Tag: Benjamin Kalu

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Benjamin Kalu said on Monday, February 26, that the nation’s new constitution will be ready for presidential assent in the next 24 months. 

Speaking at the formal inauguration of the House Committee on the review of the 1999 constitution, Kalu said the plan to get a new Constitution available is to give the President time to study the alterations before signing them into law away from the busy schedule of election year. 

He said: “Our constitution, the foundation of our democracy, stands as a testament to our collective aspirations for a just, equitable, and prosperous society. Yet, as we confront the realities of the 21st century, it is incumbent upon us to recognize the imperative for constitutional reform, to ensure that our laws reflect our people’s evolving needs and aspirations.”

Kalu said the House has so far recieved bill proposals for the establishment of state police; state access to mines; increased participation of women in politics; clear specification of the taxes/levies to be collected by each tier of government and the

provision for the office of the Mayor of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.

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He said several bill proposals that were passed, but did not make the president’s

assent during the fifth constitution alterations have been brought back to the current amendment, including powers of the National Assembly and State Assemblies to summon the President and State governors, and requirements of the government to direct policies towards ensuring the rights to food and food security.

According to him, this highlights the dynamic nature of the constitution review process and its salientness to the democratic strengthening of the country, adding that the House was willing to accommodate more proposals to enhance the Constitution and strengthen the nation’s democracy.

He said the House was also waiting for executive-sponsored bill proposals that reflect issues on the renewed hope agenda of the President.

He acknowledged amendments to the constitution carried out by previous assemblies, which include financial independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary; redesignating “Prisons” as “Correctional Services” and then transferring

them from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list to enable the state’s participation; transferring “railways” from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list; enabling states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid; and requiring the President and Governors to submit the names of persons nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within sixty days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly. 

He said the committee is ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, leveraging the power of technology, social media, and inclusive engagement, we will ensure that every voice is heard, every perspective is considered, and every citizen is empowered to participate in the shaping of our nation’s future. 

He said further that “as we embark on this journey, let us draw inspiration from the words of great leaders who have come before us. Let us remember the wisdom of Tafawa Balewa, who spoke of the necessity of unity and collaboration inbour efforts to build a brighter future.

“Together, let us reaffirm our commitment to democracy, justice, and progress. Together, let us rise to the challenge and build a brighter future for Nigeria, a future that is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people.

The House of Representatives has so far received about 40 Bills seeking alterations to the 1999 Constitution, Deputy Speaker and House Committee on Constitution Review Chairman Benjamin Kalu has said.

At its inaugural meeting yesterday in Abuja, Kalu said the committee was constituted by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and the House Leadership to guide and manage the achievements of reforms and amendments to the Constitution during the 10th National Assembly.

The deputy speaker said this was the sixth time the National Assembly had embarked on amendments to the Constitution.

He said Abbas mandated the committee to set a realistic timeline that would not clash with electoral activities, which would advertently or inadvertently affect the alteration process.

Kalu explained that in line with the Speaker’s instruction, the committee had set December 2025 deadline to conclude its activities.

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He said: “It is not out of place to guess that there is some level of fatigue in the amendment process by some vocal sections of the populace. Whatever opinion you hold, it is important to let you know that we presently have 40 Bills that are at various stages of consideration, which relate to the Alteration of the Constitution.

“We are well aware of our present challenging circumstances as a nation. The twin challenge of insecurity and economic difficulties could tamper with the confidence of our citizens. It is, therefore, our constitutional responsibility to respond to the 40 Bills so far proposed and attend to the duty of government to ensure the security and welfare of the citizen, as provided by the Constitution.

 “Since 2010, the National Assembly has successfully amended and made landmark changes to our Constitution since it was first handed over to Nigeria in 1999 by the military regime of General Abdulsalam Abubakar.

“Since then, some of the significant amendments successfully made by previous efforts include judicial reforms, electoral reforms, age reduction, allowing younger persons to be appointed into the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as Chairman or Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and also allowing a lower age for contest into certain elective positions, moving certain responsibilities of government from the Exclusive Legislative List into the Concurrent Legislative List to allow for increased federalism, among other things.”

Kalu recalled that during the last Constitution Review efforts, there were some key amendment proposals that did not sail through, either because the committee did not fully understand the provisions or it did not have enough time to agree on them.

An example, the deputy speaker said, was the proposal to create additional seats for women in Federal and State Legislative Houses.

He said: “Let us use this opportunity to understand this proposal, hoping that the promoters of this particular amendment will start their advocacy timely and be more thorough and comprehensive, reaching the stakeholders to control the mindsets of their representatives.

“I will like to urge the committee to prepare to work very hard and timeously to deliver on citizens’ expectations of concrete amendments in the shortest possible time.”