National conference ill timed,says Kwara Speaker

Stephen Oni/Ilorin

The Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Abdulrazak Atunwa, has advised Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan to suspend the proposed National Conference and squarely face the insecurity posed by the Boko Haram sect, the Academic Staff Union of Universities’, ASUU, strike as well as the current crisis in the aviation sector.

Atunwa,while addressing journalists on Wednesday 30 October in Ilorin, the state capital, said the idea of a National Conference though a welcome one was ill- timed, ill-conceived and diversionary at this precarious time Boko Haram insurgents are wreaking havoc on the nation,the ASUU is on strike while kidnappers and armed robbersare holding the nation by the jugular.

To him,the national conference should wait and be held immediately after the 2015 general elections.

“It is my contention that all efforts and energy should be diverted by the President to tackling the Boko Haram insurgency and other multifarious problems besetting the nation rather this diversionary and ill timed conference,”he added.

On the alleged scandal rocking the Ministry of Aviation and its Minister,Princess Stella Odua, Atunwa counselled the Minister to voluntarily vacate the office or be booted out as a result of unfolding events over the alleged N255 million spent to procure two bullet proof cars for her by her Ministry.

“It is well known to everybody that the embattled Minister was prevented from signing a Memorandum of Understanding,MoU, on behalf of the federal government in Israel by President Goodluck Jonathan, and so the honourable thing for her is to throw in the towel because it is apparent that she can’t do the job again,” Atunwa said.

He added that it was unfortunate that the Ministry of Aviation could afford the humongous N225 million just for two bullet proof cars while government is saying that it can’t meet the demands of ASUU whose members have been on strike in the past four months.