ON Thursday 20th January, 2014, the Federal Government through the Secretary to the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim unveiled the modalities and membership of the proposed National Conference.
Top on the announcement was the total number of the 492 delegates expected to attend the national conference, which has since generated divergent views from the populace including the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), and the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA).
NCS as a body of professionals:
The Nigeria Computer Society is the umbrella body of Information Technology (IT) interest groups comprising the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN) and moribund Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria (ISPAN); to advance and promote education and training of Computer and Information Scientists, Computer Engineers, Information Architects and Information Technology and Systems Professionals.
Also, NCS prides itself as the sunshade organization of all Information Technology Professionals, interest groups and stakeholders in Nigeria, which berthed in 1978 as Computer Association of Nigeria (COAN) and transformed into NCS in 2002 as a result of harmonization with other stakeholder and interest groups, just as it acts as the national platform for the advancement of Information Technology Science and Practice in Nigeria.
While NCS told ITRealms it’s asking for inclusion, even if it’s just a delegate, the likes of NBA is asking for more representation, insisting that one delegate representation is not adequate for a nationwide influential association like NBA.
Anyim and report of advisory committee:
According to Anyim, the National Conference will last for a total of three months and that nomination of delegates will commence on Thursday, January 30 and end on February 20. Stressing that FG gave prompt consideration to the report of the Advisory Committee and after long and mature deliberations on the report accepted some key recommendations for implementation, namely:
“The Official name of the conversation or conference shall be ‘The National Conference;’ The National Conference shall hold in Abuja; 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.”
In addition, Anyim hinted ITRealms that the conference management secretariat shall be established to manage, administer and run the affairs of the conference, just as “Decisions at the National Conference shall be by consensus; but where it is not achievable; it shall be by 75 per cent majority; 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 the National Conference shall have a Chairperson and a Deputy Chairperson of unimpeachable integrity.”
Even Elder Statesmen:
Modalities for the nomination of the delegates, he said would include “Elder Statesmen: One per state and the FCT making a total of 37 will be nominated by the President; Retired Military and Security Personnel which include one delegate per geopolitical zone each from the Military, Police, State Security and National Intelligence Agency – making it a total of 18 delegates to be nominated by stakeholders;
With two traditional rulers coming from the six per zone and one from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) bringing the total to 13 delegates to be nominated by relevant stakeholders plus each retired civil servants per zone, making a total of six to be nominated by stakeholders.
Equally, Labour Representatives: the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, shall each nominate 12 delegates making it a total of 24 which would reflect geo-political and gender balance; Whereas the Organised Private Sector (OPS) namely Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines And Agriculture (NACCIMA), and Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) shall each nominate two delegates.
The Youth plus women:
As for the Nigeria youth organizations the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), shall each nominate six delegates; one from each geo-political zone, while the Federal Government shall nominate six delegates, one from each geo-political zone for ‘other’ including outstanding youths and role models, thus making it a total of 18 delegates.
The secretary to the Government of the Federation further said that women groups under the aegis of National Council of Women Society (NCWS), shall nominate 12 delegates with two per geo-political zones, while Market Women Association shall nominate one per geo-political zone. International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA); Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ); and Women in Management and Business (WINBIZ), shall each nominate two Delegates.
He pointed out that political parties that have representation at the National Assembly, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Accord Party, and Labour Party (LP), shall each nominate two delegates making it 10 delegates;
Just as Christian and Muslim leaders each shall nominate six delegates while Civil Society Organisations (CSO) shall nominate 24 delegates across board; with Nigerians in Diaspora namely in Europe, America, Africa, Asia, and Middle East nominating two delegates per location, making it eight delegates; And people living with Disabilities shall nominate six delegates, one per geo-political zone.
For the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigeria Guild of Editors, Nigeria Union of Journalists and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria shall nominate 2 delegates each; Even as the Socio–Political cum Cultural and Ethnic Nationality Groups shall nominate 15 delegates each, per geo-political zone to reflect religious and ethnic diversities.
NCS missing on the list of pros:
Other professional bodies including Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), CIB, NMA, NIM, NIA, ICAN, ANAN, NIPR, AAPN, NIESV, Nigerian Environment Society and Nigeria Economic Society, shall each nominate one delegate respectively, making it a total of 13 delegates.
Also for the 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 1 delegate; The President shall nominate six persons not currently serving 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 making it a total of 24 delegates.
Anyim emphasised that the Federal Government of Nigeria shall nominate 20 delegates of which at least six will be women; the state governments shall each nominate three delegates while the FCT shall nominate one delegate based on Senatorial District at least one of whom shall be a woman. The nomination shall be done by the state governors and where the state fails to nominate, the President shall nominate the required number from the state.
He disclosed that 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, taking into cognizance the geo-political spread, even as there was already a proposal for the funding of the conference in the budget.
