The National Assembly on Friday commenced deliberations on far-reaching constitutional amendments that could see the creation of 55 new states and 278 additional local government areas across the country.
Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, made this disclosure while speaking at the opening of a two-day joint retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in Lagos.
Barau’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, disclosed through a statement issued in Abuja on Friday.
According to Mudashir, his principal reaffirmed the legislature’s commitment to delivering “people-centred and timely” amendments to the constitution.
Barau, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, urged lawmakers to work towards fulfilling their promise of transmitting the first set of amendments to the state Houses of Assembly before the end of the year.
“It has been a long journey to bring the Senate and the House of Representatives’ Constitution Amendment proposals that cut across several sections and deal with different subject matters,” he said.
“We have been in this process for the past two years, engaging our constituents, critical stakeholders, institutions, civil society organizations and interest groups in town hall meetings, interactive sessions and public hearings, harvesting and synthesizing views and perspectives which has ultimately culminated to what we have here today — 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments and 278 local government creation requests.”
According to Barau, members are expected to resolve these issues and make recommendations to both chambers, expressing optimism that progress could be achieved within the two-day session.
“It is not going to be a simple task to achieve within two days, but I believe we can do it, especially as we have promised Nigerians that we will deliver the first set of amendments to the State Houses of Assembly before the end of this year,” he added.
While stressing the need for patriotism and unity in the review exercise, Barau—who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament—urged participants to avoid divisive tendencies.
“We are seated here as one committee. There should be no ‘we’ and ‘them’; we should be guided by the interests of Nigerians. I wish all of us a very fruitful deliberation and hope for recommendations that will meet the approval threshold of the provisions of Section 9 of the Constitution,” he said.
