Reps Defer Debate On Constitution Amendment Report; As Senate Rejects 6yr Single Term …Grants States Power On Aviation, Railway

A cross section of participants at the Civil Service week in Port Harcourt, yesterday

The House of Representatives yesterday in Abuja deferred the consideration of the 1999 Constitution amendment report today.
This resolution followed complaints by some members that they did not have copies of the report to be considered.
The ad hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution presented their report to the House on July 4.
Earlier, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, advised members to avoid propagating their own interest against that of their constituents while considering the report.
Tambuwal said, “My advice is that we proceed with the wishes of the people. When it is time to vote, we should not vote against the wishes of our people.
“We should proceed with the wishes of the people and not that of some political leaders in our constituencies.”
He said that some Nigerians had advocated subjecting the amended constitution to a referendum, whereas the constitution had clearly spelt out ways it could be amended.
“The constitution has prescribed the procedure for amendment and we cannot go outside it.
The Senate by its voting on the alteration of some clauses in the Constitution of the Federal Republic, yesterday finally laid to rest the recommendation for a 6 -year single term for President, vice president and Governors and their deputies and voted massively against the clause.
Contrary to expectations the clause for autonomy for local governments, in spite of the support it enjoyed during the debate also failed to scale through as most senators voted against the alteration.
The change of the name from Nigeria police force to Nigeria Police Service also was scuttled by the senators just as their votes succeeded in saving NYSC from being scrapped.
Alteration of section 195 of the Constitution which provides for Separation of the office of the Attorney General, from the Minister of Justice’s position and same for the state attorney-general and the commissioner for Justice was also voted against.
However, the Senate by its voting was able to grant states legislative jurisdiction in the area of aviation, environment, healthcare, railways, and labour issues. As they were removed from Exclusive list to concurrents Prisons, public complaints, road safety and arbitration were retained in the Exclusive list.
The voting on the clauses which lasted for about five hours was a true indication of complexities in the exercise as it became very difficult for most of the clauses even those perceived as worthy of alteration (and could have scaled through by simple majority) to get the required two-third majority for any alteration.
The Senate session had 101 senators in attendance including the Senate President who is the presiding officer and who votes when only one vote is required to attain a particular decision
Amongst the recommended alterations, which failed to fly as the senators voted, were section 29. which sought to delete its subsection (4)(b) making marriage status enough qualification for renunciation of citizenship instead of only age of 18.
This clause, however stirred up drama as Senator Sani Ahmed Yerima (Zamfara) was quick to kick against it on the note that if altered it would go against dictates of Islam as Islamic marriage can be conducted at any age. Yerima, it would be recalled has been in the news and public discuss as the Senator who married a 13+year old girl (adjudged under-aged by civil society groups).
However, Yerima had it in his favour as those for the deletion of the claude got only 60 votes against the required 73 votes (2-3rd majority)
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe briefing Journalists after plenary explained that the Senate had only those clauses to vote on as those were the 30 clauses recommended by the Senate Committee on Constitution chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekeremmadu.
Senator Abaribe noted that some of the popular issues as states creation could meet up with the requirements to be slated for voting.
On the recommendation for removal of immunity clause, Abaribe said the clause was not part of the senate debate and therefore, not amongst issues for voting.
The Senate is to hold a valedictory section for their late colleague.

Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi (Abuja)