N-Assembly shouldn’t ratify confab outcome – Gen Momah

N-Assembly shouldn’t ratify confab
outcome – Gen Momah
on october 28, 2013 at 2:50 am in news
By  Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North
ABUJA—As the debate over the conduct of the
proposed National Dialogue intensifies, former
Science and Technology Minister, Major-General
Sam Momah, has warned against subjecting the
report of the conference to the National Assembly
for endorsement.
Momah, who spoke with Vanguard, noted that the
idea of subjecting the outcome of the discourse to
the NASS was wrong and inconsistent with the
constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The former minister pointed out that there was no
need to send the outcome of the dialogue to the
NASS as sovereignty of Nigeria resides with the
people, who elected the lawmakers to their
represent posts.
The pioneer Commandant of the Nigerian War
College said: “I think the issue of giving the final
outcome of the dialogue to the National Assembly
does not arise. I don’t know why that opinion came
forth because the National Assembly is not
sovereign.
“It is only the people of Nigeria that should
determine what they want and not the
representatives of the people of Nigeria in the
National Assembly. It is the Nigerian masses who
have that power and not the few representatives of
the people in Abuja.
Momah also argued that it did not matter whether
the conference was ordinary or sovereign as long
as it provides a conducive platform for Nigerians to
sit down and talk about their future and that of the
nation.
He said: “It does really matter whether it is
constitutional conference or sovereign national
conference. We know that the aim is to better the
welfare of Nigerians and the future of this country.
“So whatever we call it, I think the ultimate aim in is
to gauge the opinion of the people of this great
country. I am happy that the President did not
immediately give it a name but merely raised an
advisory committed to work out the details.
“I truly support what Mr. President did and
congratulate him for that initiative, which I think will
solve a lot of problems rearing their heads now.