Constitution Review: National Assembly Transmits 44 Bills to States

Sunday Aborisade

The National Assembly yesterday transmitted 44 constitution alteration bills to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for concurrence.

The Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr. Olatunde Ojo, distributed the copies of the bills to clerks of the state legislature at a ceremony in Abuja.

He said the transmission of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to states was the first time since the country returned to civil rule in 1999, when the clerks would be invited physically to the National Assembly.

He said the event was in compliance with Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended).

 He said, “We must see ourselves as bona fide and privileged representatives of the Nigerian people, because what we are doing today is one of the sacred and cardinal obligations of responsible and responsive servants of the people.

“The journey towards the Fifth Alteration started at the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly that took Constitutional Amendment as one of its key legislative priorities among others.

 “Given the importance of alterations to the constitution, the two chambers of the 9th Assembly at inception inaugurated committees on Constitutional Amendment headed by the Deputy President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase respectively.

 “The 9th Assembly has since delivered on this key legislative priority and has equally passed 44 Bills for the alteration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 “Today, we are transmitting to you a total number of 44 bills as passed by the National Assembly.”

According to him, the bills deal with major issues on developments, governance, politics and the economy.

“It touches on issues which include the abrogation of the state Joint local government account, financial independence of state legislatures and judiciary in compliance with legislative autonomy, timelines for civil and criminal cases.

“With the transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bills, 2022, it must be made clear and unambiguous that the 9th National Assembly has started the process of restructuring within the polity.

 “The fact of the matter is that powers are being shared enthusiastically and drastically in the sense that the states are now empowered to generate and distribute electricity, construct and own railways, airports and correctional centres.

“We are now going to have Financial Autonomy at the State Judiciary and the local layer of government.

 “The Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation, even at the various State levels will now be separated, ditto for the Office of the Accountant General Office.

 “You will agree with me that a strengthened Local Government will attract fundamental changes with more professionals as we have created a nursery school where people will learn the ropes of politics and governance, where they will move up the ladder of politics so that there will be no political neophytes,” he added.

Speaking further, he said: “That will be a way of urgently introducing rapid development and democratic progress at the third tier of government.

 “All stakeholders and drivers of pragmatic implementation of these alterations are hereby urged to put on the garment of fervent patriotism to make things work accordingly.”

 He solicited the support of the journalists and the civil society groups in the remaining process.

The Chairperson of the Forum of Clerks who is also the Clerk to the Delta State House of Assembly, Lyna Ocholor, pledged that her colleagues would carry out necessary legislative actions on the bills.

Both chambers of the federal parliament had considered and approved 44 out of the 68 bills meant to alter the 1999 Constitution as amended.