JONAS EZIEKE, Abuja
The House of Representatives, the green chamber of the National Assembly, has declared its commitment to a truly participatory constitution amendment process, stating it will “speak with Nigerians, not for them.”
Chairman, South-South Zonal Public Hearing held in Calabar, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, made the declaration while addressing stakeholders, civil society groups, and citizens who gathered to submit memoranda and make oral presentations on critical national issues.
“We are your servants. We are very willing and happy that today, we are not going to speak for you. We are going to speak with you,” Chinda who is the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, assured.
The session, part of the ongoing constitutional review being undertaken by the 10th National Assembly, was aimed at collecting citizens’ inputs across 12 centres nationwide, two in each geopolitical zone.
Chinda, who brought greetings from the Speaker of the House, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, and Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu (who chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review), highlighted the committee’s neutrality, stating that it holds no preconceived opinions on any of the over 50 constitutional amendment proposals currently under consideration.
“The only assurance we give you is that your requests will be received, will be heard, and will be treated.
“The committee has no opinion so far on any of the areas,” he said.
The committee’s approach, according to Chinda, emphasizes orderliness, inclusiveness, and structured engagement.
“If we remain organized, we are likely to achieve the purpose for which we have left our homes for this place,” he noted, urging participants to submit written memoranda to avoid duplication, especially in repeated demands such as state creation.
Chinda presented a compendium of over 60 amendment bills, already submitted by lawmakers, grouped under 13 thematic areas. These include:
Electoral Reforms: 12 bills targeting issues such as single-day elections, INEC appointments by the NJC, and the prevention of dual party-office holding.
Judicial Reforms: 21 bills seeking to restructure the appellate process, increase the number of justices, and ensure time-bound judicial transitions.
Legislative Reforms: Including a bill to transfer proclamation powers to the National Assembly Clerk and automatic swearing-in of elected lawmakers.
Inclusive Governance: Bills proposing reserved seats for women, youths, and persons with disabilities.
Security and Policing: Proposals to establish state police.
Devolution of Powers: 10 bills aimed at resource control, including moving minerals, water, and taxes to the concurrent list.
Traditional Institutions: A bill proposing formal constitutional recognition and advisory roles in governance and security.
Fiscal Reforms: Mandating publication of Auditor-General’s reports and fiscal accountability on borrowing.
Fundamental Human Rights: Bills that seek to abolish parading suspects and grant automatic legal force to ratified international human rights treaties.
Citizenship and Indigeneship: Including a proposal for citizenship by investment and gender-equal citizenship rights.
Local Government Autonomy: 12 bills aimed at full financial and political independence for local governments.
State and Local Government Creation: Dozens of bills and new requests are already being reviewed.
“We are aware that several requests will also come from this zone. We urge that these are submitted in a coordinated manner, and we will ensure they are transmitted to the full House,” Chinda said.
Referencing constitutional expert Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Chinda underscored the significance of the Constitution as the foundation of governance.
“It is the constitution that creates the organs of government and clothes them with their powers… and it is that document that we are here to alter today.”
Chinda reiterated the importance of civic responsibility and decorum in democratic participation:
“Democracy is a government that comes with a lot of responsibility,” he said.
He thanked Cross River State for hosting the event and expressed hope that participants would leave happy and satisfied.
With the House committing to transparency, neutrality, and public input, all eyes now turn to whether these public hearings will translate into meaningful constitutional reforms or fade into another cycle of unfulfilled national expectations.
For a better society
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