Constitution Review: Senate Urges North’s Elders To Forward Their Views

THE Senate on Monday urged the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) to send the views of its members to the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution for consideration.

The NEF had described the current efforts to alter the provisions of the Constitution as a waste of time.

Its Publicity Secretary, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, had urged the Senate to join hands in seeking permanent solution to insurgency, banditry and other forms of violence in the country.

But Chairman of Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru (Osun Central), said it was not correct to say that because previous constitutional amendments did not yield tangible result, that the present process would also fail.

Basiru said: “Even though they are entitled to their views, the question to ask is: does it mean that if former legislatures cum Executive (administrations) have possibly or allegedly failed in this regard, then it can never be achieved?

“Their statement even implied an agreement by them that there is need for fundamental restructuring, which is the purpose of the present endeavor of the Ninth National Assembly.”

“Their views can be encapsulated in a memorandum to the Constitution Review Committee.

“The thematic areas advertised for constitutional reforms cut across some of the concerns they raised and, therefore, we shall be glad to engage them through proper legislative channel rather than news media.”