Less than one-third of Nigeria’s 36 states have voted in support 44 constitutional amendment, which the National Assembly initiated through amendment bills.
Out of 68 proposed amendments to the Nigerian constitution, the National Assembly passed 44 last 1st March. The 44 draft amendments were then transmitted to the 36 Houses of Assembly as provided for by the Constitution.
To progress, the proposed amendments have to be approved by resolution of the House of Assembly of not less than two-third of all the states.
Briefing the media on Tuesday, Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege (APC Delta Central) said only 11 of 36 state legislatures have considered and voted on the 44 constitution amendment bills.
The states are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Lagos, Ogun and Osun.
Twenty-five other states have failed to consider the bills. The states have threatened to take no action on the bills unless four more constitutional amendment bills are considered and passed by the National Assembly.
The four are bills to:
1. Establish State Police
2. Establish State Judicial Council
3. Streamline the procedure for removing Presiding Officers of State Houses of Assembly
4. Institutionalise Legislative Bureaucracy in the Constitution
These demands were contained in a letter from the Conference of Speakers to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitutional Review.
Omo-Agege also accused some state governors of interfering in the affairs of state assemblies and turning state lawmakers into puppets for their selfish gains.
The bills approved by the National Assembly on 1st March included
1. Financial autonomy for local governments
2. Administrative autonomy for local governments
3. Financial Independence for State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary
4. Inauguration of members-elect of the National and State Houses of Assembly
5. Bill to institutionalise legislative bureaucracy in the Constitution
6. Retirement age and pension rights of judicial officers of Superior Courts of Records
7. Bill to exclude the period of intervening events in the computation of time for determining pre-election petitions, election petitions and appeals therefrom
8. Bill to expand the Interpretation of Judicial Office to include Courts or Tribunals created by an Act of the National Assembly or a State House of Assembly
9. Timeline for presentation of Appropriation bill by president and governors
10. Timeline for president and governors to submit names of ministerial nominees and commissioners
11. Bill to include Presiding Officers of the National Assembly in the membership of the National Security Council
Among the bills rejected by the National Assembly were
1. Special Seat for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly
2. Expansion of the Scope of Citizenship by Registration
3. Affirmative Action for Women in Political Party Administration
4. Qualification to become an Indigene of a State in Nigeria
5. Immunity for Legislative and Judicial Arms of Government
