Hello dear people. The National Assembly Tuesday transmitted to the State Legislatures, the Constitution Amendment Bill 2014, for their necessary action. By this development, I am proud to say the Federal Legislature, particularly, the House of Representatives has kept faith with the yearnings and aspirations of the people regarding the Constitution of the country. The onus is now on us all at the state and council levels to keep vigilance with what our Honourable members at the State Assemblies do with the Bill. See my speech at the event below, please. Our country will be great. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. God bless us all. REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, RT. HON. EMEKA IHEDIOHA, CON, DEPUTY SPEAKER/CHAIRMAN, HOUSE AD-HOC COMMITTEE ON THE REVIEW OF THE 1999 CONSTITUTION ON THE OCCASION OF THE TRANSMISSION OF THE CONSTITUTION (FOURTH ALTERATION) BILL, 2014 TO THE CONFERENCE OF SPEAKERS OF THE STATE LEGISLATURES Protocols: It is axiomatic that everything that has a beginning must have an end. The work of theNational Assembly to further alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 is gradually coming to an end. The 7th House of Representatives, after its inauguration in June 2011, made a pledge to the Nigeria people that it would ensure the enactment of legislations that would positively affect the way they are governed, including further alteration of the 1999 Constitution to remove certain identified impediments to the smooth running of governments at various levels. The Leadership then empanelled a Fifty-Three (53) member Ad-hoc Committee under my Chairmanship to pilot the affairs of the Committee. Each State of the Federation has a representative in the Committee and Four (4) slots were reserved for women. The Committee held meetings and retreats and from the memoranda submitted it distilled some key issues that have been recurring in the political sphere. It then conceived the idea of taking the issues back to the people for their direct input in the remaking of their Constitution. It was therefore in a bid to make the Nigerian people own the Constitution that the House conducted the Peoples Public Sessions, a grassroots based consultative process. The holding of the Peoples Public Sessions on the review of the Constitution on November 10, 2012 was a major milestone in that the process of Constitution alteration was taken to the Nigerian people in their home steads. The House received the collaboration of professional groups, labour unions, Civil Society Organisations and Youth Groups in the organisation of the Peoples Public Sessions which held simultaneously in all the 360 Federal Constituencies in Nigeria on that day. The Committee formulated a 43 item template of questions which was presented before the people to decide on. The issues were distilled from the memoranda earlier received by the Committee. Reports received by the House indicated massive participation of Nigerians across various divides during the sessions. A sample of the outcome of the votes on the 43 item template of issues in the 360 Federal Constituencies is thus: [1] Should State Houses of Assembly be granted financial autonomy/Independence? Yes - 324; No - 26; Undecided - 10; Total: 360 [2] Should section 162(6) be amended to abolish “State Joint Local Government Account” so that allocations due to the Local Government Councils would be paid to them directly? Yes - 295; No - 62; Undecided - 3; Total: 360 [3] Should the Local Government Councils be accorded the status of a third-tier of governmentproperly so called with its own legislative list? Yes - 291; No - 66; Undecided – 3; Total: 360 [4] Should the Constitution be amended to deny revenue allocation to unelected Local Government Councils? Yes - 277; No - 70; Undecided - 13; Total: 360 [5] Should there be a defined tenure for Local Government Council Chairmen/Councillors in the Constitution? Yes - 331; No - 26; Undecided – 3; Total: 360 [6] Should section 197(1) (b) be amended to abolish the State Independent Electoral Commission in order that all elections are conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission? Yes - 261; No - 95; Undecided - 4; Total: 360 [7] Should a provision be instead in the Constitution for rotation of Office of President between the Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria? Yes - 80; No - 275; Undecided – 5; Total: 360 [8] Should there be a provision for independent candidacy in elections? Yes - 292; No - 66; Undecided – 2; Total: 360 [9] Should Nigerians living in the diaspora be granted voting rights? Yes - 46; No - 311; Undecided-3; Total: 360 [10] Should the country abolish the existing bicameral legislature and allow for only one chamber National Assembly? Yes - 47; No - 