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‘Constitutional Amendments’ll Lead To Highest Good For Nigerians’
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, says the proposed constitutional amendments would lead to the highest good for the greatest number of Nigerians.
He said, “Indeed, the ongoing exercise provides a platform for the good people of Nigeria to express their opinions on the fundamental laws that govern our lives.”
The Deputy Senate President, who is also the chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, disclosed this in Sokoto, yesterday.
He spoke at the North-West Zonal Public Hearing, Sokoto Centre, comprising Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, holding simultaneously across the six geopolitical zones of Nigerian.
Represented by the Chairman of the Sokoto Centre, and a former governor of Kebbi State, Senator Adamu Aliero, Omo-Agege said that, the constitutional review represents a critical phase in the nation’s development, as well as advancement as a country.
A statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to Senator Aliyu Wamakko, Bashir Mani, yesterday, quoted Omo-Agege as saying, “So far, we have had over two decades of constitutional rule, under the 1999 Constitution.
“This is an important feat, and we commend ourselves as a country, even if we are not where we aspire to be.
“As a living document, the Constitution, and to a large extent our constitutional democracy needs to be reviewed, from time to time.
“Just as in our day to day lives, we take stock of the past and plan for the future, so must be with the nation.”
The Deputy Senate President further stated that, at the commencement of the 9th Senate, the lawmakers had set for themselves a legislative agenda, as a basis on which they will be assessed.
According to him, conspicuously included in that agenda is the need to address, by way of constitutional amendments, topical and crucial issues like the Judicial and Electoral Reforms, Local Governments Autonomy, Devolution of Powers and Fiscal Federalism, among others.
He explained, “If we get these items through successfully, then, our constitutional democracy will be set on the right pedestal, and ultimately, Nigeria will take its pride of place among the enviable democracies in the world.
“It is, therefore, with great pleasure that I convey the intention of the Senate to leverage on this exercise, to achieve as many milestones as possible.”
Declaring open the exercise, the Sokoto State Governor, Hon Aminu Tambuwal, represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Muhammadu Dan Iya, described the Constitution as the reference point of democracy.
He said, “And in the 22 years of Nigeria’s experience in government by representation, our gains have more than justified our challenges.
“All constitutions are, therefore, work-in-progress, because they are subject to the changing needs and aspirations of the people, at different times.
“And constitutional reviews are the processes for ensuring this guiding document plays that function.”
Also speaking, the Chairman, Progressives Governors’ Forum and Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, opined that, the exercise was coming at the time of Nigeria’s life when more dialogue was direly needed.
He said that, this became more evident and glaring sequel to the prevalence of myriad of topical issues agitating the minds of many Nigerians.
“It is an opportune time to, therefore, collectively brainstorm on how to discuss these issues, for the country to move forward in unison, by having a more robust Constitution.”
There were also goodwill messages from the Speakers of the Sokoto and Zamfara states’ Houses of Assemblies, Aminu Achida, and Nasiru Magarya, respectively.
In a vote of thanks, the senator representing Sokoto North Senatorial District and also a former Governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Wamakko said that, the proposed review of the Constitution was for the good of all Nigerians.
Wamakko, who is a member of the North-West Sub-Committee, Sokoto Centre, lauded the National Assembly for the initiative, as part of the 9th Senate Legislative Agenda.
He commended all Nigerians for participating in the exercise, just as he specifically thanked all governors in Nigeria for their invaluable support to ensure the success of the all-important national assignment.
Wamakko averred that, “It will afford all Nigerians to meaningfully contribute to the review exercise, hence, the entrenchment of a more equitable Nigeria.”
The Board stated this in a statement released by its Corporate Communications Directorate to newsmen, recently, during the inauguration of 140 trainees for the Train 7 Project.
The trainees had undergone the Nigerian Content Human Capacity Development (NC-HCD) programme it organised in partnership with the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The Tide gathered that the training programme was an intensive three-month Advanced NC-HCD Programme for the US$5 billion NLNG Train 7 Project on Bonny Island, Rivers State.
The trainees, The Tide further learnt are graduates in different academic disciplines who have completed a 12-month Basic Training Programme in diverse oil-and-gas-industry-related skill sets and are now set for an on-the-job phase which includes active hands-on participation in operational areas such as Turn Around Maintenance (TAM), Commissioning, and Desktop Programmes.
The Corporate Communications Directorate of the NCDMB told The Tide that in November 2024, a set of 331 trainees under Batch A of the NLNG T7 HCD Training Programme began capacity development in facility management, engineering, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Health Safety and Environment (HSE), Quality Assurance and Quality Control, as well as welding and fabrication.
According to the Board, additional 77 trainees under Batch B of the same Training Programme began capacity development in data analytics and supply chain management among several other fields relevant to the operations of the oil and gas industry.
