The Senate to start the public hearing on the revision of the Constitution in Lagos

The Senate to start the public hearing on the revision of the Constitution in Lagos

Abuja (basic reporter) The Senate revealed that he would have started his public hearing on the revision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as modified) in Lagos on Friday, aimed at presenting proposals for the creation of additional local governments, the creation of the State Police and the distance frequency of the electoral system, among others, for public records.

The red chamber has also planned to keep similar public hearings simultaneously in other geopolitical areas throughout the federation, with the exception of the North-West.

The postponement of the public hearing of the North -ovest was due to the disappearance of the important businessman and philanthropist of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, who occurred on Saturday.

The leader of the Senate and the President, South-West Zone, the Constitution revision committee, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele eliminated Thursday for the two-day zonal public hearing programs, noting that the forum offers Nigerians the opportunity to contribute to thorny issues that affect the country’s governance structure.

The tenth Senate had constituted the committee for the revision of the Constitution of 1999 on February 14, 2024, a committee of 45 men with the vice -president of the Senate, Senator Barau Jubrin and the leader of the Senate, Senator Opeymi Bamidele respectively as president and vice -president.

The Committee had subsequently received several proposals on inclusive reforms, institutional reforms, security and police, fundamental rights and objectives, system and structure of the government, reforms of the judiciary, roles of traditional institutions in the government, local government reforms, reforms of the tax environment, among others.

As a result of this development, Bamidele revealed that the public hearing of the southwestern area would be held in the Water Crest Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos between Friday and Saturday, saying that he would offer Nigerians the opportunity to contribute to the debates on these areas of consideration.

One of the proposals, according to Bamidele, is the bill that tries to alter the 1999 constitution to provide for the establishment of the state police or other security agencies of the state government.

In the same way, Bamidele revealed that the bill tries to alter the 1999 Constitution to establish the state security board to recommend state governors on issues related to public security and safety between the federal units.

Bamidele cited another bill, which tries to transfer work, industrial relations, industrial disputes and minimum wages from the exclusive legislative list to the simultaneous legislative list in the Constitution.

He said: “There is a bill on the proposal to transfer the control of interstated waterways from the exclusive legislative list to the simultaneous legislative list, thus granting federal and state governments the power to legislate on issues relating to shipping and navigation on interstatal waterways”.

He also said that “there is a proposal to ensure that every local government in each state has at least one member who represents the local government to the assembly chamber to guarantee equity, equity and attract democratic dividends to the inhabitants of each local government of the state”.

Based on the electoral reforms, Bamidele has mentioned several proposals in search of independent candidacy for citizens qualified for elective positions and voting of the diaspora for the Nigerians who live outside the country.

In addition, he mentioned the requests for the consequential reforms of the country’s tax environment, which in the main has sought a period of time within which the President or a State Governor must throw the appropriation bill in front of the National Assembly or the Chamber of the Assembly.

“The proposals submit the period within which the President or the Governor can authorize the withdrawal of the money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the absence of an act of appropriation from six months to three months.

“The proposals try to provide for the review of the derivation formula by including other revenues generated within each state of the Federation”, observes the Zonal President of the Constitution’s review committee.

Bamidele also mentioned a proposal that tried to reposition the political parties to resolve any pre-electoral dispute internally without resorting to the Court

While there are 18 requests for the creation of areas of the local government at national level, Bamidele said that the Committee received 32 proposals for the creation of additional states with six from the North-West, eight from the North Center, five from the South-East, six from the North-East, six from South-South and four from the South-West.

Bamidele also revealed that seven requests for the creation of new areas of the local government had been received from the North-West; five from the center north, one from the north-east; three from South-South; One from the South-East and one from the South-West.