The Senate has received the 33-item report on the fourth alteration of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.

The report tabled at the upper legislative chamber proposes amendments which include reducing the powers of the federal government in the exclusive legislative list, financial autonomy for local government and state legislature; and downward review of the minimum age for elective public officers, among others.

The report on constitution amendment bill was presented on Tuesday by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

The alteration bill appears to resolve the “not too young to run” agitation, a movement seeking improved access for the Nigerian youth in government.

The bill now proposes 35 as the minimum age for the office of the President and being elected to the Senate; and 25 for the House of Representatives.

But it may serve as disappointment to agitators for restructuring of the federation. While the proposal calls for devolution of power to the states, by reviewing the content of the exclusive list, it fails to review the country’s revenue sharing system and power to control resources in various states.

“This issue that concerns my own people is excluded,” lamented Foster Ogola, PDP-Bayelsa, who made argument for “true federalism and economic restructuring so that everybody can control his resources.”[b]

Also, Adamu Aliero, APC-Kebbi, asked the Senate to step down the item on devolution of power, because it was wrong to give state more powers without greater share of the national revenue.

[b]The bill also seeks constitutional provision to compel president and governors to submit list of ministers and commissioners respectively, with portfolios and 35 per cent affirmative action for women, within 30 days of inauguration.

But the part on 35 per cent affirmative action for women was challenged by Danjuma Goje, APC-Gombe.

“In some states, you can get many women professors and technocrats, but in some states, you cannot,” Mr. Goje said, adding that the Senate should allow the lawmakers to make further consultations before voting on the provision for affirmative action for women.

But Binta Masi, APC-Adamawa, countered Mr. Goje, urging his colleagues to sustain the item in the alteration bill.

“There is no part of this country where we cannot find women for public offices,” further argued Peter Nwaoboshi, PDP-Delta.

The bill also seeks to ensure that minister for the Federal Capital Territory is appointed from one of the six area councils that constitute Abuja, so that that FCT will be represented in the Federal Executive Council.

In seeking autonomy for local government areas, it proposes that only democratically elected councils can directly receive allocations from the federation accounts. In effect, the bill intends to abrogate state-LG joint-account system.

In the circumstance of unelected council, the bill calls for no allocation to such local council.

Originally, Mr. Ekweremadu’s report had 32 items. But Dino Melaye, APC-Kogi, added the 33rd item: proposal that the Independent National Electoral Commission should conduct local government elections.

“How do we speak of local government autonomy, without addressing the foundation,” argued Mr. Melaye who asked that states be stripped of the power to constitute state electoral commissions to conduct local government elections.

Also, the bill proposes that “anyone who has been sworn in as president or governor to complete the term of the elected president or governor cannot do more than a single term.”

The bill also seeks to obligate the president to address a joint session of the National Assembly once every year on the state of the nation, and also seeks to expand the National Council of State to include the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The Senate is expected to vote on each of the proposals tomorrow, though Kabiru Marafa, APC-Zamfara, and Mr. Goje demanded further consultations with their constituents before taking decision.

They specifically expressed concern over the affirmative action for women proposal.

Source: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/238127-just-senate-considers-35-years-age-qualification-president-32-constitutional-amendments.html

They did good on a few proposal but adding resources control is too important to be left off. The south south should go make inroads with the other zones to push it through. Everyone would benefit with increased revenue and more efficiency.

Next the idiotic allocation system should be tossed in bushes. Maybe go back to 1st republic model. No more sharing withis all the states. In a utopian scenario the change land use act make people owners instead of occupiers and grateful individuals mineral rights.


● Solid mineral and Mines should be included in the Concurrent legislative list

Nnamdi Kanu has already altered the consciousness of the Nigerian masses. Now he has re-defined politics.

There is no need for amendment, that constitution should be trashed and a Referendum Conducted.

I want out.

Blue3k:
They did good on a few proposal but adding resources control is too important to be left off. The south south should go make inroads with the other zones to push it through. Everyone would benefit with increased revenue and more efficiency.

I expect extreme resistance to any such measure from the most unsustainable states, particularly those in the north. For resource-control to pass, I think the middle-belt states will have to be offered substantial backing for something they particularly want more than other regions, to tempt them to forgo all that federal allocation money.

