As the National Assembly resumes plenary, the Conference Committee set up by the leadership of the House of Representatives on Constitution Review is expected to meet with their Senate counterpart with the view to harmonize various recommendations from both Special Ad-hoc committee.
Members of the Conference Committee chaired by Edward Pwajok, are: Adeyinka Ajayi, Sadiq Ibrahim, Aminu Shehu Shagari, Lynda Ikpeazu and Diri Douye.
Speaker Yakubu Dogara announced the Conference Committee before the House embarked on Christmas recess on Thursday, 21st December, 2017.
The report of Conference Committee is expected to be referred back to the House for further legislative action, after the Conference Committee concludes its work.
Meanwhile, the harmonized report of the Fourth alteration of the 1999 constitution will be transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly for consideration.
At least two-third of the 36 State Houses of Assembly are required for any of the recommendations to passed and referred to the President for assent.
The Lower Chamber had on 27th July, 2017 voted in favour of the passage of 22 amendment bills proposed in the 1999 Constitution.
However, seven of the proposed recommendations of the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution review chaired by Yussuff Lasun, Deputy Speaker were rejected by majority of the lawmakers during the voting process which lasted for over five hours.
The plenary session which was interrupted intermittently by protest from some lawmakers ahead of the debate on ‘Not too young bill’; ‘appointment of FCT Minister’; ‘Change of names of some LG councils: Ebonyi, Oyo, Ogun, Pleateau and Rivers’; State creation and boundary adjustment’; ‘devolution of powers’; and ‘citizenship and indigeneship’; which failed to enjoyed the support of majority of the statutory two-third support of the 360 membership.
The two bills that failed to scale through include: Deletion of National Security Agencies and State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the Constitution as well as “Separation of Office of the Attorney General of the Federation/State from the office of Minister/Commissioner of Justice.”
Dogara stated that the “Not too young which enjoyed overwhelming support of members, was in the interest of the youth which we must empower because if we empower them we are empowering the future generation.”
The amendments which scaled through are: inclusion of former Senate President and Speakers as members of the Council of States; reduction of authorization of expenditure before budget passage from six to three months; Financial autonomy for State Legislature and Financial autunomy to Local Government Areas as well as the bill on democratic existence funding and tenure of LGAs.
The lawmakers also supported the bills on “Immunity for legislators for words spoken in chamber or in committee Meetings in the course of duty,” “Political Parties and electoral matters : Time to conduct Bye-Elections and power to deregister parties; Presidential assent to Constitution amendment bill; Timeframe for submission of names of ministerial nominees; Submission of Ministerial nominees with their portfolios; Submission of Commissioners nominees with their portfolios; Independent Candidacy; Nigeria Police Force to become Nigerian Police; Restriction of the Tenure of Presidents and Governors; Separation of office of Accountant General of the Federal Government from Accountant General of the Federation; financial independence for Office of Auditor of Federation/State; retained submissions of judiciary as well as 35 percent affirmative action for women as ministers.
Likewise, the House adopted recommendations for determination of pre-election matters; Consequential amendment on Civil Defence; Procedure for Overriding Presidential Veto in Constitutional alteration; Investment and Securities Tribunal; Reduction of Age for Election; Authorization of expenditure time frame for laying Appropriation bill, Passage etc; as well as Inclusion of Section 141 of Electoral Act into the Constitution.
