Senate demands withdrawal of different versions of constitution from circulation

The Senate has called for the withdrawal of various versions of the country’s constitution in circulation, so as to facilitate harmonization of the comprehensive copy of the document.

It therefore mandated its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to liaise with the National Judicial Council,  Attorney-General of the Federation and other relevant agencies to withdraw the different copies of the Constitution in circulation.

The upper legislative chamber also called for “the printing and distribution of the authentic, consolidated Constitution of the Federation with the different alterations embedded where they belong to make the Constitution one whole document to guide the generality of the Nigerian populace and the international community”.

This was sequel to a motion on the need to harmonise the various versions and copies of the Nigerian constitution in circulation into one authentic whole. The motion was sponsored by Chukwuka Utazi at Tuesday’s plenary.

Recall that the Nigerian Constitution came into effect on May 29, 1999 with eight chapters, 320 sections and seven schedules.

Leading the debate on the motion, Utazi said: “The Constitution of any country is the grand norm for which all other laws, instruments and institutions derive their authority, legitimacy and powers.

“Since 1999, the Constitution has successfully gone through three alterations, in July 2010; November 2010 and March 2011 respectively and in each case, amending various provisions to bring them in conformity with contemporary democratic practice and realities.

“These alterations are printed as separate provisions and there has not been an attempt to embed and graft them into the Constitution as one whole living document”.

Utazi further noted that in some versions of the constitution, Sections 84 ends with Sub-section 6, while in other versions, the same Section 84 ends with Sub-section 7.

He added: “There are many other mix-ups and this creates confusion for lawyers, judges, Law students, other practitioner, legislators at the various levels, those who consult our Constitution to determine the state of the law, and the general public”.

The senator therefore submitted that “the existence of various versions of the Constitution makes it an unreliable source of law, whittles down its forces as the fundamental authority for all laws in Nigeria and does not make for certainty of its provisions, dilutes its potency in the hierarchy of laws and makes it susceptible to misinterpretation by mischief makers who may want to take advantage of the situation”.

Ruling on the motion, Senate President, Bukola Saraki mandated the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to urgently liaise with relevant organs of the government in ensuring harmonization of the different versions and copies of the Constitution in circulation into one authentic whole.