The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: constitution amendment

  • Constitution Amendment: Pentecostal Fellowship warns against Islamisation of Nigeria

     

    Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, yesterday, warned the National Assembly against what it called “the islamisation of Nigeria through the backdoor.”

     

    The PFN chairman, Enugu State Chapter, Bishop Giddy Madu who gave this warning in a statement issued to pressmen in Enugu, said the PFN was aware of a move to smuggle in some amendments into the constitution.

     

    The PFN said: “The attention of Nigerians is called to the dangerous proposals in the Senate and House of Representatives to alter sections 262(1) and 277(1) which provide respectively that, ‘The Sharia Court of Appeal shall, in addition to such other jurisdiction as may be conferred upon it by an Act of the National Assembly, exercise such appellate and supervisory jurisdiction in civil proceedings involving questions of Islamic personal law.”

     

    It said this was an amendment to the existing provision that: “The Sharia Court of Appeal of a state shall, in addition to such other jurisdiction as may be conferred upon it by the law of the state, exercise such appellate and supervisory jurisdiction in civil proceedings involving questions of Islamic personal law which the court is competent to decide in accordance with the provisions of subsection (2) of this section.”

     

    According to the Christian group, “The above provisions only permit Islamic Personal Law in civil proceedings. This is clearly defined in Sections 262(1) and (2) and 277(1) and (2). All references under these provisions are to ‘Islamic personal law.

     

     

    “The proposed amendments elevate Islamic law to the status of ‘a general law. Once the word ‘personal’ is removed from Sections 262 and 277 of the Constitution, it opens the door for ‘the wholesale’ importation of Sharia Law, including Sharia Criminal Law into the FCT or any part of the federation.

     

    “The proposed amendment will give the Sharia Court of Appeal unlimited jurisdiction to entertain all kinds of matters, both civil and criminal, using Islamic Law. It will interfere with the jurisdictions of both the Federal High Court and the State High Courts.”

     

    PFN said the secularity of the Nigerian State as enshrined in the Constitution was sacrosanct and should not be tampered with.

     

    “We vehemently reject the proposed amendment of Sections 266 and 267 of the Constitution, which spelt out the secularity of the nation and freedom of worship. It will lead to a situation where non-Muslims would be tried for Sharia offences.

     

    “Such an amendment will make for an unhealthy breach of the human rights of the people, as the freedom of association of non-Muslims cannot be guaranteed under such circumstances.

     

    “The PFN Enugu State is, therefore, calling on the National Assembly to reject in its entirety the proposed amendment of the sections above to avoid plunging Nigeria into an avoidable crisis.”

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.vanguardngr.com

  • Breaking: Constitutional Review – Senators, Reps, Govs meet, to reach agreement

     

    South-West Governors, Senators and House of Representatives’ members have agree to present a common position for Nigeria’s constitution review.

     

    They also set up a committee to harmonise the positions of the Governors and lawmakers from the zone.

     

    The agreement was reached after their Tuesday evening meeting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

     

    The meeting was attended by the six South-West Governors and the National Assembly members from the zone.

     

    Ondo State Governor and Chairman of the Southwest Governors’ Forum, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, who briefed reporters shortly after the closed door meeting, said the meeting discussed so many areas of interest, particularly, constitution amendments.

     

    Akeredolu asid, “The meeting, which had Governors, distinguished Senators and members of the House of Representatives, discussed so many areas of interest.

     

    “But most importantly, the meeting today deliberated on constitutional amendments. And we have resolved that we would present a common position as regards amendments to the constitution.

     

     

    “In order to achieve this, this meeting has set up a committee. The committee is made up of distinguished Senators led by the caucus chairman, House of Representatives members led by the Caucus chairman, and Attorneys of the Southwest states.

     

    “The Committee is to harmonise our positions so that we can present it as and when necessary before the two houses and, at the end of the day, have the Constitutional amendment that h as our serious input.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Constitutional Review: Public Hearing on the review started with a flurry of new demands and proposals

    The Zonal Public Hearing on the review of the 1999 constitution kicked off across the six geopolitical zones, yesterday, with a flurry of demands and proposals.

