CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT: Battle shifts to states

The leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly has forwarded copies of amendments of the 1999 Constitution to State Houses of Assembly for concurrence, Ripples Nigeria has gathered.

Findings by our correspondent showed that the transmission of copies of the constitution amendments was concluded on Monday.

A reliable informant in the Office of the Senate President, revealed that the transmission of copies of the amendment took some time because of “cleaning up copies to ensure that what you have in the Senate is also what you have from the House of Representatives.”

He said State Assemblies are expected to turn in their contributions to the National Assembly in the first quarter of 2018 for further legislative work before transmitting same to Muhammadu Buhari for presidential assent.

Read also: Senate defers budget debate

The source explained that it is expected that the State Assemblies will not find it difficult to come up with their resolutions of the proposed amendments because they were carried along during the amendment process.

According to the source, “It is not expected that the State Assemblies will unduly delay the transmitted copies especially when they were carried along at every stage of the constitution amendment process.”

Further checks also showed that State Assemblies have been fully sensitised to appreciate the issues at stake and the thinking of Nigerians on all issues slated for amendments.

Much energy has been devoted to the constitution amendment proposals which did not scale through the hurdle of the National Assembly.

Talks and comments have comprehensibly centered on such areas as the failure of the National Assembly to approve devolution of powers to states, removal of the Land Use Act from the Constitution, and 35 per cent affirmative action for women.

 

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