Confab: Comptroller-General Appears Before Committee

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr. David Parradang, yesterday appeared before the National Conference Committee on Boundaries and Related Matters, assuring the members that the Immigration Service is adequately prepared to ensure a proper policing of the country’s borders.
Speaking at the NICON Luxury Hotel venue of the committee sitting, the Comptroller-General revealed that with over 1,400 illegal border routes, the NIS must recruit 5,000 personnel annually for five years.
Stating that the Federal Government has established a Border Patrol Corps
completely dedicated to border patrol, he said the NIS will have to open 30 control posts to cover Nigeria.
In another development, the Committee on Political Restructuring and Form of Government, yesterday disapproved the option of regionalism as a form of government for the country.
Deliberating on the three options of federalism to be adopted in order to meet the peculiarity of the country, namely: a central government with states as federating units; a central government with zones as federating units; and a central government with three regions as federating units, the committee opted for the first option after much consideration.
According to the Co-Chairman of the committee, Gen. Ike Nwachukwu (rtd), while summarising the tentative position of the committee, there is a concensus that “there should be a central government with states as federating units.
“States should create their own local governments; local governments should be removed from the constitution.
“For equitable sharing of resources, appointments should be rotated in states and at federal level.
“States that wish to merge as federating units may do so but the status of states as federating units remain,”  he said.
Meanwhile, members of the Committee on Devolution of Power were in agreement on the need for resource control but wished that its implementation be delayed to enable all parts of the country to be ready to embrace it.
Having attended three subsequent Conferences, Senator Jack Tilley Gyado, said every time the issue of resource control comes on the table, people become apprehensive.
He said “a lot of marriages breakdown due to lack of money and how it is spent.  I must align myself with the contributions of Ibrahim Mantu.
“With 13 per cent being given the South-South, with the NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta, the SURE-P, the Amnesty and normal allocations to the states, I advise we make haste slowly in asking for more to be given. I believe that the timing of the request is wrong although the request is good.”
Chief Ayo Adebanjo said he is privileged to be part of those who started the agitation for resource control in the country during which Western Region used 50 per cent of its resources to carry our massive development of the region. He said that it was the military that decided on the 50 per cent and 13 per cent derivation formulae, adding that the nation has a new opportunity to right the wrongs of the past.
He said, “it was after the military coup of 1966 that the military imposed this system on us and it has been causing trouble ever since.”
The Committee on Environment has set up four sub committees. These include Climate Change; Pollution and Gas Flaring; Deforestation, Drought and Bush Burning; and Waste Management/Mining. The sub-Committees have since resumed work and will submit their various reports to the Committee based on the dateline set by the Conference Secretariat.