President would witness positive rebirth.

He recalled that the President had upon receipt of the report last year raised a cabinet committee headed by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Adoke Bello (SAN), to study it, and this committee has now reported back to Jonathan advising him that the contents of the reports are implementable.

The SGF stressed that the approval of the report by FEC was the “first of concrete steps” towards implementation of the national conference report, just as has been demanded and expected by Nigerians.

He said that those aspects of the panel that required enactment into law would be compiled and sent to the National Assembly for their action, while those that required immediate administrative actions be it at the federal, state or local council levels would be referred for immediate action.

Anyim further explained that the modalities of implementation will include the Justice Minister compiling the recommendations of the report that require constitutional amendments and forwarding same to the National Assembly, which will in turn work with state assemblies to effect the implementation. And the recommendations that deal with just policy matters will be referred to the relevant ministries and departments of Federal Government as well as state and local governments for appropriate implementation.

The SGF dismissed insinuation that the timing of the FEC approval was politically-motivated since the general elections are just about two weeks ago.

He insisted that Jonathan has from day one been consistent in his resolve to implement the report; so the approval by FEC could not be regarded as a campaign gimmick or a result of pressure mounted on him.