307; Undecided - 6; Total: 360 [11] Should the Constitution be amended to provide for a parliamentary system instead of the present Presidential System of Government? Yes - 29; No - 236; Undecided – 5; Total: 360 [12] Should the derivation component of revenue allocation be increased to at least 20% Yes-125; No - 224; Undecided-11; Total: 360 [13] Should a role be created for Traditional Rulersin the Constitution, such as their having representation in the National Council of States? Yes - 202; No -155; Undecided - 3 Total: 360 [14] Should the Constitution be amended to address issues of electoral reform, including the time for conducting bye-elections, time limit for determining election petitions, etc? Yes - 259; No - 93; Undecided - 8; Total: 360 [15] Should there be separate offices of the Accountant-General of the Federation and Accountant-General of the Federal Government? Yes - 277; No -27; Undecided – 56; Total: 360 [16] Should the Office of Attorney-General of the Federation be separated from that of the Minister of Justice? Yes - 282; No - 24; Undecided – 54; Total: 360 [17] Should the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission be empowered to forward proposals for revenue allocation directly to the National Assembly rather than through the President? Yes - 257; No - 46; Undecided - 57; Total: 360 [18] Should indigenship of an area be defined to include person who have resided in an area for a continuous long period, and therefore entitled to accruing rights, duties and privileges? Yes - 188; No - 167; Undecided – 5; Total: 360 [19] Should the aspects of the Constitution related to the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy in Chapter II which deal with political, economic, social, educational and cultural objectives be made justiciable or enforceable like the Fundamental Human Rights in Chapter IV? Yes - 279; No - 78; Undecided - 3 Total: 360 [20] Should the Constitution be amended so the power to create Local Government Areas now rest exclusively with the states, such that states assume responsibility for the funding of Local Governments? Yes - 78; No - 276; Undecided - 6 Total: 360 [21] Should Section 214(1) be amended to enable the establishment of a State Police? Yes - 53; No - 307; Undecided - 0 Total: 360 The collated results were presented to the public and a Bill was produced therefrom. Then on July 23, 2013 the Bill was overwhelmingly voted on and approved by the constitutionally required two-thirds (2/3) votes of Members of the House of Representatives. The Senate version of the Bill varied in a number of areas and so the two chambers met in Conference and harmonised the Bill. The product of that Conference was again adopted by the two chambers, thus setting the Stage for the ceremony we are having today, which is the Transmission of the Constitution (Fourth Alteration) Bill, 2014 to the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures. The Bill is now leaving the precinct of the National Assembly to dwell with the State Houses of Assembly. Let me use this opportunity to say that we are not at loggerheads with anybody or institution. Some of the amendments are not intended to little down the powers of any tier of government, or to undermine any tier. They simply reflect the views of Nigerians which was expressed at the Peoples Public Sessions, conducted in the 360 Federal Constituencies of Nigeria. I dare say that in a Constitutional democracy which we are operating, the voice of the people should count for something. It is easy for some people to sit in the comfort of their offices and homes and pontificate on what they think that Nigerians want. It is a different thing when the view of Nigerians are sought directly as we did. As individuals and actors we may differ from the views of the people on grounds of principles of federalism and other reasons. But as democrats, we are bound to respect their views. The practice of federalism varies from one country to another and reflects to a large extent the country’s history, traditions, practices and precedents. Nigerians have chosen the type of federalism they want. We should respect it. To each of our institutions, the Constitution gave a sacred mandate and a unique role. We have played our part. We expect you to play yours. The judgement of history will not be fair on you if, owing to present circumstances, you shirk your duty to bequeath to posterity a constitutional order that will help in putting Nigeria’s democracy on a firmer pedestal. I thank you all. RT. HON. EMEKA IHEDIOHA, CON Deputy Speaker/Chairman House Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the Constitution October, 28, 2014
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 11:14:29 +0000
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