The Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review on Tuesday accused State Governors of holding the country hostage with the prolonged delay of resolutions passed by the 36 State Houses of Assembly on the 44 bills transmitted on the 29th March 2022.
The co-Chairman, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege stated this during a press conference held at the instance of the leadership of the senate and house of representatives committees on constitution review, on the progress of the 44 Constitution amendment bills transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly.
While stressing that accusing some state governors of undue interference with legislative processes, he maintained that the affected State Assemblies are politically captured by some state governors.
“Now, let us give you a sense of where we are with the bills as of today. Six months after the transmission of these bills to state assemblies, it is most disheartening to inform you that only 11 state houses of assembly have demonstrated their ‘independence and loyalty to the Constitution regarding the 44 bills. 25 state houses of assembly have yet to consider and vote on these bills.
“So far, only Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Lagos, Ogun and Osun states have successfully considered, voted on, and forwarded their resolutions on the 44 bills to the national assembly.
“More worrisome is that while we are still expecting the receipt of the resolutions of the remaining houses of assembly, we received a letter from the conference of speakers of state assemblies informing the national assembly that the remaining states will not act on the 44 bills unless the national assembly passes four new bills they have proposed in the letter.
“The bills they propose seek to amend the constitution to establish state police; establish state judicial council; Streamline the procedure for removing presiding officers of state houses of assembly, and institutionalize legislative bureaucracy in the constitution.
“We want to ensure everyone understands this: the national assembly is in no way averse to acting on any proposed bill or memoranda appropriately tabled before it, at any time in its life. However, it is legally inappropriate for the conference of speakers to use the four bills as a quid pro quo to act on the 44 bills the national assembly 44 bills transmitted. It is clear, and we cannot overstate, that this letter is not in keeping with the obligation the constitution has placed on them regarding the constitutional amendment.
“Let us be clear, the bills the national assembly transmitted to the state houses of assembly as required by the constitution are not about members of the national assembly. It transcends our personal and political interests. It is about the people who have graciously given us the temporary privilege to serve them. The offices and positions we each hold belong to the people. And they yearn for a government that is honest, accountable, and responsive to their needs.
“It is, therefore, disheartening that some house of assembly, through the conference of speakers, would give the national assembly conditions before fulfilling their constitutional obligations.
“Although the conference of speakers did not allude to it in their letter, we are aware of the undue interference with legislative processes and the political capture of some state houses of assembly by some state governors. No doubt, some governors have worked tirelessly to turn the conference of speakers and some assemblies into political puppets, thereby undermining and delegitimizing the legislative institution at the state level. This interference has been ramped up, especially in opposition to the bills granting financial and administrative autonomy to local governments.
“An independent state legislature is essential to the well-being of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy. That is why the ongoing attempt by some governors, with the support of some speakers and allies in the state houses of assembly, to eliminate that independence should alarm all Nigerians. This posturing by the conference of speakers of state assemblies should be shown for what it truly is a total disregard for the Nigerian constitutional system.
“It remains true that each state house of assembly is independent of the other. However, constitutional amendment bills require the approval of two-thirds (24) of the 36 states’ houses of assembly before they can be presented for the President’s assent. Therefore, how a state assembly decides on each of the bills is its prerogative. But, there must be a decision for citizens to know where each state house of assembly stands on the issues the bills seek to address,” Senator Omo-Agege noted.
To this end, he urged Nigerian citizens, civil society organizations, interest and professional groups, and institutions to prevail on the conference of speakers to withdraw their threat to truncate the constitution amendment process.
“Instead, we should all speak up to defend our constitution and democracy. Suppose we ignore this brazen attempt by some governors to truncate a constitutional process. In that case, we will ultimately be enablers of the undermining of a critical bulwark of our democracy, which we should not be.
“While we use this medium to applaud all state houses of assembly that have successfully considered and approved the Constitution Alteration Bills, we also urge the remaining 25 state houses of assembly to keep faith with Nigerians and the constitution they swore to uphold. May we all honour our pledge to Nigerians to build and reform by listening to the people,” he stressed.
While venting their views, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), and Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) threatened to commence immediate mobilization of workers and shut down legislative activities at the state houses of assembly with a view to compelling the state legislature to pass the bills on local government administrative and financial autonomy.
In his address, NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba who observed that Abia State is still owing 26-month salaries, argued that most of the state governors who are canvassing for state police will eventually hand over guns to the people who may rent out guns to armed robbers if they can’t pay their salaries.
While giving insight into the rationale behind the voting down on the state police bill, Senator Omo-Agege said: “What are these fears? Some of those governors clamouring today for state police in their states have not been able to pay salaries.
“Some are owing for months. But they want state police. What does that entail? Placing guns in the hands of a “new set of employees”. they would be a new set of employees and you now put guns in their hands. And if you don’t pay their salaries in months, what happens? Some of them may decide to rent these guns to armed robbers for business in return for money. These are legitimate fears.
“You need to disabuse the minds of people. How do you address these? I had those fears myself, but at the time I felt that since the majority of the people are clamouring for this, maybe I should have a change of mind. But that is me converted, what about the others?
“Not only that there is also the use, most especially use, to which this state police could be deployed. Today there is this fear that some members of the national assembly cannot even go home for fear the governors do not even control the police since it is federal police, but because of the influence they wield over these police bosses in their various states, especially those who have spent so long in those states, they can use those police to stop our colleagues from entering to state for politicking. Those are also legitimate fears.
“They need to come and have interaction with our colleagues to disabuse their minds that these fears are justified. I am not saying those are my fears. But those are fears out there. They have not done enough work or lobbying. They have to convince members of the National Assembly.
“Even this position they are taking right now, the position seeking to pretty hold these bills to ransom, this position only came after the votes. Maybe if you told the members of the national assembly that unless and until you pass this bill, we would not consider the others, maybe I don’t know if maybe members would have been intimidated. For sure I would not be. But if there are members that would have been intimidated by that kind of threat, maybe it could move them. But the bottom line is that these threats only came after the votes had been taken.”
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