New Constitution: Take Your Requests To State Assemblies, NASS Tells Nigerians

The National Assembly yesterday disclosed that it would transmit the report of the ongoing constitution review to 36 state assemblies before December 2025 consistent with its design and timetable.

The parliament, however, challenged all stakeholders with special requests to engage and lobby their state assemblies, noting that the National Assembly “cannot successfully review the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) without their approval.

Leader of the Senate/Zonal chairman, Senate Committee on the Review of 1999 Constitution, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, made this disclosure at the conclusion of the two-day zonal public hearing on the Review of the 1999 Constitution held in Lagos.

Since the beginning of alterations of the Constitution in the Fourth Republic in 1999, devolution of powers, local government autonomy, creation of additional states and establishment of state police, among others have taken center stage at the zonal public hearing.

At the public hearing on Saturday were Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Olarere Oyewunmi; Chairperson, Senate Committee on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Oluranti Adebule; Chairperson, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ipalibo Banigo; Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Procurement, Senator Olajide Ipinsangba and Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Adeniyi Adegbomire, among others.

Addressing the stakeholders, Bamide disclosed that the report of the constitution review committee would be transmitted to all State Houses of Assembly before December 2025 consistent with the timetable of the exercise.
According to him, ‘‘We have completed the public hearing. We are now 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 the constitution review.’’

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He, therefore, noted that the constitution review “is not a jamboree contrary to some dissenting views across the federation. Rather, it is designed to make consequential reforms that can guarantee our collective prosperity, more efficient governance structure and sustainable development.”

Bamidele also observed that the National Assembly would be handicapped to successfully complete the constitution review process if all the amendments proposed by the stakeholders were not approved by the two-third of state assemblies.

The zonal chairman of the constitution review committee, thus, challenged all stakeholders across the federation to lobby all state assemblies and their lawmakers to secure basic requirements for the successful amendment of the 1999 Constitution.

While he promised the National Assembly would process all the proposals it received so far and transmit them to the state assemblies, Bamidele challenged the stakeholders to decisively engage and lobby all the state legislatures if all the amendments would become part of the Constitution.

Bamidele said, “There is nothing the National Assembly can do without a two-thirds approval of all proposals by the state legislatures. All stakeholders must work with their lawmakers at the state level. We must appreciate the role of state assemblies to ensure the passage of the proposals into laws.

“State assemblies are part of the process. We have been in Lagos State in the last 48 hours, listening to people’s aspirations, concerns and will. All six states in the geo-political zone were represented by their elected representatives. We are in this process together to receive their presentations.

“The state assemblies are already anticipating the report of the constitution review from the National Assembly. They are not waiting for the report alone. They are also part of the constitution review process. I do not envisage any problem from the state assemblies.

“Therefore, we are advising all the stakeholders who are also looking for special considerations to extend their advocacies to the state assemblies. It is not just about them as elected representatives, but as representatives of people who elected them. People should be aware when they are making decisions to be sure that they are also doing so in consonance with the wishes of their constituents.”

Also at the public hearing, Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria and Speaker, Oyo State Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin solicited for more power to be devolved to subnational governments for rapid and accelerated development.

Ogundoyin, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abiodun Fadeyi, said both federal and state governments should be allowed to legislate on issues that border on solid minerals, labour matters, drug and poisons, telecommunications, stamp duty amongst others.

He said, “Devolution of powers is key to this on-going constitutional amendment by devolving key items from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List in the interest of all. For instance, the removal of the electricity matter from the Exclusive Legislative List has significantly transformed many states’ power sector through independent power supply initiatives. ”

Ogundoyin also backed the establishment of state police, pointing its benefits to include improved local security, community policing, decongestion of federal responsibilities, enhanced accountability and employment opportunities.

The speaker said, “Concerning the state police, all the stakeholders will agree with me that the debate over the establishment of state policing has garnered momentum from both supporters and critics. The potential benefits of state police far outweigh the challenges.

“In essence, what the amendment seeks to address will be the powers, responsibilities and limits of the state police should be clearly defined, provide oversight mechanisms to prevent abuse and design a comprehensive framework for federal and state police to work in harmony to balance power and for effective coordination mechanisms.”