2014 NATIONAL CONFERENCE: MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN OR HARBINGER OF A NEW NIGERIA?

Abstract

On 17th March 2014, the then president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria finally bowed to years of pressure from divers sources and convened a conference made up 492 members drawn from different strata of Nigerian society at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja to deliberate on the “Nigerian Agenda” President Jonathan had earlier on 30th August 2013 affirmed the belief of his administration in the right of the nation’s constituent parts to come together to discuss how they will continue to live in peace and unity. However this Conference did not come cheap.  About N7 billion was said to have been budgeted for the Conference although this sum was said to have been later reduced because there was a drop in the number of delegates from 571 delegates to 492 delegates who attended the Conference.