Outcome of Constitutional Review will Bring True Federalism, Deputy Speaker, Kalu Tells Nigerians

*Take politics as service not business, Fayemi charges South-west Speakers

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has urged Nigerians not to be skeptical about the forthcoming constitutional amendments, promising that the outcome will bring true federalism.
 Kalu stated this at the South-west Retreat for Speakers and Principal Officers of the State Houses of Assembly, in Ikogosi-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

This is just as the former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi tasked the legislators to regard politics as a call to service and not a money-making business enterprise to rip the people they are representing.
The theme of the retreat, which was sponsored by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCRO), was: “Strengthening Democratic Governance at the sub-national level.”

 Speaking with journalists, Kalu, who is also the Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee of the House, revealed that the House had received 161 proposals on the amendments in the constitution, which according to him will take effect from January 2025.
 He harped on the effective collaboration between the Green Chamber and state Houses of Assembly, saying they are the fundamental body to facilitate the constitutional review.
Kalu said: “In the amendment of the constitution, there is a process that the constitution abides with and one of them is the participation of the state legislation.
“You cannot amend the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without the involvement of the state legislatures. They occupy the cardinal, fundamental position in the structure of the amendment of the Constitution.

“This visit is to strengthen our relationship. A constitution review is being done and brought back to the legislators.
“We are here today to see the South-west Caucus of the House of Assembly to inform them of the process and how far we have gone in our efforts to have a constitution review by December 2025.
“161 proposals have been received from the memorandum given out to the public. Federalism will be the decision of Nigerians based on submission by them when we call for a document.
 “We are working on what Nigerians said should be included in the new constitution. We will get our information from the town hall meeting we will commence by January, 2025, people will be incorporated”

 On his part, the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly and Chairman, South-west caucus, Hon Stephen Aribasoye, hailed the National Assembly for collaborating with the region, stressing that such intimacy will foster unity and bring success in the process of constitutional review.

 Also speaking, the Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, represented by Secretary to the State Government, Alhaja Abibat Adubiaro, commended the South-west caucus for being at the front burner of human development.

 On his part, former Governor Fayemi tasked the legislators to view politics as a call to service and not a money-making business enterprise to rip the people they are representing.

 He also urged them to improve their quality of service being rendered in order to gain the trust of the citizenry.