     

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, faulted the 1999 constitution, describing it as substandard and product of hurried national compromise.

     

     

     

    Gbajabiamila said during the zonal public hearing on the review of the 1999 constitution in Lagos, yesterday, that the constitution falls below standards because it was put in place to ensure that the military returned to the barracks.

     

    “A nation’s constitution is the foundation of its existence. It is supposed to set the terms of our nationhood and define who we are in a manner that reflects both our common truths and highest aspirations.

     

    “Our constitution falls short of this standard because the 1999 Constitution is the product of a hurried national compromise that we entered into two decades ago in other to ensure that the military returned to the barracks and that we returned to democratic government.

     

     

     

    “It was always the intention that we will one day as one people and one nation, return to amend this document so that it gives voice to the yearnings of the Nigerian people and sets out in clear details how we intend to achieve the shared ambitions of our nationhood. Providence has cast upon the 9th National Assembly the responsibility to write such a constitution for the Nigerian people.”

     

    The speaker said Nigeria needs a “near-perfect” constitution to correct the problems confronting the country.

     

    “No nation in the world has a perfect constitution, but we need a near-perfect constitution in Nigeria and we can achieve that through substantive amendments that significantly alter the character of our nation,” he said.

     

    Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu advocated the scrapping of the Senate with each zones having equal number of four representatives at the National Assembly.

     

    This is as Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state advocated constitutional roles to traditional rulers.

     

    They spoke separately at the Akure Centre of the Southwest and Bauchi centre of the North East centre.

     

    Akeredolu, represented by his deputy, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said the country should consider dropping the current bicameral structure of the National Assembly, and adopt unicameral legislature.

     

    “The membership of the Assembly should be part time. No member should earn allowances not known to the Revenue Mobilisation and Allocation Committee, and the people they claim to serve.

     

    “Legislators should earn under a uniform salary structure. Allowance peculiarities must not be about obscenity. The Senate should be scrapped.

     

    “The House of Representatives too should not be unwieldy. A maximum of four representatives should come from each Zone,” he said.

     

    Akeredolu also stated that revenue generation and allocation must reflect the extent to which a state participated in the economy.

     

    He equally called for state police, resource control, judicial reforms, especially with zones having their court of appeals.

     

    Akeredolu concluded by a return to the 1963 Republican Constitution, saying, “We will have resolved many fundamental issues of nationhood with the adoption.”

     

    Speaking at the Bauchi center hearing, Governor Mohammed recalled that in the old Northern Nigeria, the British made use of them under indirect rule, said in spite of their non-recognition by the constitution, they were directly involved in the maintenance of law and order in their respective domains.

     

    “There is the need for traditional rulers to be given roles in the constitution, especially in the maintenance of law and order and other relevant areas.

     

    “Taking into cognisance that even now that they are not recognised by the constitution, all the states of the federation depend on them.

     

    “In Northern Nigeria, when the British came, they used them under indirect rule and I do not know from where we got the wisdom to throw what we have so much in custody by allowing them to be redundant, ineffective, and at the same time putting so much responsibility on them.

     

    “This is because whenever we have problems, we rush to them, but we have never held them accountable and responsible for the duties we are expecting them to perform.

     

    “We believe we can give them constitutional responsibility, salary structure and scheme of work , so that they will be able to discharge their responsibilities without forcing them into redundancy or corruption,” he said.

     

    •Ugwuanyi canvasses Nigeria anchored on justice, fairness, equity, inclusiveness

     

    While declaring the exercise open in Enugu, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi reiterated his administration’s support for unequivocal and unwavering commitment to an egalitarian Nigeria where justice, fairness, equity and inclusiveness shall be functional directive principles of state policy.

     

    The Enugu centre has Anambra and Ebonyi states. Declaring it open the governor further enjoined all relevant institutions, civil society organizations, stakeholders and the entire Enugu State citizenry “to stand up and be counted in this important national discussion.”

     

    Earlier in his address, Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Okechukwu, on behalf of the Speaker, Gbajabiamila and the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Idris Wase, welcomed Ugwuanyi and other participants to the event.

