Constitutional amendment: No communication from NASS – Yobe, Adamawa assemblies

Constitutional amendment: No communication from NASS – Yobe, Adamawa assemblies

Yobe and Adamawa houses of assembly say they are yet to receive constitutional assembly bills from the National Assembly for domestication and ratification.

The assemblies, who made this known in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, however, said they would consider the bills once transmitted to them from the National Assembly.

The Deputy Director, Legal Services, Yobe House of Assembly, Mr Ibrahim Madaki, said the assembly had the institutional capacity and established legislative procedures to handle the bills.

“The Assembly is ready. Once the constitutional amendment bills are transmitted, we will receive them and subject them to the normal legislative process.

“The bills will go through committee scrutiny, stakeholder engagements and public hearings before the House takes a decision,” he said.

According to him, members of the Assembly would also be given time to consult their constituents to obtain public opinions before deliberations on the proposed amendments.

He said the Assembly had consistently ensured public participation in law-making by inviting stakeholders to submit memoranda during public hearings.

Madaki said relevant professional bodies, the judiciary, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and other interest groups would also be consulted to ensure that the review process reflected the aspirations of the people.

He expressed optimism that the amendments would usher in local government autonomy, judicial and legislative autonomy, fiscal and revenue reforms, and devolution of powers, among others.

According to him, proposals aimed at restructuring the judiciary and reviewing items on the Exclusive and Concurrent Legislative Lists were also among the issues considered important in the constitutional review.

Also, the Adamawa House of Assembly has expressed its readiness to initiate the ratification of constitutional amendment bills as soon as they are transmitted to it from the National Assembly.

A serving legislator, on condition of anonymity, said the assembly was yet to receive the bills at the moment.

Read Also: Kogi confirms rescue of abducted NECO candidates, officials

In Borno, a former legislator, Alhaji Ali Damasak, said that the state House of Assembly was committed to supporting reforms that promote development, good governance and accountability.

“The assembly is actively following the constitutional review and is prepared to align with reforms that advance the interest of Borno and the federation,” he said.

A political analyst, Mohammed Babagoni, called for massive enlightenment campaigns on the constitutional amendment.