Conference of Speakers Tackle Omo – Agege over Comments on Constitution Review

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria (CSSLN) has declared that the press release recently authored by the Deputy President and Chairman, Constitution Review Committee, Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, on the ongoing constitution review exercise made on October 18, 2022, was designed not only to blackmail the State Houses of Assembly but also to undermine them.

The CSSLN, therefore, declared that it would “like to make it clear that we will not give in to blackmail and intimidation by anyone no matter how highly placed,” stressing that it has never truncated and will never truncate any constitution alteration exercise in the country.

The conference, in a rejoinder to the Press Release by the Deputy President and the Chairman Constitution Review Committee, Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, on the ongoing constitution review exercise made on October 18, 2022, stated that the response would have been unnecessary.

A press release that was issued yesterday by the Chairman of CSSLN, Rt. Hon. Abubakar Y. Suleiman, who is also the Speaker Bauchi State House of Assembly, stated that “it is, therefore, imperative we make clarifications in the misrepresentations of the CSSLN and indeed the State Houses of Assembly.”

The release added that “Senator Ovie Omo-Agege rightly alluded to a letter by the CSSLN conveying the four bills for consideration by the National Assembly.

“The letter was addressed to the two chairmen of both the committees of the National Assembly on the Constitution Review separately.”.

Sulaiman also added that “what we raised in our letter as highlighted by the Deputy Senate President were same issues we have consistently raised in many fora of our engagements with the two committees on Constitution Review of the National Assembly long before the transmission of the resolutions of the National Assembly to the State Houses of Assembly.

“As major stakeholders in the constitution alteration exercise and the representatives of the people at the grass roots, we are by far in a better position to know basic and pressing needs of the people.

“Hence, our appeal for the inclusion of the bill. For instance, the issue of insecurity should agitate any conscientious leaders. So we believe this should be tackled frontally by the government.”

“And the best way and the most generally acceptable way to curb the menace, we believe, are by providing for state policing in the constitution. Sadly, the proposed amendment was missing in the resolutions transmitted by the National Assembly to the State Houses of Assembly.”

He stressed that “so, for the great importance of this proposed amendment and others namely, streamlining the procedure for removing Presiding Officers of State Assemblies, Institutionalising State Legislative Bureaucracy in the Constitution, and Establishing State Judicial Council; the Conference of Speakers further appealed to the National Assembly for their inclusion in the exercise.  

“Expectedly, a reply by Sen Ovie Omo-Agege to our letter was received on the 6th October, 2022, acknowledging importance of the four Bills for incorporation in the alteration exercise and appealing to the State Houses of Assembly to proceed on the initial 44 bills transmitted,” he explained.

Sulaiman further explained that “on the strong appeal by Ovie Omo-Agege and assurance that the four bills would be considered, the State Houses of Assembly have already proceeded on the ratification of the resolutions of the National Assembly on the Constitution Review.” 

He lamented that “it is rather very disheartening that the Deputy Senate President could make a turnaround within few days of his reply to our letter to blackmail the Hon Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly by erroneously saying the Conference of Speakers are using the four bills as a quid pro quo to act on the 44 Bills the National Assembly transmitted to State Houses of Assembly.”

He stressed that “the inconsistency and flip-flop displayed in his statements are regrettable and beneath the dignity of the occupant of such a revered office.”   

He, however, explained that “contrary to the number given by Omo-Agege, the actual number of the State Houses of Assembly that have, so far, passed the resolutions of the National Assembly on the Constitution Review is 16.” .

The states according to him are “Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Katsina, and Adamawa States. We believe the misrepresentation was deliberate to demonize the Hon Speakers and the State Houses of Assembly in the eye of the citizenry. This is also regrettable and disappointing.

“The Deputy Senate President in his statements has undermined the Hon Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly by suggesting that they are stooges to the Governors. Sen Ovie Omo-Agege would perhaps want to see the Hon Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly to be confrontational with the Governors in their respective States. Agreed, one of the cardinal principles of Democracy is Checks and Balances, but it must not be carried out in a confrontational manner.” 

According to him, “It is not out of place if the Executive Governors are carried along in the process of altering the Constitution of the nation but it is wrong to insinuate that the Hon Speakers have abandoned their constitutional role for the Governor’s.” 

He added that “His Excellency, the Deputy President, Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in his statements said the transmission of the resolution of the National Assembly has been made for six months now.”

Sulaiman concluded stating that “it is correct. However, it should be made clear that the transmission was done when political parties’ national, sub-national conventions as well as parties’ primaries were being conducted in the country. Hence, the political parties’ primaries and other activities delayed the process at the state level.”

He stressed that “alteration exercise of the Constitution is too important for a few to assume exclusive powers for.  And while reiterating our resolve to ratify the resolutions of the National Assembly on the ongoing review of the Constitution, it is important to educate that State Houses of Assembly are individually empowered by the constitution to play their roles according to the needs of the people, and that we shall do without playing to the gallery.”