Constitution Amendment: A’Ibom Approves Local Government Autonomy

Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has ratified local government autonomy, judiciary autonomy and legislature autonomy.

The House however, rejected item 46, seeking to alter the provisions of the third schedule to the 1999 constitution (as amended) to include the presiding officers of the National Assembly (NASS) in the membership of the National Security Council (NSC) and other related matters.

The Akwa Ibom House ratified all the other items transmitted to it for consideration by National Assembly.

During the May 5, 2022 plenary, the House had confirmed the receipt of a letter from the National Assembly, requesting the lawmakers to pass resolutions in support or against 44 proposed constitutional amendments, “in line with section 9 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended”.

The message of the clerk to the National Assembly was thereafter referred to the Ad-hoc committee on the transmitted constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bills, 2022, with the house leader, Udo Akpan as the chairman.

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However, at the committee’s plenary on Tuesday, Akpan explained that the committee  had held a stakeholders meeting ,where the transmitted bills were sorted into four broad groups including Devolution of Powers/Sundry Matters; Political Parties/Elections/Political Office Holders; Executive/Legislature/Judiciary, as well as Local Government/Federal Capital Territory/Statutory Bodies.

He added that “the discussions at the public hearing, which was attended by senior advocates nigeria, former chief judge, retired and serving judges, civil society and youth organisations, socio-cultural groups, traditional institutions and other participants, were illuminative, demonstrative and exhaustive”.

He urged the House to listen to the people, who he noted, spoke through the stakeholders.

Subsequently, the House concurred to 65 items out of 66 items in Fifth Alteration Bills at the Committee of the Whole House through voting.