State Governors Frustrating Constitution Review – National Assembly

By Ayodele Oni

The brickbats generated by the continued delay in the proposed constitutional amendment continue as the national assembly shift blame on state Governors.

The highest legislative body in the country accused state governors of trying to stall the process of further amendment to the nation’s constitution being carried out by the federal parliament.

Chairman, Senate Ad hoc Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, made the allegation at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

On its part, Conference of Nigeria Speakers also shares in the blame game as members reportedly vowed not to pass the 44 Constitution Review Bills transmitted to them by the National Assembly until four bills they have proposed are passed.

He said the four bills being demanded by the Speakers included that on State Police.

Omo-Agege, who is the deputy president of the Senate, however said that he had the blessings of the committee’s Chairman, Ahmed Idris Wase, who is out of the country on a national assignment, to go ahead with the conference.

He disclosed that only 11 states have so far considered and performed their constitutional role of passing amendments to the constitution.

The lawmaker lamented that the Speakers of State Houses of Assembly through a letter to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review have given four conditions upon which the remaining 25 states will pass the amendments.

He described the letter as the “hands of Esau and voice of Jacob”, saying “state governors are behind the action of the speakers to stall the process.”

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.

The press conference was organized by the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review.

However, the Chairman, House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Constitution Review, Wase, was absent at the briefing.