Senator representing Rivers southeast senatorial district and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Senator Magnus Abe, has said the National Conference may have no impact on the direction of the country, without the input of the National Assembly.
According to Abe, the only way the recommendations of the conference could have any impact on the direction of the country was for them to be subjected to the National Assembly through a bill so as to give it constitutional backing.
Speaking at Opobo town, headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro local government area of Rivers State, the senator argued that the National Conference as presently constituted, has no constitutional backing, saying the best they could do was to make suggestions.
He said: “The national conference cannot do anything the president cannot do. So, it is only what the president can do that the conference can do. In a basket of ideas, you do not throw everything away. But the national conference has made some reasonable suggestions; it is regretful that they have no means of implementing those suggestions.
“They are very good suggestions and public discussions; they have no legal place in our law and constitution and have no impact on the public.
“Even if the national conference have said things that made sense, they have no impact on Nigeria. It is at best like a suggestion from you and I”.
