Constitution: Reps Begin Another Review, Inaugurate Panel

– Listen To All Voices, Gbajabiamila Tells Colleagues

– Says Nigerians No Longer Trust Police

Members of the House of Representatives on Thursday formally began another round of amendment of the 1999 Constitution with the inauguration of special adhoc committee by the Speaker, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, to coordinate the exercise.

The committee, with the full name, Special Committee on Constitution Review, is chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Hon Idris Wase.

Gbajabiamila, while performing the inauguration, asked the members to listen to all Nigerians, groups and various shades of opinions in a bid to come up with a truly-Nigerian document at the end of the exercise.

Gbajabiamila, a Lagos lawyer and former House Minority and Majority Leader, said, “Mr Chairman, Honourable Members of this Committee, I do not envy the enormous amount of work you have in front of you. However, I know you have an abundant capacity to execute this important assignment and deliver on our joint commitments to the Nigerian people.

“I encourage you during this assignment to seek out and listen to as many voices as possible. Engage with as many interest groups as possible, reject misinformation, document the stories of our people, consider their expectations.

“Let the work you do demonstrate that this House of Representatives is fully capable of reflecting the most urgent concerns of the Nigerian people and acting in their best interests. I am confident that you will act judiciously and produce for the consideration of the House of Representatives, a quality report we can implement expeditiously.”

He mentioned the fact of the review starting at a period of “great and ongoing upheaval in our country.”

The speaker added, “New challenges emerge daily from every corner. Some of these challenges are of our own making, and others, we could not have foreseen or been prepared for.

“Whichever may be the case, the Nigerian people look up to us as government to proffer solutions that work, to do the heavy lifting of writing a new constitution, one better suited to our current aspirations and reflecting our vision of the future.”

According to the speaker, the solutions to most of the country’s problems, lie with having the right constitution.

He stated, “When you ask me what the state of our nation is, the honest answer is this: we are in a fight for the very survival of our country and the continuation of the Nigerian project. Recent global developments have exposed all our systemic weaknesses so that we can no longer pretend to ourselves that things are on an even keel and slow progress is enough to get us to where we ought to be yet are still so far away from. 

“This 9th House of Representatives has since committed to the cause of reform. Our commitment must neither waver nor wane on the matter of thoughtful and fair overhaul of our nation’s constitution.

“The reality of our current circumstances and the now certain knowledge that only we can save ourselves imposes on us an obligation to act with greater determination and all the urgency this moment calls for.”

He added that among other issues, electoral reforms would receive attention in the review.

“Electoral reforms are a matter of our nation’s future, and the process of setting out systems and protocols for managing how we choose our leaders and representatives begins with the Constitution. We must keep this in mind as we begin this process”, he said.

The speaker’s office stated that he seized the opportunity to speak on the ongoing #EndSARS protests and the challenges of policing in Nigeria.

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Lanre Lasisi, quoted him, “The simple truth is that we have a police that doesn’t have the trust of the people, and a policing system that doesn’t make for productive partnerships between the police and the communities they serve. However, for those of us who are out there, we must be careful not to lose the plot.

“The Inspector-General of Police has heard you and he has spoken. The House has spoken, even before now, and continues to speak. The President has been unequivocal and spoke clearly. It is now time to sit back and see what happens.

“I believe the Hand of God is on this Nation. The point has been made, and the government in all its layers has responded. Let us sit back and see if the government does what it has committed to do. Which I have all assurances, and as your Speaker I pass these assurances on to you. 

“Honourable colleagues, overcoming our overwhelming national security challenges now requires of us all that we be willing to accept new approaches and consider novel ideas. Neither the security institutions nor political leaders can afford to hold on too tightly to a status quo whose frustrating limitations are painfully evident, whilst reflexively rejecting innovations that may improve our fortunes if properly implemented.”

THE WHISTLER recalls that constitution review has become a part of successive assemblies, with huge funds budgeted for the exercise.

Findings indicated that since 2003, an average of N1billion was budgeted for constitution review in each assembly.

The money is usually shared N500million apiece by the Senate and the House.

Each of the chambers carries out its own separate constitution review in line with the bi-camera legislature system of Nigeria.

The two will later set up a harmonisation panel to reconcile their differences in the clauses passed by each of the chambers.

Incidentally, most of the efforts ended up being an exercise in futility as the reviewed clauses in the past either failed to secure passage by State Houses of Assembly or successive Presidents withheld their assent at the end of the day.

For instance, former President Goodluck Jonathan did not sign the document reviewed by the 7th National Assembly.

The 8th Assembly revisited it, spending another N1bn.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari, who had by then assumed office, did selective signing of some of the new clauses introduced into the constitution.

It is unclear what will happen by the time the current 9th Assembly concludes its own review.