By Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Senate has postponed the North-West Zonal Public Hearing on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, earlier scheduled to be held in Kano this weekend, in honour of the late elder statesman, business mogul, and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, who died on Saturday, June 28, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, at the age of 94.
The North-West hearing is part of the Senate’s nationwide consultation to gather public input on proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution, covering key areas such as state creation, state police, fiscal reforms, electoral reforms, and gender equity.
Kano was selected as the venue for the North-West Zonal hearing. However, following the passing of Dantata and the involvement of key Senate leaders in his burial arrangements, the event has been postponed until further notice.
Deputy Senate President and Chairman of the Senate’s Special Ad-Hoc Committee on Constitution Review, Barau Jibrin, who also chairs the North-West hearing, is leading the Federal Government’s delegation to Saudi Arabia for Dantata’s funeral, scheduled for Tuesday, July 1.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio officially announced the postponement during Tuesday’s plenary after an executive session. Reporting on what transpired in the executive session, he said, “We discussed matters of importance to the legislature and the wellbeing of Nigeria. Due to the mourning period and the significance of the late Dantata’s contributions to the North-West and the nation at large, the North-West hearing has been postponed. Stakeholders from the region will agree on a new date.”
Senators also observed a minute’s silence in memory of the deceased elder statesman.
The zonal public hearings are scheduled to be held simultaneously across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones on Friday and Saturday. The other venues, Lagos (South-West), Enugu (South-East), Ikot Ekpene (South-South), Jos (North-Central), and Maiduguri (North-East), remain unchanged.
The Constitution Review Committee is seeking public opinion on far-reaching proposals, including the creation of 31 new states, establishment of state police, independent candidacy, diaspora voting, and defined roles for traditional rulers.
Jibrin had earlier disclosed that over 20 constitutional amendment bills would be discussed.
“One of the bills proposes the establishment of Local Government Councils as a tier of government to guarantee their democratic existence and tenure. This is part of a renewed push to grant full autonomy to the country’s 774 Local Government Councils,” a statement issued by the lawmaker said.
It added, “The second bill on local government reforms seeks to create an independent National Local Government Electoral Commission (NALGEC) to organise, conduct, and supervise local government elections.”
Security-related bills, including the establishment of state police and state security councils, are also on the agenda.
“In the area of fiscal reforms, six bills are going to be considered, including one to empower the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission to enforce compliance with remittance of accruals into and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account,” he said.
Other fiscal proposals include a bill to amend the Constitution to specify the timeframe within which the president or a state governor must present the annual budget before the National Assembly or a State House of Assembly.
On gender equity, the committee will also consider a bill to provide additional seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly.
“To strengthen traditional institutions, a Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution to establish the National Council of Traditional Rulers, the State Council of Traditional Rulers, and the Local Government Council of Traditional Rulers would also be considered,” the statement added.
Furthermore, it added, “A proposal seeking the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to allow for independent candidacy at all levels of election—from local councils to the presidency—will also be discussed at the public hearing. This is just as a bill for diaspora voting to enfranchise Nigerians abroad has been listed for consideration.”
In addition, over 20 bills seeking to overhaul Nigeria’s judiciary will be debated. These include proposals to introduce clear timelines for the delivery of court judgments and to expand the jurisdiction of election tribunals.
In a bid to further devolution of powers, several proposals have been submitted to transfer certain responsibilities, such as labour and shipping, from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List, granting states more control over these sectors.
State creation remains a major area of interest. The committee has received 31 separate requests—five each from the South-West, South-South, and North-Central; seven from the North-East; six from the North-West; and three from the South-East.