Nigerians seek removal of immunity clause, others from constitution

Differ on state creation, police structure

FOR transparency and good governance to be enthroned in the polity, some portions of the constitution such as the immunity clause have to be removed.

This was the common thread that ran through meetings organised by the National Assembly in different parts of the country at the weekend   in respect of the review of the 1999 constitution.

At the town hall meetings in Edo State, the immunity clause for governors, president and the vice president, state police and resource control including derivation formula, local government councils’ direct access to fund dominated the talks.

In Akoko-Edo federal constituency in Edo north senatorial districts where former national president of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Peter Appattason is the representative, the people of the area unanimously called for the removal of immunity clause on governors as it relates to criminal prosecution.   This they said would discourage governors from looting the state treasury. They cited the case of former governor of Delta State, James Ibori.

On control of resources, the people of the area said the existing derivation formula should be up from 13 per cent to at least 20 per cent while they said states in the federation should be allowed to possess 50 per cent of their resources and pay the remaining 50 per cent into the federation account just as they said the country was not ripe yet for state police.

At the Oredo federal constituency, the majority of the people called for an amendment that would ensure complete independence of local government councils.

The member representing the constituency is Rasaq Bello-Osagie and his session was chaired by Justice Isaac Aluyi, and it experienced a large turnout.

In Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency 1, Lagos State, at a meeting held on the instance of its reprsentative, Moruf Akinderu Fatai, the constituents agreed that about 28 items in the constitution should be amended and that 14 others should remain unchanged.

Some people at the session opposed the issue of state police. They rejected the planned creation of state police, insisting that  it would create room for intimidation and abuse by state governments in power, thereby trampling on people’s fundamental rights. The issue led to a stormy session and it was put to vote with those who rejected the proposal being in the majority.

The Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly Alhaji Adamu Ahmmad challenged Nigerians to seize the opportunity created by the public hearing on the constitution amendment in all the federal constituencies to better their lives.

Ahmad who spoke at the Auyo Local Government secretariat venue for the pubic hearing for Auyo/Hadejia/’Kaugama federal constituency yesterday said the initiative by the House of Representatives was good.

He said it would afford the people at the grassroots the opportunity to air their views on the constitution

The people of Shira and Giade Federal constituency of Bauchi State have supported the removal of all ambiguities in the constitution to pave way for easy creation of more states in the country.

According to the people at the weekend during the public hearing, 12 more states should be created with two in each geo-political zone

On the immunity of president, governors and their deputies the people explained that those in power are abusing the clause and because of this it should be removed

Residents in Cross River opposed the call for the amendment of Section 214 (1) of the 1999 Constitution to pave the way for the creation of state police in the country.

They, however, said that the state governors should be given more powers to control the commissioners of police in their states. The session was chaired by the Cross River State Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. E. O. E. Ekong.

A representative of the Nigerian Bar Association for Akpuyo/Bakassi/Calabar South federal constituency, Mr. Emma Ebika advised the National Assembly to ensure the unity of Nigeria.

He said: “NBA is of the opinion that every effort should be made to keep Nigeria one. Let the vote of the people count at any time. Whatever they say should reflect on the decision of the national assembly.”

In Ebonyi State, the issues of state creation, inclusion of geopolitical zones in the constitution and indigeneship generated more interest among the citizens.

At the Ntezi primary school where members of Ishielu/Ezza North federal constituency gathered, the exercise united politicians from the area with the only All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) member of the House of Representatives Mr. Onyemachi Peter Edeh, facilitating the proceedings.

The Sapele, Okpe and Uwvie federal constituency represented by Evelyn Oboro-Ojakovo at the House of Representatives, at the weekend, debated key national issues, which they want added or removed from the constitution.

Constituents of the federal constituency who gathered at the Trade Fair centre at Osubi, Delta State, for several hours under the supervision of the lawmaker, voted for rotational presidency. They want the presidency zoned to geo-political zones rather than a shift from north to south.

The constituents also seek a balancing of state creation and demanded creation of four more states in the old mid-western region to balance up with other regions which they alleged have about six states.

They sought removal of immunity clause for governors and political office holders, among other demands.

House of Representatives members from Taraba State unanimously agreed to adhere strictly to the collective decision of the people at the public hearing on the review of the nation’s constitution

The Nigerian Bar Association, Jigawa State chapter advocated a review of the constitution to make it possible for elective political office holders to have one single tenure of six years.

The chairman of the association Adamu Turaki who spoke to The Guardian at the venue of the public hearing on the constitution review in Auyo for the Hadejia/Auyo/Kaugama federal constituency said that it was the only way the nation’s democracy could develop.

In Ogun State, residents opted for creation of another state out of the present one and also called for local government autonomy.

The sessions, facilitated by the House of Representatives’ members in the state were held in all the federal constituencies in the state. All those who spoke at the sessions agreed that there was the need to create a new state with its headquarters to be located in Ijebu-Ode.

But the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa has said that the collation of the people’s views would be the greatest challenge to the constitution review.

Dabiri-Erewa who represents Ikorodu federal constituency in Lagos State on the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) said this in Abuja while reviewing the nationwide public session on the review of the 1999 Nigerian constitution in all the 360 federal constituencies in the country.

In a statement, she said that the major challenge the exercise might have would be to reflect the true wishes of the people as captured during the nationwide public session on Saturday.