Constitutional Review Update: Committee Urged To Prioritise Gender, State Police, LG Autonomy Bills

Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, on Monday requested that the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review reconsider some of the gender bills that were rejected in the previous assembly, particularly the bill to create extra-legislative seats for women.

The Speaker stated in his speech that the 43-member committee must consider and prioritise those bills.

“I urge you to reconsider the issue of additional or reserved seats for women in legislative bodies, twinning in joint tickets, and conferring citizenship on foreigners married to Nigerian women,” he stated

Speaker noted that, the National Assembly, during the last alteration exercise, rejected the five gender bills, prompting protests from women groups and civil society organisations.

Abbas however said, “Despite the outrage, the lawmakers did not rescind the decision.

“One of the bills sought to grant citizenship to foreign-born husbands of a Nigerian woman. Already, a Nigerian man’s foreign-born wife is automatically a Nigerian citizen.

“Another bill sought to allocate 35% of political positions based on appointment to women, while another sought to create special seats for women in national and state assembliies.

Speaker Abbas also charged the committee to further deplete the exclusive legislative list to consolidate some of the strides made during the last alteration.

“The last alteration deleted power, correctional facilities and railways from the exclusive list. Those items were moved to the concurrent list. With the alteration, both federal and state governments can now legislate on these matters.

The speaker added that the ongoing alteration is going to be the most comprehensive ever done. He listed state police and local government autonomy as some of the priority issues.

He said, “We expect the Sixth Alteration under this Tenth National Assembly to be the most comprehensive yet. As such, the task before the Constitution Review Committee is profound.

“The House Agenda is ambitious in its scope and encompasses wide-ranging issues pivotal to our national growth. Among these are: devolution of powers, including state policing; enhancement of fiscal federalism through local government autonomy; further decongesting the Exclusive Legislative List,” he said.

In the same vein, Rt. Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, listed some of the issues that the current assembly will prioritise, such as resource allocation, state police, and others.

Kalu said, “As we gather here today, it is important to highlight the areas that are currently at the forefront based on the bill proposals we have received so far some of them include the establishment of state police; state access to mines; increased participation of women in politics; clear specification of the taxes/levies to be collected by each tier of government and the provision for the office of the Mayor of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.”

He further said that, “We must advocate tirelessly for change, holding our elected representatives accountable and demanding accountability at every turn.

“Participation is not merely a right; it is a sacred duty bestowed upon us as
citizens of this great nation. I call upon every one of you to actively participate in the constitutional reform process, to lend your voices, ideas, and expertise to craft a constitution that reflects the values and aspirations of all Nigerians.

“The Constitution Review Committee of the 10th National Assembly stands
ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Leveraging the power of technology, social media, and inclusive engagement, we will ensure that every voice is heard, every perspective is considered, and every citizen is empowered to participate in the shaping of our nation’s future.

“From this inauguration day onwards, I am proud to announce that we will work diligently to deliver on our assignment within the next 24 months, and we wholeheartedly seek the cooperation and support of all Nigerians. This ambitious timeline not only reflects our commitment to expeditiously address the pressing issues outlined in the proposed bills but also allows Mr. President sufficient time to attend to the alterations for assent away from the busier election preparation times.”

The deputy speaker assures that the committee is time-conscious and that it is going to avoid undue delays.

In his remarks, Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio also assured Nigerians that the Senate and House Committees will work seamlessly to ensure a comprehensive review of the constitution, adding that the process was not just a law review, but an amendment with the potential to reshape the nation’s democracy.

Represented by his Deputy, Senator Barau Jibrin, Senator Akpabio said that the process will be guided by the highest principles of transparency, diligence and inclusiveness, while embracing the spirit of collaboration.

In his speech, Adebo Ogundoyin, Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly, stated that lawmakers must first understand the diversity of the nation in order to be in a better position to address the challenges, and that leaders must take action to address the nation’s current difficulties.

Mr Ogundoyin stated that the debate and calls for the review of the constitution will continue until the nation gets it right while calling for devolution of power to the federating states and allow them take control of certain items currently in the hands of the federal government.

He assured that the state Houses of Assembly will collaborate with the National Assembly in the amendment process, adding that the state Assemblies will ratify the document sent to them as a result of the engagement.
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