     

    “We believe that the ongoing exercise, if well harnessed, presents the Nigerian government and people with ample opportunity to find answers to the myriads of pressing challenges facing our nation today.

     

    “On our part, we assure you that your views will count. Whatever views and memos you submit here today and tomorrow will form part of the working documents and views of the Constitution Review exercise by the 9th Assembly,” he said.

     

     

     

    •Lalong advocates stiffer punishment against constitutional violators

     

    Plateau Governor, Simon Lalong called for stiff penalties against anyone found guilty of abusing the constitution so as to protect its sanctity as the highest instrumental of power and make it the main driver of Nigeria’s democratic journey.

     

    He observed that beyond amending the constitution, Nigerians must also take greater interest in how the constitution is implemented to avoid abuses that end up creating distortions and leading to agitations for more amendments.

     

    “My advice to the members of the National Assembly and indeed all Nigerians is to put in place strong safeguards in the new constitution to avoid the abuse of power. The situation where people flagrantly disobey, discard and ignore the provisions of the constitution should no longer be tolerated.

     

    “We should ensure that those who temper with the provisions of the constitution are seriously punished. No matter how frequently we amend the constitution, there may not be any difference if we fail to subject ourselves to its provisions. As citizens, we are the guardians and defenders of the constitution who can either make it work or fail by our actions or inactions. Nigerians should wake up from their slumber and lethargy by ensuring that they employ all legitimate means to protect the constitution. The days of docility are far gone”.

     

    •Akwa Ibom calls for free education, state police

     

    Akwa Ibom State government advocated making free education and compulsory education from primary to secondary level a constitutional issue in order to ensure that all children benefit from education in their early lives.

     

    Governor Udom Emmanuel also said states should be allowed to control their resources so that they could develop at their own pace.

     

    Emmanuel who was represented by the secretary to Akwa Ibom State government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, reasoned that the present high rate of insecurity could be better handled if the constitution makes room for the establishment of state police.

     

    He, however, said the state believed in one indivisible entity called Nigeria in which everyone’s rights and privileges would be protected and guaranteed.

     

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who was represented by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zaccheaus Adangor, advised members of the committee not waste time in ensuring that the amendment is promptly implemented after collating all submissions and memoranda by the people

     

    While lamenting that cost of elections is tremendously expensive, making it difficult for public office holders to do what their communities want, Wike called for an outright drafting of a new constitution where input from every segment of the society would be considered since the present 1999 constitution has outlived its usefulness.

     

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    On its part, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) appealed to National Assembly not to remove national minimum wage from the Exclusive list.

     

    Mr Uchenna Ekwe, head of International Relations Department, Liaison to NASS, NLC, made the appeal in Enugu.

     

    He said allowing the issues of the minimum wage in the Federal Government’s exclusive list was part of democratic processes. Ekwe noted that those canvassing for its removal were ignorant of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) laws and making a vital mistake.

     

    “The laws allow issues of national minimum wages be maintained by the Federal Government.”

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • The ongoing public hearing On the 1999 Constitution Review

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    THE ongoing public hearing on the amendment of the 1999 Constitution continued across the country on Thursday with a warning by the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria to the Senate to avoid surreptitious moves by some groups to introduce Sharia law to the South-West region through the on-going constitution review.

     

    The President of PFN, Bishop Wale Oke, said in a statement issued by his Media Office on Thursday that the move was capable of adding to the numerous problems facing the country.

     

    He urged the Senate not to succumb to such agitation which he said was capable of further plunging the country into major religious crisis.

     

    He said, “The problems confronting our nation are enormous than wanting to create more. Sharia law is alien to our culture of religious existence in the South-West. As such, nobody should through any subterfuge, bring it in to cause crisis.”

     

    S’South demands power devolution, state police

     

    In Rivers State, the South-South geopolitical zone demanded devolution of power, resource control and creation of additional states in the area.

     

    The hearing organised for Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states by the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Amendment of the Constitution, chaired by Senator George Sekibo, had many stakeholders from various ethnic nationalities in attendance.

