According to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, 492 delegates are expected to be nominated between January 30 and February 20.
To nominate the 492 delegates are the President, states and local governments, traditional rulers, political parties, retired civil servants, organised private sector, selected associations and professional bodies, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
Anyim said the national conference is entitled to discuss all subject matters, except divisibility and dissolubility of Nigeria as a nation.
Decisions at the conference, he said, shall be by consensus and, where not achievable, it shall be by 75 per cent majority.
The conference at the end of the three months, he said, would decide whether there would be a referendum on its decision or not.
To conclude everything that has to do with the National Conference before the 2015 election season sets in, he said, the President will nominate delegates for any state that fails to nominate delegates before the time specified.
Anyim said: "I now have the privilege to announce that the Government, after long and mature deliberations on the Committee's Report, accepts the following recommendations for immediate implementation."
"(a) The official name of the conversation/conference shall be 'The National Conference' (b) The National Conference shall hold in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, (c) The National Conference shall tentatively last for three months and shall discuss any subject matter, except the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria as a nation. Therefore the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable."
"(d) A Conference Management Secretariat shall be established to manage, administer and run the affairs of the Conference
(e)Decisions at the National Conference shall be by consensus; but where it is not achievable; it shall be by 75 per cent majority."
"(f)The National Conference shall advise the government on the legal framework, legal procedures and options for integrating the decisions and outcomes of the national conference into the Constitution and laws of the country; and (g)The National Conference shall have a Chairperson and a Deputy Chairperson of unimpeachable integrity."
On steps to be taken, he said: "Furthermore, the Federal Government has since approved the next steps necessary towards actualising the National Conference as follows: (i)30th January, 2014 -Formal release of the modalities for the National Conference; (ii)30th January, 2014 -20th February, 2014Nomination of Delegates;
(iii) Inauguration of the Conference will follow soon after the delegates' list is concluded.
"Pursuant to the foregoing, the modalities for the nomination of delegates to the Conference are as provided in the attached table.
The list of nominees shall be submitted either online to www.osgf.gov.ng or in hard copy to the Office of the Permanent Secretary (Special Duties Office), Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase I, 3rd Floor, Central Business District, Abuja."
On the nomination of delegates, Anyim said the President will nominate Elder statesmen, one per state and the FCT making 37.
There will be 18 retired military and security personnel comprising three delegates per geopolitical zone for Military, Police and State Security and NIA to be nominated by stakeholders.
Traditional Rulers, two per zone and one from the FCT, making 13 delegates, are to be nominated by Stakeholders.
Retired civil servants, one per zone, are to be nominated by stakeholders.
The Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) shall each nominate 12 delegates, making 24, which should reflect geo-political and gender balance.
The Organised Private sector, including NECA, MAN, NACCIMA, NESG shall each nominate two delegates.
Youth organizations, comprising National Youth Council of Nigeria, NANS, shall each nominate six delegates, one from each geo-political zone. The Federal Government shall nominate six delegates, one from each geo-political zone, for other (outstanding youths and role models), all totalling 18 delegates.
For women groups, the National Council of Women Society (NCWS) shall nominate 12 delegates, two per geo- political zone. Market Women Association shall nominate one per geo-political zone. FIDA, NAWOJ, WINBIZ shall each nominate two delegates.
Political Parties that have representation in the National Assembly, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), APGA, Accord, Labour Party shall each nominate 2 delegates, totalling 10 delegates.
Stakeholders shall nominate six Christian and six Muslim Leaders while Civil Society Organisations shall nominate 24 delegates across board.
Nigerians in diaspora in four categories of Europe, America, Africa, Asia, and Middle East shall nominate two delegates per location totalling eight delegates.
People living with disabilities shall nominate six delegates, one per geo-political zone.
Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Guild of Editors, Nigeria Union of Journalists and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria shall nominate two delegates each.
Socio – political/ cultural and ethnic nationality groups shall nominate 15 delegates each, per geo-political zone to reflect religious and ethnic diversities, all totalling 90 delegates.
Professional bodies, including NBA, NSE, CIB, NMA, NIM, NIA, ICAN, ANAN, NIPR, AAPN, NIESV, Nigerian Environment Society and Nigeria Economic Society, shall each nominate one delegate, totalling of 13 delegates.
National Academies, including the Academy of Science, Academy of Engineering, Academy of Education, Academy of Letters and the Academy of Social Sciences shall each nominate one delegate.
The President shall nominate six persons who are not on the bench from the Judiciary.
Former political office holders including former governors, Senators Forum, House of Reps Forum and the Association of former Speakers shall each nominate one delegate per geo-political zone, totalling 24 delegates;
The Federal Government shall nominate 20 delegates, six will be women.
The state governments shall each nominate three delegates. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) shall nominate one delegate, based on senatorial district. At least, one of the nominees must be a woman. The nomination shall be done by the governors and where the state fails to nominate, the President shall nominate the required number from the state;
The ALGON shall nominate one former local government chairman each from the six geo- political zones.
The President shall nominate the chairman, deputy chairman and secretary, but will observe geo-political spread in the nomination.
The formal inauguration of the conference will take place as soon as the nominations are received and collated, Anyim said.
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