5DMindset:
Nnamdi Kanu has already altered the consciousness of the Nigerian masses. Now he has re-defined politics.

There is no need for amendment, that constitution should be trashed and a Referendum Conducted.

I want out.

There are two Nigerians I respect.
one late, the other alive

Gideon Orkar and Nnamdi KANU.

We may not be fully ready for federalism at the moment due to the fact that many regions depend on Federal Government and may not survive it, so a gradual devolution of powers to the state is a step in the right direction. When the states begin to look inwards to diversify slowly and steadily, then we restructure.
The senate should give a timeline of 3-5 years for the full implementation of federalism as we prepare for it. Also all Governors must fulfill a set of promises at a given timeline, with a state website and forum that makes them all accountable. Local Governments should be slightly independent of State Government but must also participate on the forums.

Terkimbi01:



There are two Nigerians I respect.
one late, the other alive

Gideon Orkar and Nnamdi KANU.

You are a thinker.

nice

If this country is still standing by 2019, I might give politics a shot...

omohayek:

I expect extreme resistance to any such measure from the most unsustainable states, particularly those in the north. [/b]For resource-control to pass, I think the middle-belt states will have to be offered substantial backing for something they particularly want more than other regions, to tempt them to forgo all that federal allocation money[b].

1) Give the middle belt states a slice of the oil profits for X number of years.

2) Give their influential political office holders some shares in some oil blocks.

Niger Delta needs pragmatic statesmen to pull this off.


Meanwhile nothing about Land Use Act in this amendment

Doesn't go far enough to address the systemic issues that are stopping this country from thriving but at least it's a step in the right direction..

freshest4live:
We may not be fully ready for federalism at the moment due to the fact that many regions depend on Federal Government and may not survive it, so a gradual devolution of powers to the state is a step in the right direction. When the states begin to look inwards to diversify slowly and steadily, then we restructure.
The senate should give a timeline of 3-5 years for the full implementation of federalism as we prepare for it. Also all Governors must fulfill a set of promises at a given timeline, with a state website and forum that makes them all accountable. Local Governments should be slightly independent of State Government but must also participate on the forums.

If you are not ready for true federalism now when are you ever going to be ready? I am sorry but if you can't stand on your feet then maybe you shouldn't exist. Nigeria does not need 36 states and 774 local govt. That's waaaaaaay too much. They should all be merged to 12 states or better off, scrap all of them and have 6 regions instead. This bloated bureaucracy is the reason why a lot of states can't afford to pay their workers because they have too many of them.in the first place.

davidif:


If you are not ready for true federalism now when are you ever going to be ready?

How many states in your region can independently stand in the first 3years of restructuring/federalism?
I'm not against federalism, l'm only saying it should come with good planning and subtle policies leading to it.

freshest4live:

How many states in your region can independently stand in the first 3years of restructuring/federalism?
I'm not against federalism, l'm only saying it should come with good planning and subtle policies leading to it.

Well if you can't stand on your own feet then you shouldn't exist in the first place. Like I've said time and again, Nigeria does not need 36 states and 774 local govt. That's way too big. They need to reduce it to 12 or scrap them altogether and have 6 regions.

The Fed govt needs to cut off allocations and force this people to raise their own revenue and provide services for their people. It makes no sense for the Fed govt to be providing an entire states budget. If Nigeria were a business it would have been bankrupt already. How can you have 36 divisions that are struggling to breakeven and yet they are still being propped up by management. Sorry buddy, it's time to cut off the excess fat. Sink or float.

davidif:


Well if you can't stand on your own feet then you shouldn't exist in the first place. Like I've said time and again, Nigeria does not need 36 states and 774 local govt. That's way too big. They need to reduce it to 12 or scrap them altogether and have 6 regions.

The Fed govt needs to cut off allocations and force this people to raise their own revenue and provide services for their people. It makes no sense for the Fed govt to be providing an entire states budget. If Nigeria were a business it would have been bankrupt already. How can you have 36 divisions that are struggling to breakeven and yet they are still being propped up by management. Sorry buddy, it's time to cut off the excess fat. Sink or float.

