28th July, 2014
By Ayorinde Oluokun
The management of Nigeria National Conference has announced that delegates will now reconvene on Monday 11 August to ratify the report of the Conference.
This is one week extension from 4 August the delegates were told they will be called back to certify the draft report of the Conference to be assembled by the Secretariat when the Conference adjourned on Monday 14 July 2014.
James Akpandem, spokesperson for the Conference Secretariat who announced the shift in date attributed it to the two days public holidays declared by Federal Government.
“However, because of the two-day public holiday declared for Monday and Tuesday, July 28 and 29 respectively, and the volume of the report, which various sections have to be integrated and produced at the same time, it is becoming obvious that 500 copies of the draft report in the required volumes may not be ready for distribution to all the delegates on Monday August 4, 2014.
“This is because external facilities needed to reproduce the volume required became unavailable beginning this weekend because of the long holiday.
“To avoid a situation where delegates return to Abuja without having the necessary materials to conclude the session within the time frame specified in the Work plan, Conference Management decided to move the return date ahead by one week.
“Consequently, delegates are now required to return for certification of the Conference Report on Monday, August 11, 2014.
“This shift may not affect other schedules already set for the eventual winding up of the 2014 National Conference.
“While management appreciates the understanding, and seeks further cooperation of distinguished delegates, it deeply regrets any inconvenience the shift is likely to cause them,” Akpandem said.
He however assured that substantial work has been done on the various sections of the report already while hoping that the entire draft will be ready by the scheduled date.