There are strong indications that delegates from the North at the ongoing National Conference in Abuja are set to shoot down any demand for resource control at the conference.
This may be the first major area of conflict at the conference inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday as delegates from the South- South, South-West and other parts of the country are hell-bent on pushing for fiscal federalism. Delegates from the South-West, South-South and South-East, in separate interviews on Wednesday, said that they would press for resource control and strong federating units, describing them as the bedrock of equity, fairness and good governance in the country.
But their counterparts from the North said the region would oppose any demand for fiscal federalism and resource control, saying demanding such could lead to the disintegration of the country. A northern delegate and former spokesperson for the Arewa Consultative Forum, Mr. Anthony Sani, said the North would not support the idea of having a weak centre and strong federating units, saying this would be confederation. Sani warned that allowing states to control their resources which will lead to a weak centre would disintegrate the country.
I can’t wait for deliberations to commence! It will be a correct reality TV show.