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Here again, the National Assembly began the process of amending the 1999 Constitution.
Between May and June, the Senate and House of Representatives committees on constitutional review held public hearings in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The committees, statutorily chaired by the vice-president of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege; and Vice President Idris Wase invited the general public, executive and judicial bodies, traditional institutions, political parties, civil society organizations, professional bodies and others to attend and comment on the hearings.
During the hearings, some of the issues raised by Nigerians are the creation of more states, state police, decentralization of powers, restructuring of the federation, electoral reforms, repeal of the clause of immunity, term of office, financial autonomy of the judiciary and local governments. and the drafting of a brand new constitution.
Others are the independent candidacy, the age limit for candidates for political office, the separation of the office of the Attorney General from the office of the Minister of Justice, the law on land use, inclusion of women, the referendum, the increase in the derivation, the impeachment clause, etc.
At the start of the current fiscal year, Senate Speaker Ahmed Lawan assured that the public hearings were a platform for Nigerians to contribute to the process.
“We believe that we must do whatever is necessary to provide a platform for Nigerians to express their views, give their positions and solicit anything that they believe would improve our country and make governance more efficient and successful. “said Mr. Lawan.
As I have said before, we have no preconceived position on anything and therefore now is the time for our fellow citizens to seize the opportunity.
This is not the first time that legislators have embarked on the revision of the constitution, which entered into force in 1999 with the return to democratic rule.
The legislature has embarked on the revision of the constitution since the 5th National Assembly.
While some amendments have been successful in the past, many others have suffered serial failures but have continued to appear in new proposals.
Important individuals, group kicks
Prominent groups and individuals, however, have expressed their opposition to the ongoing review. While some have said the process is a waste of time, others have argued that it is a waste of money. Therefore, they did not participate in the public hearings and did not submit a brief to the Federal Legislature.
Some of them are:
Northern Seniors Forum
The Northern Elders Forum said it was opposed to the review because it is not only a waste of time but also a waste of resources.
Group spokesman Hakeem Baba-Ahmed advised the Senate to drop the unnecessary idea of giving Nigerians the impression that they are involved in a serious overhaul of our Constitution.
He suggested that opinion leaders, elders, professional groups and organizations, and government officials should come together to freely discuss every element of our coexistence as a country on the principles of volunteerism, genuine representation, mutual respect and integrity of the process.
The outcome of this conference, he added, should then be submitted to the National Assembly, which will then provide for a referendum in the constitution so that Nigerians can directly decide how they want the country to be structured and works.
Afenifere, Ohanaeze, PANDEF, Middle Belt Forum
The SMBLF, which includes the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Middle-Belt Forum, said the National Assembly is wasting its time amending the document, saying what the country needs, c is of a new constitution written by the people.
The group urged the federal government to heed genuine and reasonable national calls for a transparent national dialogue and to take urgent action to restructure and give birth to a new constitution; bring back a fair harmony in the country.
Governor Makinde of Oyo State
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, while explaining why the state did not participate in the public hearings, also said the exercise was a complete waste of time.
“What is the constitutional review? It really is a total waste of time. In 2014, they took people to Abuja, they stayed there and they produced a document. Yes, President Jonathan did not sign it because he believed he was going to be re-elected and wanted to sign it after his return, he said.
Mr Makinde had previously called for a restructuring and decentralization of power, but doubted that the review committee would complete this.
Governor Okowa of Delta
Like his counterpart in Oyo, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State also opposed the review. For the governor, who is a former senator, Nigeria needs a new constitution rather than an overhaul.
Governor Akeredolu of Ondo
For his part, the governor of Ondo, Rotimi Akeredolu, called for a return to the Constitution of 1963, which gave the regions the power to develop at their own pace.
“The 1963 Constitution, which reflected the country’s republican status, has remained the best document for a country as heterogeneous as Nigeria,” he said.
Ex-Gov Segun Person from Ogun
A former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, also advocated the return of the country to the Republican Constitution of 1963.
I hope that we can return to the constitution of 1963 because, at that time, each of the regions was developing at its own pace. It would therefore have been very nice to go back to the constitution of 1963 which has been negotiated many times with so many conferences. the country’s return to the Republican Constitution of 1963, he said.
Mao Ohuabunwa
A former senator, Mao Ohuabunwa, said the 1999 constitution is too flawed and what Nigeria needs is a brand new constitution.
He said the 1999 constitution was imposed on Nigerians by the military.
Afe Babalola
Afe Babalola, a legal icon, argued that there was no way for the National Assembly to change the constitution to address the inherent flaws.
He said that rather than a constitutional review, the National Assembly could have called for a national conference where the issues plaguing the nation could be identified, discussed and resolved through a roundtable.
Mike Ozekhome
Another legal authority, Mike Ozekhome, said the 1999 constitution is a bad document that cannot be amended.
The deputies of the National Assembly are afraid; they want to amend. Can you edit a bad document? Even if you give it a million amendments, that can’t solve our problems, he said.
Mr Ozekhome said Nigeria is currently operating under a stifling system, owing to the constitution which he called a bogus hell’s abyss document.
Hamza Mustapha
For Hamza Mustapha, a retired major and former head of security (CSO) to the late military head of state, Sani Abacha, the current effort to amend the 1999 Constitution may not work, as it is being done in precipitation.
Constitutional amendments are made to drag everyone along, but I can see a constitutional amendment taking away a few rushed elites.
Constitutional amendments must have time and must not be seen as carrying the views of a few elites abandoning the majority.
Most Nigerians, especially the oppressed in rural communities, are not even aware of what is going on, they don’t even have the money to travel to urban centers for a public hearing.
At the end of the day, you end up listening to the views of a few elites when trying to change the constitution, he said.
Lawmakers push back the opposition
House of Representatives spokesman Benjamin Kalu argued that calls in some quarters to revert to the 1963 Constitution were unnecessary.
However, he advocated the adoption of the highlights of the constitution of 1963 and 1999 to achieve a better outcome of the current constitutional review exercise.
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