Reps assure on passage of Constitution review by 2018

…decline National Assembly can’t remove Governors, deputies

The leadership of House of Representatives on Wednesday assured Nigerians of its resolve to conclude work on the ongoing amendment of the 1999 Constitution by 2018.
Yussuff Lasun, Deputy Speaker gave the assurance during Wednesday plenary sessiipon, after the resolution of the House to stepdown a bill which seeks to remobe State Governor who constitute threat to public order and public security and engineered crisis in the State House of Assembly, sponsored by Edward Pwajok?
Lsun house doubles as Chairman, Special Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review also disclosed the Committee’s resolve not to entertain any bill relating to constitution amendment to enable timely conclusion of its assignment.
Lasun said the committee wants the new constitution to be ready for the President’s assent before the end of the third year of the present administration.
“We want to conclude work on the constitution before the end up the third year of this administration so that whatever amendment will not be said to have political undertone,” Lasun said.
During the debate on the bill, members of the House of Representatives across all the political parties kicked against a legislatibe framework which seeks to empower the National Assembly to impeach State Governors and their deputies.
The bill jointly sponsored by Edward Pwajok (PDP-Plateau) and Ali Isa seeks to “alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to delete the proviso to Section 11(4) of the Constitution to enable the National Assembly to remove a Governor or Deputy Governor of a State in appropriate circumstances and for other related matters.”
During the heated debate from all the members including: Femi Gbajabiamila, Majority Leader; who spoke against the intendment of the bill, the sponsor of the bill volunteered to step down the bill.
Speaking earlier, Pwajok argued that since the constitution empowers the National Assembly to take over the functions of State Assemblies under certain circumstances, argued that Federal Legislature can sack a state governor or deputy governor, by saving the country some problems in the event of unforeseen occurences in states
“Why should we be able to remove the House of Assembly and not be able to remove the Governor…we have seen things that we never anticipated happening.”
In his submission, Gbajabiamila who described the proposed bill as “patently defective” and an act of legislative overreach, argued that passing the bill would tantamount to turning the country into a unitary state.
He said there was no need considering the Bill as it will never scale through at the state level, where at least 24 state Houses of Assembly are expected to support it, before it becomes law.
“This is a bill that seeks to empower the NASS to remove a state governor. Our constitution tells us that we run a federal system, so allowing this bill will make this country like a unitary sysyem.
“Why are we wasting legislative time. It will be dead on arrival in the states.  No matter  how you try to justify it. It does not make moral or legal sense.”