By Henry Umoru
ABUJA— AS Nigeria begins the process of amending the 1999 constitution, government of the United States of America has urged the National Assembly to involve all sectors of the society if a truly accepted constitution must be produced.
Speaking, yesterday, when he visited the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi, the Counsellor for Political Affairs, Embassy of the United States of America, Gregory Lawless, stressed that when every one was carried along in this process, it would then make the Constitution amendment procedure a very credible one.
Meanwhile, Senator Emodi has told the visiting Counsellor for Political Affairs that Nigeria, as a country, had a lot to learn from the elections of the United States of America, just as she stressed that the country was still learning.
She told the envoy the efforts the National Assembly was making to further amend the Nigerian Constitution and described the amendment of the constitution as very important to the country, even as she pleaded that all hands were on the deck to ensure a successful amendment.
Speaking further, Lawless said: “Any country at the process of amending its constitution, it is a very serious process which requires involvement of all sectors of society and political process.
“As visitors to your country we are interested and observing this sectorial domestic political process. We hope that all Nigerians will come together in this process.”
When asked on his observation in the amendment process so far and if anything was wrong, the envoy who noted that the process was still too young to judge, said: “I think so far it is still too early to say, the entire process is still at a very early stage; this process of amending the constitution is still very early.
“But having said that, you have a very vibrant press, where many opinions are expressed in the newspapers and radio about the way to amend the constitution.”
“That is also good for the society when more people are involved in the process of amending the constitution,” he said.
On whether Nigeria copied the correct presidential system of government from the United States, Gregory Lawless said, “First of all, the Nigerian people selected their own political system. So we support the Nigerian people for selecting our own system.
“But I really don’t like to compare one system with other. Secondly, Nigerian people have selected a system where there are three independent bodies, the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary but all which must work together to govern the people of Nigeria. My own observation, the system is going well.”
He said that the amendment of the electoral laws was informed by the recognition that no country could grow without credible elections.
Speaking further, Senator Emodi also told the envoy that the National Assembly recently amended its electoral laws to ensure free and fair election in the country, stressed that the amendment of the electoral laws has further improved the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to her, President Goodluck Jonathan respects the independence of the electoral empire, adding, “The President, Goodluck Jonathan respects the electoral laws and does not in any way interfere in the electoral process.”
SOURCE: 6 November 2012
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