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Kenneth Udeh from Abuja
25 State Governors and their House of Assemblies have been accused of truncating the ongoing Constitution review exercise embarked upon by the 9th National Assembly.
The National Assembly through the Chairman, Senate Ad hoc Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, made the allegation at a news conference held at the National Assembly Abuja on Tuesday.
According to Agege out of the 66 Bills scheduled for amendment, 44 were approved by the Senate and House of Representatives. Subsequently, the 44 Bills were transmitted to the 36 State House of Assembly on 29th March 2022 for consideration and approval in line with Section 9(2) stipulations of the Constitution.
Frowning at the Development Agege who is the Deputy Senate President revealed that 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 earlier sent to it to the National Assembly.
Agege revealed the remaining House of Assemblies in a letter from the conference of Speakers informed both Chambers of their stance to jettison the 44 Bills unless the National Assembly passes four new Bills they have proposed in the letter.
The Bills they want the National Assembly to amend include bills 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.
Expressing it’s displeasure over their decision, Agege said the 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 on the 44 Bills of the National Assembly.
He lamented that the National Assembly are aware of the undue interference with legislative processes and the political capture of some State Houses of Assembly by some State Governors.
Omo-Agege informed that the National Assembly will not fold its arms at the brazen attempt by some Governors to truncate a constitutional process. In that case, the National Assembly will ultimately enable the disruption of the Nation’s democracy.
Notable Bills among the forty-four include;i. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 1, 2022 (Local Government Financial Autonomy);ii. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 2, 2022 (Local Government Administrative Autonomy);iii. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 11, 2022 (Inauguration of Senators and MembersElect);iv. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 26, 2022 (Fair Hearing in the Process of Recommending the Removal of Judicial Officers);v. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, Nos. 29, 30, 31, 32,33, and 34, 2022 (Devolution of Powers);vi. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 39, 2022 (Power to Enforce Compliance of Remittance of Accruals into the Federation Account and Review of Revenue Allocation Formula);vii. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 45, 2022 (Timeframe for the Submission of the Names of Ministerial or Commissioner Nominees);viii. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 47, 2022 (Establishment of State Security Council);ix. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 48, 2022 (Power to Summon the President and Governors);x. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 51, 2022 (Creation of the Office of the AccountantGeneral of the Federal Government);xi. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 53, 2022 (Separation of the Office of the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and the State from the Office of the Minister or Commissioner for Justice) and xii. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 58, 2022 (Independent Candidacy).
Shedding more light Agege described the situation as worrisome saying that some State Governors will stop at nothing to pocket the Conference of Speakers and turn some State Assemblies into what he tagged as “political puppets”, thereby undermining and delegitimizing the legislative institution at the state level.
This interference Agege disclosed has been ramped up, especially in opposition to the Bills granting financial and administrative autonomy to Local Governments.
Drawing the attention of the well meaning Nigerian citizens, civil society organizations, interest/professional groups and institutions to prevail on the Conference of Speakers to revoke their threat, Agege stressed the process is non Political or for any personal interest but rather for the interest of all Nigerians.
“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.
“It is, therefore, disheartening that some State Houses of Assembly, through the Conference of Speakers, would give the National Assembly conditions before fulfilling their constitutional obligations.
Agege added that the plot by the State Governors and Speakers and members of Houses of Assemblies is in total disregard of the Nation’s Constitution, stating that the independence of legislation is being threatened.
He called for caution ; “An independent state legislature is essential to the well-being of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy. That is why the ongoing attempt by some State 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.
He continued ;
“It remains true that each State House of Assembly is independent of the other. However, Constitution amendment Bills require the approval of twothirds (24) of the 36 States House 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.
Giving an account of how the Parliament arrived at the sixty six Bills for amendment, Omo-Agege said that the Constitution review committee had invited written submissions from citizens, interest groups, socio-cultural organizations and civil society organizations. Subsequently, the AdHoc Committee held zonal public hearings at 12 centres across the six geo-political zones; and a national public hearing in Abuja.
Additionally, Agege said that after several meetings and engagements with the State Houses of Assembly, the Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives recommended 66 Constitution Alteration Bills for passage. He informed that out of the 66, 44 were approved by the Senate and House of Representatives. Subsequently, the 44 Bills were transmitted to the 36 State House of Assemblies.
Agege commended all State Houses of Assembly that have successfully considered and approved the Constitution Alteration Bills.
The Deputy Senate President further urged the remaining 25 State Houses of Assembly to keep faith with Nigerians and the Constitution they swore to uphold by considering the 44 Bills.
Present at the briefing were the Senate Leader, Senator Abdullahi Ibrahim Gobir; Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu; Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi and Minority Whip, Senator Chukwuka Utazi.
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, and the National President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Ambali Akeem Olatunji, also attended the briefing.
