Aisha Buhari in National Assembly, Witnesses Constitution Review Report Submission

•Lawmakers propose local govt autonomy, devolution of powers, immunity for presiding officers, 64 other amendments to constitution

Sunday Aborisade and Udora Orizu in Abuja

The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, yesterday, witnessed the laying of the report of the National Assembly joint Committee on Constitution Review at both chambers of the legislature.

She was accompanied by the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen; Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed and a delegation of Nigerian women.

The Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, suspended Rule 12 (1) – Privileges of the Floor – and invoked Rule 1(b) to admit the First Lady and her delegation into the chamber at exactly 11:58am.

Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central), who was Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Alteration to the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, laid the report at 12:06pm.

Lawan, in a short remark after the report was laid, said the visit by the First Lady was to show support for a bill to have more female parliamentarians at the federal and state legislatures.

“The First Lady’s visit is to show support for a bill for more female parliamentarians in both chambers in the Senate and the House and the State Legislatures.

“This, we believe, will help in nation building as such significant participation by our women will add value to not only legislation, but the much desired and needed national development.

“For us as a nation, our motto is Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress. We believe that all hands must be on deck to ensure the participation of each and every segment of our society,”he said.

Lawan, however, assured the First Lady that the 9th Assembly, while voting on the amendments to the constitution as contained in the ad-hoc committee’s report, would ensure that women participation in governance was commensurate with their population.

His words: “At the moment, you will all agree with me that our women have not been able to get that level of participation commensurate with their population as reflected in our demography.

“Therefore, what we are trying to do (Amendment of the Constitution) will go through voting later to complete the process in the National Assembly.”

At the House, Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Hon. Idris Wase, while laying the report, said the committee received a total of 187 memoranda with 1,909 specific recommendations from across the country.

According to him, “I want to thank you for the opportunity given to us to serve. Thank you for the cooperation and everything and I want to believe and assure the First Lady that the speaker started the gender sensitive from the composition of the adhoc committee by ensuring that every woman on the floor of the house belongs to the committee.”

On his part, the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, expressed joy that three provisions in the amendment will affect women positively.

Gbajabiamila said, “Your Excellency, that is the report of the constitutional review committee. It has three provisions that will affect women positively. There is still a lot of work to be done. We are still in the process and there is still a lot of lobbying to be done on both houses and by God’s grace we would get though this one.”

The provisions in the 68 Bills, which will be voted on by the Lawmakers next week includedthe repeal of the states/local governments joint account, financial autonomy for state houses of assembly and state judiciary, to separate the offices of minister/ commissioner of justice from that of the Attorney General of the Federation/ Attorney General of a state and extension of immunity to the judiciary and legislative arms of government.

Some of the bills also proposed Financial Independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary, compel persons to obey or comply with legislative summons.

The lawmakers were also seeking an amendment to provide for the Procedure for passing a Constitution Alteration Bill, where the president withholds assent.

Another bill sought the inclusion of Presiding Officers of the National Assembly in the Membership of the National Security Council.

The Lawmakers further sought an amendment to the 1999 constitution to empower the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly Powers to summon the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governors of States to answer questions on issues on which the National and State Houses of Assembly have the Power to make law to reduce the period within which the president or governor may authorise the withdrawal of monies from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the absence of an Appropriations Act from six months to three months.

Other amendments being sought included special seat for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly, specify the period within which the President or Governor shall present the Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly or House of Assembly, Require the President or Governors to submit the Names of Persons Nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within thirty days of taking the Oath of Office for Confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly

They also proposed removal of railways, prisons, airports and power from the exclusive to concurrent list, among others.

Other proposals included change of name of some local governments such as, “Afikpo North and Afikpo South Local Government Areas, Kunchi Local Government Area, Egbado North and Egbado South Local Government Areas and Barikin Ladi Local Government Area. Correct name Atigbo Local government Area.

There was also a “Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide the timelines within which Civil and Criminal Cases are heard and determined at Trial and Appellate Courts in order to eliminate unnecessary delay in justice administration and delivery; a bill for an Act to Alter Part I of the Second Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to include Value Added Tax on the Exclusive Legislative List.

“Establish the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federal Government separate from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation; Establish the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and of the State separate from the Office of the Minister of Justice or Commissioners for Justice of the state in order to make the Offices of Attorneys-General Independent and Insulated from Partisanship; Provide for Independent Candidacy in Presidential, Governorship, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Councils Elections; Provide for Diaspora Voting and for Related Matters”.