     

    The host, Nyesom Wike, who declared the hearing open, said there was urgent need for the amendment to produce a people’s constitution that would guarantee devolution of powers, fiscal federalism, creation of state police, as well as strengthening of the electoral system.

     

    Wike, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Ipalibo Banigo-Harry, said the amendment must allow the states to create and sustain local government councils and ensure reduction of the cost of governance at both federal and state levels.

     

    “Nigerians need a constitution that will give them a true sense of belonging, secure and advance their wellbeing and enable their children to aspire to actualise their potential for any office without discrimination,” he said.

     

    On its part, the Akwa Ibom State Government said the challenges plaguing the country was deeply rooted in the ground norm that held various parts of the country together.

     

    Represented by the Director of Litigation, Bassey Ekanem, he said the Federal Government was completely overburdened, adding that the state had listed about 25 matters in the exclusive list that should be transferred to the concurrent list.

     

    Earlier in his remarks, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who was represented by Senator George Sekibo, representing Rivers East, disclosed that zonal public hearing on the 1999 Constitution review adopted the bottom to top approach in order to entertain the views of stakeholders at the zonal level.

     

    Meanwhile, the National Vice-President, PFN, Apostle Zilly Aggrey, said the country needed a brand new constitution, even as he expressed fears that the ongoing selective amendment might end in futility.

     

     

    Aggrey stated, “The PFN is firmly of the view that the review process by amending a segment of the constriction may just be another exercise in futility that cannot meet the expectations of the people.”

     

    S’West seeks fiscal federalism

     

    Also, the Lagos zonal constitution hearing entered Day Two on Thursday with stakeholders reiterating calls for a total review of the constitution to reflect fiscal federalism; implementation of the Child Rights Act and Disability Act in states, local government autonomy, judicial autonomy and creation of state police.

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wole Olanipekun, represented by his son, advocated that judicial outcome be respected and adhered to so that the common man could feel protected and their rights protected.

     

    According to him, the Electoral Act should be amended to allow governorship election cases to terminate at the Supreme Court.

     

    Rights activist, Femi Falana, made a large case for the poor and vulnerable, insisting that it was important to give secession agitators the confidence of peace and inclusion if they must remain.

     

    The lawyer also advocated that the Child Rights Act enacted in 2003, and the Disability Act, be domesticated and implemented in states if the constitution review must make meaning to the common man.

     

     

    Ex-CP declares state police anti-Igbo

     

    There was, however, a mild drama at the Enugu Centre as Ibezimako Aghanya, a retired Commissioner of Police, declared that creation of state police would not be in Igbo interest.

     

    The former Kogi State police commissioner said the Igbo should only support state police when state of origin was removed and replaced with state of residence, adding that “otherwise if state police is created, Igbo will suffer.

     

    Aghanya said, “So what I am saying, if actually we want to create a state police let us first remove state of origin in our constitution and put state of residence. With it an Igbo boy born in Lagos can join Lagos police, an Igbo boy born in Kano can join Kano police and an Igbo boy born in Sokoto can join Sokoto police.”

     

    Southern Borno alleges animals, humans drink from same source

     

    However, the people of Southern Borno in Borno State have lamented that the zone has been marginalised for a very long time, hence their demand for the creation of a state for the zone.

     

    They lamented that despite their contributions to the development of the state, the region had been left to suffer with their people drinking water from the same river with their animals.

     

    They stated these in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of their presentation on Thursday at the Zonal Senate Public Hearing on the amendment of the 1999 Constitution held in Bauchi on why they are agitating for Savannah State.

     

    Captain Ibrahim Mshelia of the Southern Borno Global Initiative lamented that their children were learning under leaking classrooms while some studied mathematics on bare ground using their fingers.

     

    He said, “Some people have no drinking water; they drink water with animals. The same river that feeds them water for everything is the river that they feed their animals with. But in Maiduguri, there are taps, our children are still sitting on stones, inside the  buildings; you can see the sun, and when it is raining, they go under trees. They are sitting on the stone.”

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com1999