I'm not against that, but they can start with devolution of powers to the states first and then reduce allocations slowly.
All l'm saying is we plan for it in 3 years with some new policies and changes. I'm not against restructuring.

freshest4live:

I'm not against that, but they can start with devolution of powers to the states first and then reduce allocations slowly.
All l'm saying is we plan for it in 3 years with some new policies and changes. I'm not against restructuring.

Yeah. Anybody calling for over-night Fiscal Federalism is not realistic. We should give a period in which the states or their successors will be required to diversify with FG support. We can do this for say a Ten-year period. Anything state that fails to achieve this can merge with others.

signz:


1) Give the middle belt states a slice of the oil profits for X number of years.

2) Give their influential political office holders some shares in some oil blocks.

Niger Delta needs pragmatic statesmen to pull this off.



Meanwhile nothing about Land Use Act in this amendment

What about company Income Tax, regulation
and registration? Any amendment that does
Not give the states more resources and great power to influence those resources is useless.

Obviously we don't know all the amendment they have in mind. Im guessing they are loosely going off if 2014 confab by making slot of things in the concurrent list.

What does over night federalism mean. If we don't start now we'll talk forever. All they need to do is give states means to get more revenue. The people will get smarter about their vote since they will be taxed for service.

Change out allocation to first republic style or simply do away with concept. Any state that cant get act together merges with competent neighbor.

Maduawuchukwu:


What about company Income Tax, regulation
and registration? Any amendment that does
Not give the states more resources and great power to influence those resources is useless.

What is feared here is recklessness of the state governors. When given the responsibility, there may fly overboard.

Rogersmith:

What is feared here is recklessness of the state governors. When given the responsibility, there may fly overboard.

Is your state Assembly dead, dumb or corrupt to their eyeballs?

Dino is always making valid points, local government elections should be conducted by inec not the nonsense state governors controlled called isec.

Local government must have autonomy, the relationship between state and LGA should be like the relationship between FG and states and all LG funds should come to them directly thereby eliminating the fraud called Joint Account.

The sad reality is any amendment that does not favour the greedy governors will be killed at the governors controlled state assemblies since 2/3 of state assemblies are needed for any amendment to scale through

Hmmm

Rogersmith:

What is feared here is recklessness of the state governors. When given the responsibility, there may fly overboard.

The states have been more careful in the management and deployment of resources than the FG in Nigeria.

Blue3k:


Is your state Assembly dead, dumb or corrupt to their eyeballs?

Lol. With more powers will come more scrutiny of the House of Assemblies. If the pple choose to sleep on their duty they should blame themselves.

ok we wait..

I just wish BHT and their suicide bombers will infiltrate the Red Chambers and denote 109 bombs simultaneously during plenary or emergency sessions.

Since Nigerians have failed to sit on a round table to discuss their future and the way forward every other adjustment s and readjustment here and there will have a minute effect.
since 1999 every incoming senate and house of representatives have made one adjustments or the other but they have not been felt by the Nigerian people.
Nigerias is being governed by a military constitution and what they have been doing is patching here and there just to sooth the present public holders and when new legislatures come in they adjust.
Nigeria is a joke,her people have been sleeping for too long.

Not much publicity given to this.

I wonder why seeing that the amendments are many and far reaching

...for me whatever the Senate is proposing to amend is a mere jamboree until that Abdusalami personal written constitution is scrapped and a new one proposed by all Nigerians to address the multi-faceted challenges plaguing us in this 21st century.Anything aside that is tantamount to drinking paracetamol when you have acute typhoid fever.

These people are sick.


The ages should be something like this

President. 35

Governor. 35

Senate. 30

HoR. 25

Chairman LG. 25

Councellors. 20 or even 18


Danjuma Goje should go and tell his people to start educating their women. The time of "some states don't have" is past. If you don't have, start making them. We should not be bending the constitution for the incompetence of some.

This was same excuse they gave for university entry qualification and more than 50years after independence they are still yet to catch up. They cannot keep dragging us back.

... this same rogues approved Peace corps yesterday, and here they are today trying to reduce the executive burden