N/Assembly to revisit devolution of powers

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday said devolution of powers and other proposals rejected during the recent vote on Constitution amendment would be revisited when the National Assembly resumes in September.

The National Assembly had last week rejected the proposal for devolution of powers otherwise known as restructuring and eight other items put up for amendment.

Ekweremadu made this known during a meeting on South East infrastructural development with a delegation of the Partnership to Engage, Reform, and Learn (PERL) and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) led by PERL’s Team Leader, Dr Adiya Ode in Abuja.

He said devolution of powers to the federating units would quicken infrastructural development in the country.

The Senator, who also chairs the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution said: “We are also conscious of the fact that Nigerians are worried about some of the recommendations that did not pass. Let me use this opportunity to further appreciate and reassure Nigerians that we are sensitive to their feelings and that we are likely going to revisit some of the issues they are concerned about when we return from our vacation.

“Some of the issues did not scale through because there is need for fuller understanding as well as more consultations and consensus building on them and their implications for our people”.

Ekweremadu who was quoted in a statement by his media aide, Uche Anichukwu added: “No doubt, your studies on South East were right because the region is indeed highly challenged, especially in the areas of transport infrastructure such as roads, railway and seaport. We are also challenged in the areas of power.”

In her remarks, Dr Ode commended the National Assembly for voting in favour of autonomy for Local Governments and State Houses of Assembly, while also calling for greater support for gender mainstreaming and other amendments that would speed up national development.