... Senators, Reps set for another review
Our correspondents report that the amendment of the constitution tops the legislative agenda of both the Upper and lower chamber of the Assembly.
In a seven-page letter he sent to the National Assembly, Jonathan explained “I am of the respectful view that I should withhold assent until it can be shown that the National Assembly has complied with the threshold specified in Section 9 (3) of the 1999 Constitution,”.
The 7th Assembly passed 85 new clauses to the 1999 Constitution (as amended), among which the rejection of immunity for the President and state governors facing criminal charges. The transfer of health, housing, electricity and railways from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List was also passed by the lawmakers of the last Assembly.
It was gathered that the process may begin afresh when legislators resume in September 29th from their six week recess.
The Constitutional Amendment was in the legislative agenda prepared by the Adhoc committee on legislative agenda set up by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and chaired by Senator Ali Ndume.
Also to be revisited is the National Conference report, Petroleum Bill (PIB), National Poverty Eradication Commission among others.
The Spokesperson of the Senate, Dino Melaye was unavailable for reaction on the new process as he has left the country for a UN Parliamentary conference.
The House said in item 10 of its legislative agenda for the next four years that “The laudable efforts of the 7th National Assembly that led to far reaching alterations to the 1999 Constitution was not assented to by the former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.”
Already, two bills that seek for the amendment of the constitution were presented on the floor of the House for first reading, but they are yet to come up for debate.
The bills are Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill, 20l5, presented early July, while the other one with the same title was introduced on July 29, both of which were sponsored by Rep Ossai Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta).
When contacted, chairman of the House adhoc committee on media Rep Sani Zorro confirmed to Daily Trust that the House would look at new proposals apart from the ones taken during the now rested review process by the 7th Assembly.
He said it is only new proposals that would go through rigorous legislative process of first, second and third readings, adding that they would be subjected to public hearings before transmission to the state assemblies for concurrence.
On the amendments already considered during last process, Zorro said they would not be subjected to long processes as both chambers had already dealt with them decisively by taking them to Nigerians for vetting.
Similarly, Chief Whip of the House Rep Alhassan Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano) said in the lifetime of every assembly, it is entitled to review the constitution once and that the norm is that the current assembly continues from where the previous one stopped.
He said therefore, the current 8th Assembly will only continue from where the 7th Assembly stopped and that it will deem all concluded matters by the past assembly as finished business, but that if there is any pending issue, it will be rightly treated along with emerging new issues.
For his part, Rep Aliyu Sani Madaki (APC, Kano) said considering the resources committed during the last constitution amendment process, the only thing to do now is to dust the former document and continue from there.