The National Council of State meeting
being chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan will take place on Tuesday
(today), almost 11 months after the last one was held. The council which has Vice-President
Namadi Sambo as its deputy chairman is made up of all former
presidents and Heads of Government, all former Chief Justices of
Nigeria; President of the Senate; Speaker of the House of
Representatives; all the 36 state governors and the Attorney-General of
the Federation.
Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, former
military dictators, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.) and Maj.- Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had been staying away from the meetings.
Media reports had it that some
governors had been uncomfortable with the failure of the President to
convene a meeting of the council to address some pressing national
issues.
The last time the meeting was held was
on March 12, 2013 when a former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Diepreye
Alamieyeseigha, and some other former state officials were granted
pardon.
Our correspondent learnt on Monday that
issues bordering on the planned national conference and the 2015
elections would form part of the discussions at the meeting.
Highlights of the programme for the celebration of the nation’s 100 years of amalgamation will also be discussed.
The council has the constitutional duty
of advising the President in the exercise of his powers with respect to
national census, prerogative of mercy, award of national honours, the
Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Judicial
Council and the National Population Commission.
It also has the responsibility of
advising the President whenever requested to do so, on the maintenance
of public order within the federation or any part thereof.
Media reports had it that state
governors believed that Jonathan had relegated them to the background
by not convening the council meeting.
But the Special Adviser to the President
on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said his principal had not
committed any constitutional breach since there was no fixed time or
frequency in the 1999 Constitution for the NCS to meet.
The NCS and the National Economic
Council chaired by the Vice-President are the two bodies being used by
the Presidency to interface with governors.
Since the polarisation of the Nigeria
Governors’ Forum and the crisis among governors elected on the platform
of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Sambo had for five months been
unable to convene NEC meetings .
The NEC has the constitutional role of
advising the President concerning the nation’s economic affairs, and in
particular, on measures necessary for the co-ordination of the economic
planning efforts or economic programmes of the various governments of
the federation.
Punch
Punch
No comments:
Post a Comment