Some stakeholders have appealed to the National Assembly to consider strategic economic transformation roadmaps, state policing and women inclusion in politics, as critical flashpoints of the ongoing constitution review exercise.
The stakeholders, largely members of the House of Representatives and their consultants, made the call at the end of a retreat on constitution review, organised by the House of Representatives in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom.
They emphasised the imperativeness of social and economic laws that would enhance the welfare of Nigerians and reposition the nation for positive development.
Dr Samson Osagie, the Consultant on Election Matters to the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review, while presenting the report on the 305 memorandum received by the House, said there was a need to consider state policing.
Osagie also said that there is need for more women inclusion in politics and provision for advisory roles for traditional rulers in the Constitution.
He called for the
removal of Local Government funding from the state governments to enable them draw their funding directly from the Federal Government, to engender local government autonomy.
Dr Olusegun Omisakin, the Director, Research and Development, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, said that the nation’s economy was dominated by the nonproductive sector.
According to him, this represents 50 per cent of the population, leading to the collapse of infrastructure and social sectors.
Omisakin proposed stabilisation, consolidation and acceleration as economic roadmaps that would facilitate growth and boost economic transformation.
Also speaking, the Deputy House Leader, Rep. Abdullahi Halims (APC-Kogi) attributed the nation’s economic downturn to insecurity and called for a constitutional provision for the prohibition of open grazing by the National Assembly.
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In the same vein, the Vice Chairman, House Committee on Constitution Review, Prof. Julius
Ihonvbere, stated that faulty political structures and systems that produce leaders of the nation contributed significantly to the current social and economic realities of the country.
In a remark, the Chairman Conference of State Speakers, Mr Adebo Ogundoyin, expressed optimism in the collaborative efforts of the States and National Assemblies in actualising the objective of the review exercise.
Also, Gov. Umo Eno of of Akwa Ibom state, who was represented by the Deputy Govenror, Sen. Akon Eyakenyi, decried the lack of willingness by Nigerians to accept the constitution as the people’s document.
Eno, however, assured the committee of his support in achieving its set goals and producing a document that would be acceptable by Nigerians.
Earlier in an address, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman Committee on Constitution Review, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, assured Nigerians that the Constitution review would enhance economic outcomes by modernising legal frameworks.
Kalu also assured of
increasing institutional capacity, addressing emerging economic challenges, as well as facilitate the inclusive development of the nation.
The President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, in his goodwill message, urged the participants to ensure that the outcome of the exercise reflects the diverse perspective as well as the voice of the Nigerians.
Other dignitaries present were Speaker of Guinea Bissau, Domingos Pereira; Sen. Saliu Mustapha of Kwara; Sen. Amos Yohanna of Adamawa and Sen. Diket Plang of Plateau.
Speaker, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Udeme Otong, consultants, among other notable personalities were also at the event.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria