Tag Archives: constitution

Don Ladipo Adamolekun: Nigeria needs new constitution.

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A don, Prof. Ladipo Adamolekun, has advocated for a new constitution for the country in order to promote genuine unity among the diverse ethnic groups.

Adamolekun spoke on Wednesday at a convocation lecture he delivered at Lead City University, Ibadan, as part of the activities marking the institution’s ninth convocation ceremony.

The lecture was entitled: “ The Idea of Nigeria: Two Challenges-Unity in Diversity and Prosperity.”

Adamolekun, a former lecturer in the Department of Public Administration at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, said a new constitution would solve the political and socio-economic challenges confronting the country.

The don, who opposed the continued effort to amend the 1999 constitution, said creating a new constitution was a necessity and not a choice.

He added that the new constitution must also contain features capable of keeping the country united.

“I would also add that the federation to be enshrined should be the one that would accommodate the country’s ethnic, linguistic, religious, cultural, regional and geographical diversity,’’ he said.

This, he said, would be capable of advancing social-economic progress while a devolved federal system, both politically and economically, would yield the desired outcomes.

“The new constitution must be adopted through a referendum to affirm that it is truly owned by the people” he added.

In moving the country forward, the don listed peace and security, economic diversification, strengthening of elite institutions and anti-corruption campaign as the most promising drivers of prosperity for the country.

Meanwhile, former presidential candidate, Chief Martin Onovo, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to diversify the economy rather than resorting to external borrowing.

Maku Calls For Removal Of Immunity Clause From Constitution

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Former Information Minister Labaran Maku on Sunday called for the removal of immunity clause for elected executive officers from the country’s constitution. Maku, a gubernatorial candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Nasarawa state in 2015, made this call while fielding questions from newsmen in Wakama, Akun Development Area of the state.

He explained that the removal of the immunity clause would help tackle corruption and ensure good governance. He specifically advocated for the removal of the clause that protects the president, governors and local government council chairmen from facing prosecution in breach of office. He said that the immunity clause had created an umbrella for some state governors to tamper with their state resources, thereby leading to underdevelopment at the grassroots.

The former minister also advised Nigerians to pray for better things in the New Year as well as pray for permanent peace to reign in the country. “Let us also pray for the peace of the country and give President Muhammadu Buhari the needed support and cooperation to enable him tackle the challenges facing the country. “I believe that the immunity of state governors should be removed, no governor needs immunity and if it is removed, this will help to check fraud, corruption and mismanagement,’’ he said.

Credit: DailyTimes

Again, N’Assembly Seeks President’s Assent To Constitution Amendment Bill

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In a bid to strengthen democracy and good governance in the polity, the National Assembly would soon resubmit portions of the fourth constitution amendment Bill to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, made this known yesterday when he received report of the 2015 elections European Union Observer Mission in Nigeria from the Chief Observer, Mr. Santiago Fisas, in his office.

Buhari’s predecessor, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan had withheld assent to the fourth constitution amendment bill on the basis that key provisions in the amendments did not meet the requirements of Section 9(3) of the 1999 Constitution.

Read More: ngrguardiannews

Amendment Of 1999 Constitution Dead With Jonathan’s Exit – Akume

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Minority Leader Senate, George Akume, yesterday, has decried the impossible actualization of the National Assembly overriding former President Goodluck Jonathan’s veto on the 1999 Constitution Amendment Bill, passed by the National Assembly. Akume said the inability of Jonathan to assent to the bill before the end of his tenure has rendered the bill dead, saying there was nothing the legislature can do to get the amendment becomes law.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, Akume, who represents Benue North West in the Senate under the All Progressives Congress, APC, said even as the Supreme Court asked both the Federal Government and the National Assembly to settle the issue out of court, the court did not ask that the government made modifications nor ask the legislature to override the president’s veto.

“The issue here is very clear, if it was not assented to, I do not know what you want us to do. It is very clear that this particular bill will now struggle to find a place in the new Senate, which is the 8th Senate. Jonathan has left and the bill is still a bill until it is assented to. The Supreme Court has made its own pronouncement, the Supreme Court didn’t say go and override or the president should go and make concession. One way or the other, this issue has not been resolved, so that is the responsibility of the 8th Senate if they feel it is a major priority for the Senate,” he said.

Responding to question on why he jettisoned his ambition to become the Senate President in the 8th Senate and instead, seeking to become deputy, Senator Akume said: “That is the dynamism of politics, politics is like that and what we have sought to do and we have been trying to do is to as much as possible, have an internal realignment, consolidate and move forward. Basically, that is what has been done.”

Moreover, Akume, defended the President’s decsion to move the military command headquarters to Maiduguri, saying it was the only way out if the nation was prepared to win the war against insurgency in the North East.

