The was a mild drama today at ongoing National Conference as a member of Committee on Devolution of Powers, Ms. Anko Briggs, a Niger Delta activist, submitted minority to the Conference.
Ms Briggs disagreement with the report of the committee might has to do with the issue of 13 percent derivation principle in which the Committee resolved to maintain status quo.
The Niger Delta area where Briggs hailed from had canvassed for higher percentage as derivation fund for the Niger Delta and oil producing areas whereas the northern delegates had demanded for a reduction.
It would be recalled that Ms Briggs in a recent interview with newsmen rejected the committee support for the retention of the status quo of 13 percent derivation principle.
The minority report has divided the delegates at the Conference.
The Niger Delta female activist presented her minority report to the Conference on Thursday morning, after the committee’s co-chairmen, Victor Attah and Ibrahim Coomassie, submitted the main report.
However, a delegate, Bello Haliru, raised a point of order, saying, the rules of the confab do not allow for a minority report because it states that only consensus or 70 per cent would be adopted.
Ms. Briggs had in her report supported increase in derivation to resource producing states to at least 50 per cent from current 13 per cent, as well as state police; issues rejected by her committee.
