Delegates to the National Conference on Thursday called on the conference secretariat to increase time allotted to the various committees considering their work plan.
It will be recalled that Secretariat of the conference gave two weeks to the various committees constituted to handle specific items of the conference.
They made call at plenary, saying that there were enormous issues to be discussed.
Aishatu Madawaki, a delegate representing Sokoto State, said she had “a strong feeling” that the time allotted for committee work would not be enough and therefore called for more time.
Madawaki said, according to the work plan, the committees are supposed to start their work on April 22 and conclude on April 30, while plenary resumes immediately.
She said: “I have strong feeling that it (time) is not really enough.
“How are we sure that the six working days will be enough to cover the committee works when we have many issues to consider?
“It is not a matter of where to start, it is better to look at it critically.
“Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well.
“It is better we look at it critically and I believe the committee work is very critical.”
Jaye Gaskiya, a delegate representing the Civil Society, also expressed concern on the two weeks allotted to the committees work, suggesting that it should be increased to three weeks.
Another delegate from Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Dingyadi, said that in addition to the limited time given for the committee work, only four days were allotted for the conference to deliberate on their reports.
Dingyadi said that the conference needed a minimum of one week to deliberate on committees’ reports “because we will need a day to deliberate on two or three committees’ report”.
Charles Edosomwan, Edo State delegate, suggested that each committee should be empowered to write its report to save time.
Edosomwan said: “In that case we will be able to extend the time for the committees real work and also gain more time to do proper work.
“I do not see reason why we have to be baby-seated by people in the secretariat, when we can write our reports.”
However, Prof A. B. C.Nwosu, representing Anambra State, said that the committees should work within the time frame allotted to them in the work plan so as not to extend the period of the conference.
Nwosu suggested that any delegate, who wants to make inputs to any of the committee, should articulate his points in writing to save time.
He said: “If we do this, you will find out that we will cut down on a lot of talking and then you will get all the point you need for the final plenary.
“We cannot extend the time.
“If we extend the time, the public is not going to see us as looking for time to work.
“They will see us as looking for more money to be paid to us and therefore I will not subscribe to any extension of time.
“I think we can accomplish it if we spend the bulk of the time thinking and writing.”
Delegates want more time for committees’ deliberations
