National Conference adopts report of citizenship committee

The National Conference on Wednesday adopted the report of its Committee on Citizenship, Immigration and Related Matters.
The 32-page report was adopted through consensus after amendments were made by some delegates.
Some of the amendments included inclusion of language, tribe and religion as indices for enumeration during national census and mandatory teaching of indigenous languages for the first three years of primary education.
The delegates also agreed that a person who marries an indigene of a state and born in a particular state acquires automatic indigeneship of the state, while the national census should include counting of houses.
The conference adopted the enactment of laws to criminalise any attempt by census officials or members of the public to inflate or distort the outcome of enumeration of people and households.
There was, however, no consensus on an amendment sought by Dr. Magdalene Dura from Benue State on funding of grazing reserves for herdsmen.
Dura had proposed that state governments should dedicate funds to set up ranches for herdsmen in their states of origin.
She said: “State governments should also dedicate funds to settle their herdsmen.
“Herdsmen have the right to be granted land to set up ranches.”
Following the altercation generated by the proposed amendment, the Deputy Chairman of the conference, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, told delegates that consultations would be held on the issue to arrive at conclusion.