Reps reverse self, shift voting on 1999 Constitution Review to Tuesday, March 1st

The leadership of the House of Representatives on Thursday rescinded its earlier decision to commence the voting on the 68 recommendations of the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review on Wednesday, 2nd and Thursday, 3rd March 2022 to Tuesday, 1st and Wednesday, 2nd March 2022.

The Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila announced the new date during the Thursday plenary.

Out of a total number of 178 memoranda and 1,980 recommendations submitted to the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review chaired by Hon. Idris Wase by State Governors, Political Parties, individuals, Organised Labour and its affiliates, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), religious organisations, among others, the Committee laid reports on 68 clauses on the floor of the House on Wednesday.

Hon. Gbajabiamila assured that the House will on Tuesday, 1st March, undertake electronic voting on the amendments of the constitution.

To this end, the Speaker urged all the lawmakers to be available as votes will require a ratio of two-thirds of the members to scale through.

He also directed that all Committee work should be suspended for the duration of the voting exercise, so there should be no excuses for absenteeism.

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According to the Deputy Speaker, the report includes bills which seek to abrogate the State Joint Local Government Account and Provide for a Special Account into which shall be paid all Allocations due to Local Government Councils from the Federation Account and from the Government of the State; as well as establish Local Government as a tier of government and guarantee their democratic existence, tenure and bill seeking to provide for the financial independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary and for related matters.

The lawmakers are expected to vote on the Special Ad-hoc Committee recommendations on the bills which seek to Establish State Security Council; Empower the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly Powers to summon the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governors of States to answer questions on issues on which the National and State Houses of Assembly have the power to make law; reduce the period within which the President or the Governor of a State may authorize the withdrawal of Monies from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the absence of an Appropriations Act from six months to three months; Replace the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation with the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government; and Establish the Office of the Accountant–General of the Federal Government separate from the Office of the Accountant–General of the Federation.