The National Conference secretariat
distributed a draft new national
constitution to delegates yesterday, in
what came as a surprise to many of
them who said the idea of producing
such document was never approved.
On their resumption from recess,
delegates also yesterday received copies of the conference report, a bill on constitution amendments being
proposed, as well as records of
proceedings.
The draft constitution contains changes
approved by the plenary during debates
on committee reports in June and July.
These include listing of 18 additional
states, delisting of the 774 local
government areas, creation of state
police, independent candidates for
elective offices, and limiting the number of ministers to 18.
Apart from scrapping the 774 LGAs, the new constitution gave powers to state authorities to create and run their local government areas.
The 18 new states included in the draft
constitution are Aba, Adada, Amana,
Anioma, Apa, Edu, Etiti, Ghari, Gurara,
Ijebu, Kainji, Katagum, New Oyo,
Njaba-Anim, Ogoja, Oil Rivers, Ose and
Savannah.
Delegates have now been given until
Wednesday to study the distributed
documents and reconvene to approve
them.
On July 14 the confab adjourned and
asked the secretariat to compile the
approved recommendations of the 20
standing committees and draft a report.
Daily Trust exclusively reported
yesterday that the secretariat had gone
beyond its brief by suggesting in the
report that the National Conference
should produce a new constitution for
the country.
Yesterday's plenary was chaired by
conference secretary Valerie-Janette
Azinge, as both chairman Justice Idris
Kutigi and his deputy Prof. Bolaji
Akinyemi did not attend the session.
Mrs Azinge announced to delegates that they would be given documents which they had until Wednesday to study, before she adjourned the session.
"You will receive copies of the main
report which is in two volumes-1 and 2,
and a bounded draft constitution," she
said.
"In that bounded draft constitution is
what we call a matrix; it has in it the
first column which has the constitution
as it exists today, the second column has all the amendments as suggested by you, and the third column is a fusion of both the constitution plus all the
amendments that you suggested.
"For easy reading, we have also
extracted the third column, that is, the
fusion of the existing constitution & the
amendments proposed as a draft
constitution.
"There is also a draft bill which will
introduce the amendments and
alterations which will make it the fourth amendment to the constitution."
The idea of drafting a new constitution
by the National Conference was first
exclusively reported by Daily Trust on
June 30, when it reported that deputy
chairman Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi was at
the time trying to convince Northern
delegates to accept the plan.
But after a heated debate at plenary
session over the issue, it was agreed
that no new constitution was to be
drafted by the National Conference.
Delegates had argued that the confab
had no such powers and this was not
part of their brief.
On Sunday, Prof Awwalu Yadudu wrote
an open letter to fellow delegates,
saying he found out the secretariat had
resurrected the idea of writing a new
constitution as well as conducting a
referendum on it, contrary to
conference decisions.
The fact that this draft has now been
produced by the secretariat is likely to
create rift in the conference. Delegates,
especially those from the North, are
likely to reject the document while many among their southern counterparts may
support it.
'Unacceptable'
Dr Haruna Yerima, a delegate from
Borno State, said the new constitution
was not acceptable.
"We are not here to draft a new
constitution. The conference secretariat has no mandate to draft a new constitution. We are going to reject it," he told Daily Trust.
"That is not why we are here. The
secretariat has overstepped its bounds.
That is unacceptable."
Yerima also raised objection to
Akinyemi's presiding of the plenary.
"When we resume on Wednesday, the
chairman Justice Kutigi must preside all the proceedings. We don't want
Akinyemi to preside again. Kutigi must
brace up to his responsibility," he said.
Spokesman for the Northern Delegates
Forum (NDF), Mr Anthony Sani, said "it
is morally preposterous for the confab of unelected delegates to give the nation a new constitution. This is democratically wrong and morally prosperous. It is unacceptable."
But Ms Annkio Briggs, a delegate from
the Niger Delta, said the new
constitution is good for Nigeria.
"Nigeria needs a new lease of life. We
must accept the challenges. The current constitution which is in operation since 1999 has failed us. We need to move on," she told Daily Trust.
"The new constitution is what Nigeria
needs now to address its challenges. We have been clamouring for Sovereign
National Conference. This confab is an
opportunity to solve Nigeria's problems. The new constitution will address just those challenges."
Some delegates also said the time given
to study the documents was too short.
Malam Sani Zorro said most delegates
were not aware a new constitution was
being drafted by the secretariat.
He also wondered why the chairman and his deputy were absent. "In this era of Ebola, it is important that we know that that the chairman and his deputy are in good health. I say this because you (Azinge) did not mention the reason for their absence," Zorro said during the brief plenary session yesterday. Mr Dan Nwanyanwu from the Labour Party also said delegates needed at least a week to study the documents.
But Azinge insisted that delegates
should reconvene on Wednesday.
In his open letter to delegates on
Sunday, Prof Yadudu had said "(the)
Confab, whether at plenary or
committee stages of its work, never
tasked any members to propose a 'draft
constitution' which may be considered
for adoption by 'referendum' or in total
disregard of the existing constitutional
or legal order."
Daily Trust learnt that a technical
committee of selected Northern
delegates met last night to review the
new constitution. The committee will
brief Northern delegates at an expanded meeting today, where a decision will be taken on the draft ahead of tomorrow's
plenary session.




m.allafrica.com/stories/2014

Why are the Northern delegates kicking against the amendment of the constitution? Indeed we need a constitution that is devoid of religious and tribal sentiments. It will however still be ratified or rejected by the National Assembly.
Northerners shouldn't always oppose positive change. They shouldn't constitute themselves a clog in the wheel of progress!

Why tears

purplesummer:

Unibenstudent: Why tears

Merely booking space

U are the type to enter the bank and tell someone that *please am at ur back , * then u go away from the line to do something else and arrive later

purplesummer:
Merely booking space

Unibenstudent: U are the type to enter the bank and tell someone that *please am at ur back , * then u go away from the line to do something else and arrive later

Omg! How did you know

Because its a character pathway,anyway,if u tell me that in the bank , i will say u can't be at my back and be away from the line

purplesummer:
Omg! How did you know

Well, since all the delegates are meeting privately to analyze n scrutinize the New drafted constitution, Let's wait and see whose ideas and argument will prevailm..Proudly Nigerian though

purplesummer: Why are the Northern delegates kicking against the amendment of the constitution? Indeed we need a constitution that is devoid of religious and tribal sentiments. It will however still be ratified or rejected by the National Assembly.
Northerners shouldn't always oppose positive change. They shouldn't constitute themselves a clog in the wheel of progress!

The draft constitution would also have to be approved by 2/3 of the state Houses of Assembly and signed into law by the President, before it comes into force.

CFCfan:
The draft constitution would also have to be approved by 2/3 of the state Houses of Assembly and signed into law by the President, before it comes into force.

Good. If that's the case then they've still got ample opportunity to cry us a river.