NCS exclusion, how bad?
However, reacting to the unwrapping of membership for the National Conference and its composition, the NCS President, Prof. David Adewunmi in his first ‘Meet NCS President’ session for 2014 lamented that the umbrella body of Information Technology (IT) professionals in the country was conspicuously missing on the list of professional bodies in Nigeria as far as the national conference is concern.
Prof. Adewunmi also disclosed that the omission will further deepen the already existing gap between Nigeria’s socio-economic development and Information Technology industry, stressing that the demand by NCS for reconstitution of the delegates to include computer society was not a misguided request, decrying the initial omission, which he described as an indication that Nigeria as a nation is missing the path to harnessing the growth opportunity of the IT sector, especially in strengthening the industries, academia, profession, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders.
“There is a glaring need to incorporate and prioritise the role of the IT sector if Nigeria is to be a key player and fulfill its promise in the 21st century,” he declared. Arguing that based on the foregoing, it is most imperative and pertinent that the IT profession and industry is represented in the upcoming national conference, wondering how a nation like Nigeria would succeed in 21st century with building a digital economy and without inputs from IT industry and profession.
NCS, therefore, requested for the urgent re-arrangement of the conference delegates to include adequate representation from the Nigeria Computer Society, pointing out that their position was made in the interest of adding value and quality to the process.
“It is a necessity not a luxury for the desired IT-enabled national transformation,” Prof. Adewunmi told ITRealms that NCS under his leadership would continue to show commitment, constructively engage and build strategic partnership with it members as well as stakeholders.
Nigeria Diaspora in agreement, but …:
Following the anticipated participation of Nigerians in diaspora at the forthcoming national conference, it has generated some ripples for those who permanent residence is in other lands across the world.
ITRealms recalls that Nigerians in Diaspora namely in Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Middle East are to nominate two delegates per location, making it eight delegates from the diaspora, however, the ripples emanating thereof include the delineation and limitations to just five locations.
For instance, a school of thought opined that in the Nigeria Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Middle East has always been considered as a part of NIDO Asia, even though the current influx of Nigerians resident, working or doing business in Dubai, UAE on a permanent basis might make a rethinking of the original setup a worthwhile exercise.
They stressed that there are probability of more Nigerians living in Egypt and the rest of the Middle East more than those residing in the rest of Asia including China, India, Pakistan, Japan not to mention Australia, New Zealand and the rest of Austral-Asia.
ITRealms gathered for instance that North America by itself alone would require up to 5 delegates in order for the delegate composition from the Diaspora to approximate the population of the Nigerian Diaspora in the different NIDO zones or continents.
Just as there are two continents in the NIDO A zone, namely the North and South America plus Central America and the Caribbean. And considering that most Diaspora Nigerians reside in North America and in Europe, these two NIDO regions they argued should be accorded more representatives than NIDO Asia, and NIDO Africa.
Bolaji Aluko, notable Nigeria IT professional who has been playing leadership role in the diaspora commended the Federal Government on the national conference, saying that the agenda of the upcoming conference is similar to that of the aborted National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) held in 2005.
He described as positive the ‘No Go Area’ the unity of Nigeria which the Federal Government stated is non-negotiable, Aluko also said that only the hardcore tribalists and those Nigerians with secession on their minds will express worries over the ‘No Go Areas.’ Maintaining, this conference is “about the future of Nigeria, not about the past.”
On the composition of the delegates, he said its broad and all encompassing, emphasizing what Nigerians have in common, their jobs, professional and non-profession organizations, youths women’s groups, military, police etc; retired, traditional rulers, diaspora. Noting, “The diaspora representation has been increased from 4 to 8 compared to the 2005 conference.”
Conclusion:
The modalities of decision making process which draw its strength from consensus of the conference, and where it is not achievable, shall be by 75 per cent majority is laudable. Although the exclusion of a body like the Nigeria Computer Society among others in such an important conference, is demeaning of all the efforts made within the IT sector in the last 14 years.
Just as there are concerns over the advisory role of the conference since there is no clear road map about what the deliberations, decisions and recommendations as well as what they anticipate to achieve will be.
It is therefore, worrisome if there would be major role for the House of Representatives (HoR) or the Senate, invariably to warrant their involvement at this time since the entire report will still be forwarded to them eventually.
Not forgetting the demand of Nigeria Bar Association(NBA), yet NBA must not discard International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in this process, after all they are also lawyers with a thin line for the sexist, and playing the chauvinist at this time is not ideal, let alone for the image of NBA and the conference as a whole.
A quick retouch on the composition to include NCS and allowing the national confab to run its course without the National Assembly will definitely do Nigeria a lot of good than proceeding without a rethink. The need for NCS inclusion cannot be overemphasized at this digital era.
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