“The movement of the military command headquarters to the epicenter of the insurgency is a step in the right direction. There is no way you will be fighting terror in, for instance, Makurdi and then your headquarters is in Abuja or it’s in Jos. It is always good to be there to make direct assessment and to confront the challenges headlong. I think apart from saying he was moving it, he was also dedicated to the training of the Armed Forces. I think these are very important,” he insisted.

He said the APC- led government was aware of the expectations of Nigerians from it, saying the party, through its leader and president, Muhammadu Buhari, was up to the task. “The president himself is a tested person as I had said and he is going to live by example. And so, we have no doubt that these problems are going to be tackled but he himself said these problems can never be over within a fortnight. He had said it before, that solutions to complex problems cannot be as instant as coffee and I employ Nigerians not to look back, we are very determined and by the grace of God, we are going to meet the expectations of the people,” he added.

Court Dismisses Nyako’s Bid To Return As Governor

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A Federal High Court sitting in Yola has dismissed a suit filed by former governor Murtala Nyako challenging his impeachment by Adamawa State House of Assembly last year.

While delivering judgement, presiding judge, Justice Bilikus Bello Aliyu said the case brought before her by Nyako was an abuse of court process as three suits are pending before a competent courts of law on the same issue and as such she can not entertain the suit.

“This suit is an abuse of this court and courts should protect themselves from abuse,” she said.

The judge has in the course of delivering the ruling upheld the objection of the counsel to first respondent Mr.Leonard Zadon that the same case is pending before three high courts stressing it is an abuse of court process.

The Judge, had earlier upheld the appellant argument that his right was grossly infringed upon by the respondent citing section 36 of the 1999 constitution of federal republic of Nigeria as amended.

“I can not contuine with this case as the court runs concurrently,we will not encourage litigants abusing court processes,” she added.

Constitution: Senate Suspends Action To Override Jonathan’s Veto

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The Senate has withdrawn its earlier threat to proceed with the constitutional amendment notwithstanding a Supreme Court ruling against the move.

The Senate appears to have now succumbed to that Supreme Court ruling as it suspended action on its plan to override president Goodluck Jonathan’s veto on the amendment bill after a closed-door session on Wednesday.

The senate rose from about two-hour executive session which was presided over by the Senate President, David Mark and announced the suspension of its planned process to override president Jonathan’s veto on the Fourth Alteration Act 2015 which seeks to further amend the 1999 Constitution.

Read More: Vanguard

NASS May Impeach President Jonathan Over Refusal To Sign Amended Constitution

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In what many analysts have described as a major setback for a process that had gulped billions of naira, the Senate and the House of Representatives may begin impeachment proceedings against outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan over his refusal to sign the 1999 amended constitution.

It can be recalled that president Jonathan vetoed the amendments in the constitution and sent it back to the senate raising some objections to amendments made by the National Assembly and passed by all the Houses of Assembly in the country.

However, the Senate yesterday convened an emergency meeting of its Committee on Constitution Amendment to discuss ways of responding to opposition of President Goodluck Jonathan to the amendments proposed by the National Assembly to the 1999 Constitution.

In addition to yesterday’s crucial meeting, the committee, which is headed by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, will also today and tomorrow, embark on a special retreat to seek further ways of addressing the issues raised by the President on the proposed amendments.

This is also as the Senate plans to devote an entire plenary session to look at ways of reacting to the position of Jonathan to the proposed amendments and sources in the National Assembly tells The Paradigm that President Jonathan may be impeached for “toeing this line”.

The Senate and the House of Representatives had passed the Fourth Alteration Bill in October 2014 and transmitted same to the 36 Houses of Assembly for resolution.

Read: Pres. Jonathan Refuses To Sign Amended Constitution

In February this year, both chambers transmitted the outcome of the state Houses of Assembly to President Jonathan for his assent as required by law.

However, Jonathan in a letter to the Senate President, which was read on the floor of the senate yesterday at plenary, enumerated reasons why he would not assent to the amendments as proposed by the National Assembly.

In the letter, Jonathan objected to section 4 of the alteration act, which seeks to alter section 9 of the constitution, by the insertion of a new section 3A, which dispenses with the assent of the President in the process of constitutional amendment.

He doubted if the amendment satisfied the constitution requirement, which provides that it must be supported by the votes of not less than four-fifths majority of all the members of the National Assembly and approved by a resolution of the House of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the states as provided by section 9(3) of the 1999 constitution.

The President stated that going by the information contained in the votes and proceedings of the National Assembly, it is doubtful if the constitutional requirement was met by the lawmakers and therefore, it will be unconstitutional for him to assent to the bill.

The President also raised concerns over the insertion of sections 45A-45B, which guarantees right to free basic education and unqualified right to free primary and maternal care services.

According to the President, the alteration as contained is open ended and should have been restricted to government schools only in the case of right to free basic education.

Culled from  www.theparadigmng.com