In the interest of Nigerians, the National Assembly has encouraged the remaining 25 State Houses of Assembly to pass the legislation amending the Constitution.
This was said at a news conference held on Tuesday in Abuja by Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, Chairman of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review and Deputy Senate.
Omo-Agege stated that just 44 of the 66 Constitution Alteration Bills recommended by the committee have been accepted by the states.
The inauguration of senators and lawmakers-elect, as well as local government financial autonomy, were among the bills, according to him.
Omo-Agege said that 25 of the state assemblies had not cast votes on the measures six months after they were sent to them.
“It is most disheartening that only states houses of assembly 11 have demonstrated their independence and loyalty to the constitution regarding the 44 bills,” he said.
Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Lagos, Ogun, and Osun were among the states whose assemblies adopted the measures, according to Omo-Agege.
“These states have successfully considered, voted on and forwarded their resolutions on the 44 bills to the National Assembly.
“More worrisome is that while we are still expecting the receipt of the resolutions of the remaining houses of assembly, we received a letter from the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly informing the National Assembly that the remaining states will not act on the 44 Bills.
“The letter indicated that they could only approve the bills when the National Assembly passes four new bills they have proposed,” he said.
The new bills, according to him, seek to modify the Constitution in order to form state police, a state judicial council, as well as to simplify the process for replacing the speaker of each state’s house of assembly and to institutionalize parliamentary bureaucracy.
He claimed that the national assembly had no objections to passing any bills or memos that were properly presented to it.
“However, it is legally inappropriate for the conference of speakers to use the four Bills as a quid pro quo (a favour or advantage granted in return for something) to act on the 44 Bills,” he said.
According to Omo-Agege, the bills sent to the state parliament have nothing to do with National Assembly members.
“It transcends our personal and political interests. It is about the people who have graciously given us the temporary privilege to serve them,” he said.
