By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senate yesterday constituted a 45-member committee to further review and amend the 1999 Constitution.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the composition of the committee during the plenary.
Akpabio said the committee will be chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, while the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele would be the deputy chairman.
The Senate President explained that the 1999 constitution needs a review because it contains many issues that need to be “put right.”
He also highlighted the introduction of Artificial Intelligence as a major factor for the need to amend the constitution.
Akpabio said, “There is a need for us to touch some aspects of the constitution to bring them in line with current relatives, particularly with the era of artificial intelligence and some of the things we have observed that need to be put right.”
The Senate President also directed that all Speakers of the State House of Assemblies should be invited to the National Assembly for interaction as part of the constitution amendment process.
“The Deputy Senate President, you also invite speakers of all state houses of assemblies for interaction with the Senate President before we go into the major issues of presenting the different memos” he added.
The Senate President explained that lawmakers who constituted the constitution amendment committee were selected from all states and geo-political zones.
He also claimed that members of the committee are from all political parties in the Senate.
He said, “It is all political parties and all senatorial districts, all zones are taken care of. We are taking one senator per state because we are talking about the constitutional amendment. One Senator per state and then we are also taking one senator representing each geo-political zone.
“So, in case you noticed two senators from one state that would mean that one of them represents the zone, while there’s one senator from that zone representing that state.”
The Senate President noted that the constitution amendment committee will be inaugurated next Tuesday and they will commence the review process immediately.
“The committee will be inaugurated on Tuesday so that they can start functioning immediately. All the motions and resolutions about constitution amendment that have been brought to the senate since last year will now be channelled straight to that committee.”
Apart from Messrs Barau and Bamidele, other members of the constitution amendment committee are Deputy Senate Leader, Oyelola Ashiru; Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume; Deputy Whip, Nwebonyi Onyeka; Minority Leader, Abba Moro; Minority Whip, Osita Ngwu; Deputy Minority Leader, Oyewunmi Olalere, and the Minority Whip Sani Hangar.
Others are Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Binus Dauda Yaroe, Bassey Etim Akpan, Ifeanyi Ubah, Abdul Ningi, Seriake Dickson, Agom Jarigbe, Ned Nwoko, Adams Oshiomhole, Danjuma Goje, Osita Izunaso, Abdulhamid Ahmed and Khalid Mustapha.
They also included senators Sani Rufai, Mutari Dandutse, Yahaya Abdullahi, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Adebule Oluranti, Ugodiya Akwashiki, Sani Musa and Solomon Adeola.
The list also included Adeniyi Ayodele, Abdulfatai Buhari, Simon Lalong, Aliyu Wamako, Shuaibu Lau, Ahmed Lawan, Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u, Ireti Kingigbe, and Ipalibo Banigo.
The senators who would represent their geopolitical zones are, Adamu Aliero (North-West); Orji Uzor Kalu (South-East) Francis Fadahunsi (South-West); Bomai Mohammed (North-West); Barinada Mpigi (South-south) and Umar Sadiq Sulaiman (North-central)
*60 Reps propose bill to return Nigeria to parliamentary system, say the move will reduce the cost of governance, elections
No fewer than 60 members of the House of Representatives have proposed bills to alter the 1999 constitution to return the country to parliamentary democracy as practised in the First Republic.
Addressing a news conference ahead of the presentation of the bills to the House, the spokesman of the Parliamentary Bill Sponsors, Abdussamad Dasuki said the return to the parliamentary system of government will drastically reduce the cost of elections in the country.
He said the plan to return to the parliamentary system of government may not take place now, adding that the sponsors are targeting the 2031 general elections for a return to parliamentary democracy.
He said, for now, about 60 members of the House have signed up for the bill.
Dasuki said the sponsors of the bill cut across party and regional affliction, saying, “We stand on the cusp of history, as lawmakers across party affiliations and regional backgrounds come together to present bills proposing Constitutional Alterations that seek a transition to Parliamentary System of Government.
These bills, seeking to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, advocate a transition from the current presidential system to a parliamentary system at all levels – federal, state, and local government.
“The proposed alterations, when passed, would significantly impact the national political landscape. Our founders in their wisdom and a political atmosphere devoid of compulsion, and having considered the interests of their native peoples and their desire to live together in a country where truth and justice reign, where no man is oppressed, and where all citizens live in peace and plenty, adopted the parliamentary System of Government.
“That was the governance system of the First Republic, a period when legislative and executive powers were exercised by the representatives of the people in parliament and the executive, and by the nature of the system these representatives were accountable to the people.
“For six years while it was in operation, the system worked for the country. The collapse of the First Republic and the long stretch of military rule culminated in the adoption of a new system of government, theoretically fashioned after the Presidential System of the United States but in practice imbibed the uttermost attributes of military rule. No wonder the Nigerian President appears to be one of the most powerful Presidents in the world.”
The Sokoto lawmaker argued that over the years, the imperfections of the Presidential System of Government have become glaring to all, despite several alterations to the constitution to address the shortcomings of a system that has denied the nation the opportunity to attain its full potential.
“Among these imperfections are the high cost of governance, leaving fewer resources for crucial areas like infrastructure, education, and healthcare, and consequently hindering the nation’s development progress, and the excessive powers vested in the members of the executive, who are appointees and not directly accountable to the people.
“The bills presented today seek a return to the system of government adopted by our founders, which made governance accountable, responsible, responsive, and ultimately less expensive.
“With the presentation of these bills, we hope to ignite, and provoke a national conversation about the future of the Nigerian governance system, to ensure robust public debates, stakeholder consultations, expert analyses, and a thorough and informed decision-making process.
He said they also hope to raise awareness about this significant development and encourage constructive dialogue on the potential implications of these proposed constitutional alterations.
He stressed that the future of Nigerian governance rests on informed public engagement and responsive and responsible leadership.
He emphasised that the fundamental changes outlined in the bills include replacing the President with a Prime Minister to serve as the Head of Government and establishing the office of the President as a ceremonial leader.
Those elective offices, he said are to be chosen from the elected members of the legislature, while the process of electing Governors and Chairmen of Local Governments from general election to voting within their respective legislative bodies.
He said the system will potentially reduce bureaucratic hurdles and foster closer collaboration between the executive and legislative branches.
He said, “Our conviction is that a streamlined Executive Branch, which replaces the President and Vice President with a Prime Minister and Cabinet chosen from the legislature could lead to a smaller central government, reducing salaries and administrative expenses.
“We also hold strongly that shifting the election of Governors and Local Government Chairmen from the general election to votes within their respective legislative bodies could save billions spent on state and nationwide campaigns.
“Because ministers, commissioners (at the state level), and supervisors (at the local government level) emerge from parliament, there is greater coordination between the executive and the legislature, just as there will be increased legislative scrutiny, which would make cabinet members responsive to the yearnings of the people and more accountable.
“The proponents of these alterations to the constitution for a parliamentary system of government have placed the interest of our nation above all other interests. We hope that the national conversation that would be ignited by these bills would lead to a system of government that works and our dear nation would attain her full potential.”
