The National Assembly revealed on Saturday that the report of the participation of the review of the current Constitution throughout the country will be transmitted to the 36 state houses of the Assembly before December 2025 in line with its design and schedule.
However, the upper chamber accused all those interested in special requests to involve and press their state assemblies, noting that the 1999 Constitution (amended) cannot successfully review without their approval.
The Senate Leader/Zonal President, Senate Committee on the revision of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, announced this after the two -day zonal public hearing on the revision of the 1999 Constitution held at the Water Crest Hotel, Iikeja, Lagos.
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It would be remembered that since the beginning of the alteration of the Constitution in the fourth Republic, which began in 1999, the return of powers, the autonomy of the local government, the creation of additional states and the establishment of the State Police, among others, had taken the center of the stage at the Zonal Public Hearing throughout the country.
Going to the interested parties in the public hearing, which attracted the final closure on Saturday, Bamide, who was supported by members of the Committee, including the leader of the attached minority of the Senate, Senator Oreare Oyewunmi; President, Committee of the Senate of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Oluranti Adabule; President, Health Senate Committee, Senator Ipalibo Banigo, among others, said that part of the calendar for the body should have final notifications before the end of the year and transmit the report to all state assemblies.
Other members of the review committee are: President of the Public Proportions Senate Committee, Senator Olajide Ipinsangba, and president of the Judiciary Senate Committee, Human Rights and Legal Affairs, Senator Adeniyi Adegbomire, among others.
“Each session of the National Assembly carries out amendments to our Constitution, each we had in the past, we reviewed some, so today we are talking about the first, the second, the third, the fourth and fifth amendment to the 1999 Constitution.
“And that is why every time we talk about the 1999 Constitution, we say that the Modified 1999 Constitution. As amended it means that it was no longer the 1999 Constitution that we are operating now.
“Much has happened under the return of powers based on the efforts of the ninth assembly and the houses of the state assembly. Four years ago, we had an amendment by which many legislative problems were taken from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list, which means that state governments can now legislate on these issues.
“That is part of the achievements in the area of ​​return of powers, and a good amount of other problems that bother in electoral reforms. They are leading us to a situation in which the votes of the Nigerians are beginning to count,” he said.
“We have completed the public hearing. Now we are returning to Abuja to prepare our report. Part of our time table is to have final notifications before the end of the year and transmit our report to all state assemblies. This will round the process of revision of the Constitution,” he added.
Bamidele said that the review of the Constitution “is not a Jamboree contrary to some dissident points throughout the Federation”, saying that the exercise was designed to make consequent reforms that can guarantee “our collective prosperity, a more efficient governance structure and sustainable development.”
The Senate leader, while indicating that the National Assembly would be harmed to successfully complete the revision process if all the amendments proposed by the interested parties were not approved by the two thirds of the state assemblies, they charged all interested parties throughout the Federation to press all state assemblies and their legislators to ensure the basic requirements for the successful amendment of the Constitution of the 1999 Constitution.
However, he assured that the National Assembly would process all the proposals he received so far and transmit them to the state assemblies.
“There is nothing that the National Assembly can do without an approval of two thirds of all proposals by state legislatures. All interested parties must work with their legislators at the state level. We must appreciate the role of state assemblies to guarantee the passage of the proposals in the laws.
“The state assemblies are part of the process. We have been in the state of Lagos during the last 48 hours, listening to the aspirations, concerns and desires of the people. The six states in the geopolitical area were represented by their elected representatives. We are in this process together to receive their presentations.
“State assemblies are already anticipating the report of the review of the Constitution of the National Assembly. They are not waiting for the report alone. They are also part of the Constitution review process. It does not provide any problem of state assemblies.
“Therefore, we are advising all interested parties that also seek special considerations to extend their defenders to state assemblies. It is not just about them as chosen representatives, but as representatives of the people who chose them. People must be aware of when they are making decisions to ensure that they are also doing it in cononance with the wishes of their constituents,” Bamidele said.
Also speaking at the Public Hearing, President, Conference of Presents of State Legislatures of Nigeria and President, Oyo State Assembly, Rt. Excmo Debio Ogundoyin, requested for more powers to transfer to subnational governments for rapid and accelerated development, describing the call as a key for this constitutional amendment in progress.
Ogondoyin, who was represented by the vice president, Rt. Excmo Abiodun Fadeyi said that federal and state governments should be allowed to legislate on issues that border solid minerals, labor matters, drugs and poisons, telecommunications, timbre taxes, among others.
“The return of the powers is key to this constitutional amendment in progress by returning key items of the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list in everyone's interest. For example, the elimination of the issue of electricity from the exclusive legislative list has significantly transformed the energy sector of many states through independent energy supply initiatives,” he said.
Ogundoyin also supported the establishment of the State Police, pointing out its benefits to include better local security, community surveillance, decongestion of federal responsibilities, improved responsibility and employment opportunities.
“With respect to the State Police, all interested parties will agree with me that the debate on the establishment of state surveillance has generated impulse of both supporters and critics. The potential benefits of the state police far exceed the challenges.
“In essence, what the amendment seeks to address will be the powers, responsibilities and limits of the State Police must be clearly defined, provide supervision mechanisms to prevent abuse and design a comprehensive framework for the Federal and State Police to work in harmony to balance the effective power and coordination mechanisms,” he said, “he said..