Conditions To Pass Constitution Review Bills, By Speakers

The Conference of Nigeria Speakers have vowed not to pass the 44 Constitution Review Bills transmitted to them by the National Assembly until four bills they have proposed are passed.

The four bills being demanded by the Speakers include that on State Police.

The Chairman, Senate Adhoc Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege disclosed this at a briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.

It was organised by the National Assembly joint committee on Constitution review however, the Chairman, House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Constitution Review, Ahmed Idris Wase was absent at the briefing.

Omo-Agege, who is Senate Deputy President, however said that he had the blessings of Hon. Idris Wase who is out of the country on a national assignment, to go ahead with the conference.

He lamented that only 11 states have so far considered and performed their Constitutional role of passing amendments to the constitution.

He said the Speakers of State Houses of Assembly through a letter to the National Assembly joint committee on Constitution review have given four conditions upon which the remaining 25 states will pass the amendments.

He described the letter as the “hands of Esau and voice of Jacob”, saying state governors are behind the action of the Speakers.

Present at the briefing were the Senate Leader, Senator Abdullahi Ibrahim Gobir, Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, and Minority Whip, Senator Chukwuka Utazi.

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba and the National President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Ambali Akeem Olatunji also attended the briefing.