Constitution amendment: N-Assembly ‘ll resist moves to erode its powers – Mark

On October 11, 2012 · In News

 

 

Abuja—The National Assembly will hold certain fundamental ideals sacrosanct and will resist any attempt to erode its powers to review the 1999 Constitution, Senate President, David Mark, has warned.
Mark gave the warning yesterday at the opening of a two-day public hearing on further review of the 1999 constitution.
He said: “Any constitution worth its salt must guarantee periodic elections, fundamental rights, a system of checks and balances.
“It must also guarantee the principle of separation of powers, a vibrant legislature, a dynamic executive, an independent judiciary, and a free press.”
The senate president stressed the need for the legislature to work hard to deepen these fundamental principles and strengthen the institutions which guarantee them.
He added: “Legitimacy will be restored to the grund norm if all these can be accomplished on the basis of the contributions which you will make here today, as well as other contributions generated from Nigerians in the process of constitution review.”
While acknowledging that the task of reviewing the constitution had historically never been easy, Mark solicited the participation, commitment and cooperation of all key stakeholders in the assignment.

RESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN LAYING THE 2013 BUDGET PROPOSAL BEFORE THE JOINT SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN ABUJA ON WEDNESDAY (10/10/12). STATE HOUSE PHOTO

“These include the Houses of Assembly of the States, the Federal and State governments, and the general public.”
In his remarks, Deputy Senate President and Chairman, Senate Constitution Review Committee, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, disclosed that 231 memoranda, in addition to 56 other memoranda proposing the creation of additional states, had been received.
Ekweremadu listed the areas of the constitution in which Nigerians wanted amended through their memoranda to include devolution of powers, state creation and constitutional recognition of the six geo-political zones.
Other areas were the local government system, fiscal federalism, residency and indigenes, the Nigeria Police, rotation of offices, immunity clause and the executive.
The deputy senate president also listed judicial reforms to strengthen justice delivery, the desirability or otherwise of a mayoral status for the Federal Capital Territory as other areas.
Also listed for amendment are the extraction of the Land Use Act, National Youth Service Act, and Code of Conduct from the constitution to make their amendments easier and faster, among other issues.
Ekweremadu said the public hearing would be held in the six geo-politcal zones of the country in November to take the process closer to the people.

SOURCE: 12 October 2012.