The final process in the amendment of the constitution started
in the House of Representatives yesterday.
The House approved 71 amendments to the Constitution after
an executive session.
The mandatory two-thirds required (240 of the 360-member
House) for the amendment to pass was met as 252 of the 261
members that voted were in favour of the amendments. Eight
voted against and one abstained.
The lawmakers have placed the National Security Agencies, the
office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, the Police,
Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, on a
first-line charge from Nigeria’s Consolidated Revenue Account.
The President or Deputy President of Senate and Speaker or
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives are to receive
pension for life as approved by the lawmakers.
The President will mandatorily address a joint meeting of the
National Assembly once a year, if the amendments get the
Senate’s concurrence and are approved by two thirds of the 36
state Houses of Assembly.
But the review suffered a setback in the Senate.
Though the consideration of the report of the conference
committee on the review of the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (further amendment) Bill 2014 was
listed in the Order Paper, the consideration could not hold due
to lack of quorum.
The Senate Committee on Rules and Business listed in the
Order Paper: “That the Senate do consider and approve the
report of the Conference Committee on the Review of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Further
Amendment) Bill, 2014.”
It was listed against the name of the Deputy Senate President
Ike Ekweremadu, who is also chairman, Senate Committee on
Review of the 1999 Constitution.
It was gathered that the Senate leadership decided that
because the required quorum for the consideration of the
report of the conference committee was not formed, the
consideration of the report would be taken on another
legislative day.
Our correspondents also gathered that the Senate leadership
did not want to play into the hands of those who might accuse
it of sidelining some senators in the consideration of the report.
It was not clear if the report would be considered today.
While considering the 108-page report, the House approved
“independent candidacy” to participate in general elections as
well “life pension for President, Vice President, Senate
President, Deputy Senate President, as well as Speaker and
deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives”.
This is contingent on if the occupant was not impeached from
office.
Members also approved Section 7(1a) which prohibits
appointment of caretaker committee by governors while 7(1b)
provides for four-year term to democratically elected council.
Subsection 7(1c) grant financial autonomy to local
governments.
They approved the immunity clause, Section 4(7a), which
states that “in the course of exercising the foregoing legislative
powers, no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted
against a member of a legislative House in respect of words
spoken or written before the House or a committee thereof.”
These were part of the recommendations of the harmonised
report of the Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution review adopted
by the lawmakers at the Committee of the Whole.
Other amendments approved include state creation,
indigeneship and citizenship, budgetary process and role for
traditional Rulers, among others.
An alteration of Section 241, which inserts a new subsection
(2A), bars Nigerian courts or tribunals from staying any
proceeding on account of an interlocutory appeal.
They also voted to include in the concurrent legislative list
seven items which include railways, agriculture and pensions.
Federal lawmakers also backed adoption of referendum for
state creation.
They, however, rejected the amendment of Section 9 to allow
for a referendum in determining the fate of the National
Conference recommendations.
An alteration of Section 7, among others, stops revenue
allocation from the federation account to local governments
that are not democratically elected. Local government
administrations also stand dissolved at the expiration of four
years, commencing from the date the members of Council were
sworn in.
An alteration of Section 59 allows the National Assembly to
bypass the president should he fail to sign a Bill presented to
him within 30 days.
It states: “Within seven days, the President of the Senate shall
convene a joint sitting of the National Assembly to reconsider
the Bill and if passed by two-thirds majority of members of
both houses at such joint sitting, the Bill shall become law and
the assent of the President shall not be required,” the alteration
reads.
The action is the most far-reaching amendment made to the
constitution.
It was learnt that the closed- door session was to allow
members agree on the modalities for the voting on the
amendments.
The leadership was said to have impressed it on members that
there was need to pass the amendments without bickering due
to its importance to democracy and the need to conclude it
expeditiously.
The report will be transmitted to the 36 Houses of Assembly for
concurrence, after the Senate’s concurrence.
Chairman, Ad-Committee on Constitution Review, Emeka
Ihedioha, said exhaustive deliberations with the Senate on the
areas of differences was done with due regard to the wishes of
the people,
“At this stage, we also urge you to reach out to your respective
House of Assembly members whom Section 9 of the
Constitution have made critical and distinctive partners, to
support the realisation of the recommendations of the
Committee here attached, which we believe is another
milestone towards repositioning our fundamental legal
framework for public good,” he said.

gud news

Op; ur topic is deceitful; I read tru; n all I could see; was immunity clause, been extended to now incorporate the house of assembly members; so why d deceitful heading used by u?

Until wwe rise up to d challenge n tax of making dis con3 d best we want; we will contineu living like animals... N dats d truth; we haven't seen it rise to speak out 4 change n occupy the streets!!!

Yeye people they should stop awarding themselves pension for life.

Good move, hoping it gets implemented.

the rich keep enriching themselves while the poor masses get poorer. life pension? i wonder.

Yes. Implement the national confab report now! Nigeria can not continue like this.