Southern, M’Belt Leaders Back Senate’s Consideration

Southern, M’Belt Leaders Back Senate’s Consideration

of 2014 Confab Report

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) has backed the decision of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review to consider the report of the 2014 National Constitutional Conference.

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who heads the committee, had last week hinted that the report of the confab submitted to the seventh National Assembly by the then President Goodluck Jonathan, would be given priority of place in the committee’s assignment.

Lauding the Senate committee’s decision at the weekend, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum in a statement jointly signed by Mr. Yinka Odumakin (South West); retired General CRU Ihekire, (South East); Senator Bassey Henshaw (South South); and Dr isuwa Dogo

(Middle Belt), expressed their readiness to work with the committee to realise its objectives.

“We welcome their decision with a promise of our readiness to offer them all necessary cooperation in this regard”.

According to the leaders, Nigeria is currently bleeding and needs to be salvaged from   possible disintegration.

The forum alluded to the bad state of the country as testified to by the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, who declared after a recent meeting with President Buhari that the country had reached a “tipping point”.

“This is why the committee has to give the assignment all the seriousness it deserves knowing full well that it is an opportunity to make history if they found an anchor for a polity in distress. We shall take more than a passing interest in the work of the committee as we pray for God to guide them alright,” the leaders stated.

Senator Omo-Agege had at the inauguration of the Senate Constitution  Review Committee last Wednesday declared that the Ninth Senate was ready to examine the report of the  confab with a view to reviewing the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended).

He added that the 58-man committee will also consider the report of the Governor Nasir El-Rufai-led Committee on Restructuring set up by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2017, which canvassed the need to restructure the country.

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