Constitution review: We won’t truncate alteration —Conference of Speakers

THE Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria has said it has never truncated and will never truncate any constitution alteration exercise in the country. 

The conference, in a rejoinder to the press release by the Deputy Senate President and co-chairman of constitution review committee, Senator Ovie OmoAgege, said the release was designed to blackmail the state legislatures and also undermine them. 

Omo-Agege had made the release on Tuesday, alleging that only 11 state houses of assembly have responded to the bills sent to them. 

The speakers, in a rejoinder, said, “we like to make it clear that we will not give in to blackmail and intimidation by anyone, no matter how highly placed.” 

In a statement signed by the speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly and chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Honourable Abubakar Y. Suleiman, the body said, “It is, therefore, imperative we make clarifications in the misrepresentations of the speakers and indeed the state houses of assembly in the press release.” 

He explained that, “Senator Omo-Agege rightly alluded to a letter by the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria conveying the four bills for consideration by the National Assembly. 

“The letter was addressed to the two chairmen of both the committees of the National Assembly on the Constitution Review separately. 

“And what we raised in our letter as highlighted by the deputy Senate president were same issues we have consistently raised in many fora of our engagements with the two committees on constitution review of the National Assembly long before the transmission of the resolutions of the National Assembly to the state houses of assembly. 

“As major stakeholders in the constitution alteration exercise and the representatives of the people at the grassroots, we are by far in a better position to know basic and pressing needs of the people. 

“Hence, our appeal for inclusion of the bills. For instance, the issue of insecurity should agitate any conscientious leaders. So we believe this should be tackled frontally by the government. 

“And the best way and the most generally acceptable way to curb the menace, we believe, is by providing for state policing in the constitution. Sadly, the proposed amendment was missing in the resolutions transmitted by the National Assembly to the state houses of assembly.” 

He stressed that, “So, for the great importance of this proposed amendment and others namely, streamlining the procedure for removing presiding officers of state houses of assembly, institutionalising state legislative bureaucracy in the constitution and establishing state judicial council; the Conference of Speakers further appealed to the National Assembly for their inclusion in the exercise.” 

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE 

• Why Many States Are Flooded — FG

• Tinubu In Fresh Move To Pacify Aggrieved Blocs, As Campaign Council Unveils Fresh List

• Second Niger Bridge Now Completed — Fashola

• 2023 Budget Defence Under Threat, NASS Workers Threaten Strike

• Ekiti Assembly Speaker, Afuye, Dies At 66

• EDITORIAL: The Lessons From Lesotho

He said a reply by Senator Omo-Agege to the letter was received on October 6, acknowledging the importance of the four bills and, thereafter, appealed to the state houses of assembly to proceed on the initial 44 bills transmitted. 

Sulaiman said on the appeal by Senator Omo-Agege and assurance that the four bills would be considered, the state houses of assembly have already proceeded on the ratification of the resolutions of the National Assembly on the constitution review. 

He lamented that, “It is rather very disheartening that the deputy Senate president could make a turnaround within few days of his reply to our letter to blackmail the speakers of the state houses of assembly by erroneously saying the conference of speakers are using the four Bills as a quid pro quo to act on the 44 bills the National Assembly transmitted to state houses of assembly.” 

He said the inconsistency and flip-flop displayed in his statements are regrettable, adding that contrary to the number given, 16 houses of assembly have, so far, passed the resolutions of the National Assembly on constitution review.