The National Assembly yesterday transmitted 44 Constitution Review Bills recently passed by the Senate and House of Representatives to Houses of Assembly for further legislative work.

Both chambers of the National Assembly had considered 68 Constitution Review (fifth alteration) Bills but passed only 44 of them.

Clerk to the National Assembly, Amos Ojo, made the presentation to Clerks to the 36 Houses of Assembly in Abuja.

Chairperson of Forum of Clerks of States’ Houses of Assembly, Mrs. Lyna Aliya Ocholor, symbolically received the Bills on behalf of her colleagues at the ceremony.

Ocholor, who is the Clerk to the Delta State House of Assembly, promised that her colleagues would carry out necessary legislative processes required for the Bills to be considered by the various Houses of Assembly.

Ojo said the transmission of the Bills to states was the first time since the country returned to civil rule in 1999, when the clerks were invited physically to the National Assembly.

The National Assembly Clerk said the event was in compliance with Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended).

He said: “Given the importance of alterations to the Constitution, the two chambers of the Ninth Assembly, at inception, inaugurated committees on Constitutional Amendment, headed by Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase.

“The Ninth Assembly has since delivered on this key legislative priority and has equally passed 44 Bills for the alteration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Today, we are transmitting to you a total number of 44 Bills as passed by the National Assembly. These Bills deal with major issues on development, governance, politics and the economy.

“They touch on issues, which include the abrogation of the State Joint Local Government Account, financial independence of state legislatures and judiciary, in compliance with legislative autonomy.

“With the transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bills, 2022, it must be made clear and unambiguous that the Ninth National Assembly has started the process of restructuring within the polity.

“The fact of the matter is that powers are being shared enthusiastically and drastically in the sense that the states are now empowered to generate and distribute electricity, construct and own railways, airports and correctional centres.

“We are now going to have financial autonomy at the state Judiciary and the local layer of government.

“The Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation, even at the various state levels, will now be separated; ditto for the Office of the Accountant General…”

Ojo sought the support of journalists and civil society groups in the remaining process.

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