Delegates to the ongoing National Conference on Monday in Abuja queued for about two hours before gaining entrance into the conference hall, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Some of the delegates who commented on the development, expressed displeasure over the discomfort they were subjected to and urged the secretariat to intervene to prevent a reoccurrence.

Some of the delegates, including Mr Issa Aremu, Mr Dan Iwuanyuanwu and Chief Femi Falana (SAN), drew the attention of the Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi (rtd), to the plight of the delegates.

“Mr Chairman, what the delegates were subjected to this morning is a clear case of administrative lapse.

“Many delegates queued for hours outside before they could gain entrance into this hall.

“I think the secretariat should do something about it,” Aremu, Vice-President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said.

Nwanyanwu, Chairman, Labour Party, complained that security operatives at the gate of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), venue of the conference, wasted time in screening their vehicles.

“Some of us (delegates) got to the gate before 9.00 a.m. but could not leave there until after an hour.

“I hope this should not continue to be the situation; the security agencies should start controlling traffic early enough,” he said.

Falana complained that after spending 30 minutes at the gate, the delegates spent another two hours before gaining entrance into the hall.

“We spent 15 minutes at the gate to register our cars, we spent another two hours queuing for papers and that is why many of the delegates are not here yet,” he said.

Falana suggested that papers for the proceedings should be shared to delegates inside the hall at plenary rather than queuing for them outside.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was unanimous adoption of all the observations raised by the three delegates with a call on the secretariat to sit up.

The Chairman acknowledged the complaints and promised that the issues raised would be looked into with a view to addressing them.

The plenary which resumed at about 10.15 a.m. to debate the minutes of the inaugural meeting held on March 18, was adjourned shortly after the adoption of the minutes.

Kutigi said it was necessary to adjourn the plenary for 10 minutes to allow the delegates, some of whom were still struggling to enter, to come in.

The plenary later resumed at about 11.05 a.m.

The plenary is expected to debate and adopt the procedures and rules to conduct the business of the confab.

•Text courtesy NAN. Photo shows National Conference Chairman Kutigi flanked by Deputy Chairman Bolaji Akinyemi and Secretary Valerie Azinge.

Update news