By Emman Ovuakporie
ABUJA – ARRANGEMENTS have been concluded to flag off the Peoples' Public Sessions on the review of the 1999 Constitution across the 360 federal constituencies in the country.
The move is the initiative of the House of Representatives to achieve a more participatory, inclusive and transparent review of the constitution.
Also, a tentative template of the issues to be discussed and voted on at the sessions had been produced by the House of Representatives to serve only as a guide, as each Federal Constituency is free to indicate in its report other issues they considered as requiring amendment or inclusion in the constitution.
Issues that have been identified in the template include, among others, recognition of the six zonal structure; creation of states; structure, funding and creation of local governments; residency, citizenship and indigeneship question; justiciability of economic and social rights; fiscal provisions; independence of states legislatures and amendments of the exclusive legislative list to devolve more powers to the states.
Others are fiscal federalism; abolition of states electoral commissions; removal of immunity clause; establishment of state police; zoning and power sharing; terms of office of the President and governors, regarding whether they should be for a single term of five, six or seven years or a renewable term of four years; independent candidacy; voting age; improved representation for women; rights of persons with disability; voting rights for Nigerians in diaspora; a unicameral National Assembly; presidential or parliamentary system of government; role for traditional rulers in the Constitution and further electoral reforms.
According to the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the House Adhoc Committee on the Review of the constitution, Emeka Ihedioha, the sessions will bring the process of constitution review closer to the people and will extend to all the nooks, crannies, villages, communities, grassroots and towns throughout Nigeria.
Guidelines for the conduct of the sessions indicate that speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, will perform the flag-off ceremony for the sessions on Thursday, November 8.