While addressing the trainees and trainers who were drawn from the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN), Management Personnel of the NCDMB and NLNG, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the Advanced NC-HCD training is more than a milestone.
“The NC-HCD training programme is an expression of the collective commitment of the Board and the NLNG to nurturing world-class Nigerian professionals who will shape the future of our oil and gas industry.
“The Board has remained steadfast in its conviction that Human Capital Development is a critical investment in the sustainability and competitiveness of Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain”, the NCDMB boss said.
He said the situation has resulted in widened knowledge gaps and operational challenges.
As a globally regulated sector, he said it was important that stakeholders put measures in place to attract the talents required to move the industry forward.
Keyamo, therefore, called on stakeholders in the industry to be deliberate in identifying, encouraging, nurturing and harvesting young talents to ensure a sustainable supply of manpower to the aviation sector.
Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the FAAN, Mrs Obiageli Orah, in a release made available to aviation correspondents, noted that the Minister deemed it necessary to attract the right quality of human resources required to move the sector forward.
“As a globally regulated sector, it is important that stakeholders put measures in place to continually attract the right quality and quantity of human resources required to move the industry forward.
“It is important to note that organising training programmes are avenues through which we can breed, nurture, and harvest such human resources.
“One of the critical challenges facing the industry is the ageing and retiring workforce, leading to widened knowledge gaps and operational issues.
“Training programmes, I believe, is among other things designed to make aviation appealing to the younger generation, while encouraging them to develop interest in taking up a career in the industry”, the statement stated.
Meanwhile, some aviation stakeholders have expressed concerns of countless young Nigerians who seek to make their mark in aviation, tourism, and the wider transport ecosystem but often face steep barriers to entry.
According to them, lack of access, limited mentorship, financial constraints, skill mismatches, and systemic gaps, among others, have posed some constraints to them.
The Tide gathered that by the appointment, Ogbe becomes Nigeria’s representative on the Board of the 18-member continental body, which has its headquarters at Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
Ogbe was picked for this role by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who doubles as the Chairman of the NCDMB Governing Council.
The notice of the Executive Secretary’s appointment was conveyed in a congratulatory letter signed by the Director of Support Services, APPO, Mrs. Philomena Ikoko, on behalf of the Secretary-General of the organisation, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim.
She applauded the NCDMB boss on the confidence reposed in him by the Minister, expressing her belief that he would make immense contributions to the development of the African oil and gas industry.
Mrs Ikoko stated that Ogbe was joining the Executive Board of APPO at a challenging time for the oil and gas industry, especially in Africa.
“Your appointment is a major call to duty for Nigeria and the continent. The secretariat will give you the support you will need to make a success of your assignment”, she said.
According to a statement by the Directorate of Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, the NCDMB played key roles in catalysing the operations of APPO and the development of local content in Africa.
The statement added that the board was providing institutional support and mentorship to several oil producing countries in their formulation of local content policies.
“The NCDMB initiated the African Local Content Roundtable (ALCR) and hosted the inaugural edition in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, in June 2021, and the event was attended by key officials of APPO and other oil industry players.
“The idea for the Africa Energy Bank (AEB) was mooted by NCDMB’s officials at the event, as one of the strategies that would accelerate the growth of the African oil and gas industry and deepen local content.
“The Board also collaborated with APPO to host subsequent editions of the African Local Content Roundtable (ALCR), including the 2023 edition held at Abuja.
“The Africa Energy Bank, which APPO is setting up at Abuja, is aimed at pooling financial resources needed to fund big-ticket oil and gas projects across the continent, and bridge funding challenges currently impeding the development of the sector”, the NCDMB’S said.
Meanwhile, the APPO Secretary-General has said the Africa Energy Bank seeks to fund oil and gas projects across economies in Africa and help to plug critical financing gaps that exist through the continent’s over reliance on financiers from the West.
He added that each APPO member country is expected to raise $83 million with an objective of raising $5 billion capital for the establishment of the Bank.
The Tide learnt that recently Nigeria, Angola and Ghana have contributed their share capital for the African Energy Bank, which represents 44 percent of the trio’s contributions to the minimum capital that is required from oil producing countries in the continent.
It would be recalled that at the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) held recently, the NCDMB’s Scribe confirmed that the agency was part of key institutions that pooled resources for the formation of the Africa Energy Bank.
Ogbe announced that the Bank will open for business before the end of the 2nd quarter of this year, 2025, expressing hope that it will create more funding availability for local oil and gas projects and companies.
Similarly, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, had stated at the Offshore Technology Conference that Afrexim Bank has already raised $19billion for the take-off of the Africa Energy Bank.
According to him, $14 billion out of the funds represents the bank’s financial exposure on African oil and gas projects, with the additional $5 billion as take-off capital.