Constitution Review: Senate Submits Interim Report …No Need For Christian Courts – CAN North

The Senate, yesterday, received the status report of its Constitution Review Committee, just as it has made it mandatory that henceforth the President and Governors must assign portfolios to persons nominated as ministers or commissioners respectively prior to confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly.

This was contained as amended in Sections 147 and 192 of the Constitution.

It has also made it mandatory for the President to attend a joint meeting of the National Assembly once a year to deliver a State of the Nation Address and removed the lawmaking power of the executive arm of government under Section 315.

The extant provision is starkly contrary to Section 4 of the Constitution which confers law-making powers exclusively on the legislature.

In the report, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been empowered to de-register political parties for non-fulfillment of certain conditions such as breach of registration requirements and failure to secure/win either presidential, governorship, local government chairmanship or a seat in the National or State Assembly elections.

The committee has also recommended that the Federal Government must make a provision for national savings of 50 per cent of oil revenues above the bench mark for a particular year and 10 per cent of any non-oil revenue paid into the Federation Account.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 Northern States and Abuja has kicked against the proposed bill for Christian Courts before the House of Representatives.

They said the Christian Courts Bill at this point in time, was unnecessary as it would only trigger crisis in the country.

The position of the Northern CAN was made known to our correspondent in Kaduna, yesterday, by the Public Relations Officer of the association, Rev. John Hayab.

He expressed concern over the inherent danger posed by the proposed bill that had scaled the second reading in the House.

The bill is sponsored by Hon. Gyang Dung (PDP) from Plateau State and eight other members of the House.

Gyang while presenting the bill during plenary on Tuesday had said the courts would complement the regular courts especially with matters relating to the tenets of the Christian faith, when established.

Dung, however, noted that it shall be between individuals and groups that yield and submit to its jurisdiction.

But the Christian body noted that rather than embarking on an enterprise that could throw the entire country into crisis, the lawmakers should legislate laws that unite Nigerians.

“This Christian Courts Bill cannot help us,…that is why we are voicing it out.

“This thing is not really what Nigerians want now,” he said.