-By Bode Olagoke
-Abuja
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said he has achieved one of the main reasons for which the National Conference was convoked, which was to create a platform for a genuine and sincere dialogue among Nigerians.
The president also said the success of the conference has proved cynics wrong in many respects, saying that those who dismissed the entire conference ab initio as a ‘diversion’ have been proved wrong.
Jonathan disclosed this yesterday in Abuja when he received final reports of the 2014 National Conference and thereby declared the meeting closed.
The president, who said throughout the life span of the meeting he did not interfere, believed that the right thing would be done.
He said: “Even in moments when things seemed ready to boil over, it was evident that the delegates were only disagreeing to agree.”
While assuring that the conference recommendations would not be shoved under the carpet, he promised that he would do all he could to ensure implementation of the recommendations.
He said: “The discourse reflected our latest challenges. We shall send the relevant aspects of your recommendations to the Council of State and the National Assembly for incorporation into the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. On our part, we shall act on those aspects required of us in the Executive.
“Let me reaffirm this: Nobody has a monopoly of knowledge. We who are in government need to feed from the thoughts of those who elected us into power. You have done your patriotic duty; we, the elected, must now do ours.
“As I receive the report of your painstaking deliberations, let me assure that your work is not going to be a waste of time and resources. We shall do all we can to ensure the implementation of your recommendations which have come out of consensus and not by divisions.”
Earlier, in his closing remarks, Chairman of the meeting, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, told the president that over 600 resolutions were reached; with some dealing with issues of law, issues of policy and issues of constitutional amendments.
“All our resolutions were adopted by consensus. Not once did we have to vote or come to a division. This is a message that we wish the world to hear loud and clear. Nigerians are capable of not only discussing their differences but are also capable to coming up with solutions to these difficulties.”
