Delegates at the National Conference yesterday unanimously rejected a minority report presented by a member of the Devolution of Power Committee, Ms. Annkio Briggs.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Briggs submitted her report in Abuja immediately after the committee’s report was submitted by the Co-Chairmen, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie and Obong Victor Attah.
Attah, who spoke after submitting the report, said the committee had no doubt that the report would generate a lot of interest.
Briggs, a Federal Government delegate and member of the committee, said she was submitting a minority report.
“I am a member of the committee, unfortunately, I happen to be a lone-voice that does not agree with a very critical aspect of the report of Devolution of Power Committee.
“I hereby seek to present my minority report on the issue of derivation,’’ she said.
NAN reports that the submission of the report generated a heated argument as majority of the delegates said the report should not be accepted or considered while few others said it should be accepted.
Dr. Bello Muhammed, representing Kebbi State, called on the conference not to accept minority reports.
Muhammed said that the conference rule did not give room for minority reports but decisions that were reached either by consensus or 70 per cent vote.
“If we accept this report, it may encourage other delegates who also want to submit minority reports after a decision had been taken by this conference.
“This is because it is not everyone that will agree with everything that we agreed on.
“If the committee has decided either by consensus or by 70 per cent the report of a committee, every reasonable member of the committee should be bound by that report,’’ he said. (NAN)
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