Constitution review: Senators seek committee’s power devolution, time management

Senators on Wednesday hammered on time-consciousness and prioritising very key amendments as the Senate held the inaugural meeting of its Constitution Review Committee.

State police, devolution of power, and special interests, including the welfare of youth and women, as well as protecting minority groups, were among the issues members of the committee mentioned as deserving adequate focus and fast-tracking.

The 47-member committee is chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, who also declared open the inaugural meeting.

All four female senators in the 10th Assembly are members of the committee, which has a member representing each of the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Jibrin committee also has the complement of two former presiding officers of the National Assembly, Senator Ahmad Lawan and former Speaker of the 7th House of Representatives, Senator Aminu Tambuwal.

Jibrin, while addressing the opening, said the committee would be guided by laws, rules, and precedents, giving assurances that it would consult widely to meet “the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians.”

He stated, “We will fully consult critical stakeholders like state assemblies to ensure the smooth sailing of our deliberations and conclusions.

“We want to amend the constitution in line with the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians.”

Jibrin said the committee would have concluded its assignment within the next 24 months.

On his part, the Senate Leader, Senator Bamidele Opeyemi, hinted that this time around, the National Assembly would overstretch itself to ensure that some of the most critical agitations by Nigerians were addressed.

“This is a very critical assignment, and we are not expected to do business as usual.

“We are happy that a lot of eminent people have indicated interest in working with us, working with the secretariat for necessary results,” Opeyemi added.

Also speaking, Senator Tambuwal urged his colleagues to be time-conscious in order to be able to deepen consultations.

He noted, “The constitution is the most important document that governs the country. The constitution states how it can be amended, and it is the National Assembly that must kick-start the process. So, we need to appeal to Nigerians for understanding.

“We will expand the participation of the youth, women, and Diaspora Nigerians. We will bring about one of the best amendments so far.”

Senators Seriake Dickson and Enyinnaya Abaribe told the committee that the only way the lofty ideas being proposed could be delivered was when members utilised their time well by cutting out delays.

Dickson observed that, much as many amendments had been proposed since 1999, the feeling remained that the National Assembly always worked slowly on the amendments.

The slow pace of work, according to Senator Abaribe, was the reason past presidents found reasons at the last minute to withhold their assent to the final document.

Abaribe, who said he had been part of the amendment process four times, advised the committee to speed up work and give a reasonable gap for the President to either sign the document or withhold his signature.

He explained that if the President opted not to sign it, the National Assembly would still have enough time to look at his objections and work on them again for his assent.

“This is my fourth membership in the constitutional amendment committee. We always waste so much time until the end of the session; most times it’s too late for the president to sign,” he said.

Senator Sani Musa specifically listed state police and devolution of power as major issues the committee must fast-track.

But a former governor of Kebbi State, Senator Adamu Aliero, warned the committee against touching on areas he described as “very controversial issues.”

Aliero didn’t give details of the controversial areas he feared might make the work of the committee fruitless if it delved into them.

Other speakers at the session included senators Abdul Ningi, Abba Moro, and Ahmad Lawan.

 

 

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