The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi Owaji-Ibani, has said it is urgent for Nigeria to have new constitution to address its present challenges.
He said that the welfare of Nigerians should also be taken into consideration in a new constitution saying that the country should practise true federalism to avoid conflicts.
He spoke with reporters after making presentation at the Senate Public Hearing in Port-Harcourt for South-South geo-political zone for review of the country’s 1999 constitution.
Rt Hon Owaji-Ibani said: “Pluralism is supposed to be a strengthening factor for the Nigerian federalism but pluralism is explored negatively. You have ethno-religious crisis, people who are supposed to have access to economic means they are not having. With this amendment the National Assembly should be able to take the people into account. It’s very, very important.
“If you look at the graduation of the armed conflict that we are having in Nigeria it is graduating from low intensity to high intensity. The time for Nigeria and Nigerians to act is now. The urgency for Nigeria to have a new constitution that will take care of the interest of the people is now”.
He said that the agitation by any group of people across the country would be the result of dissatisfaction in the polity and said that there should be true federalism.
He also said there should be link between state institutions, elected representatives and the people.
“Any amendment, alteration to the 1999 constitution that does not take into account the economic well-being of the mass of Nigerians amounts to nothing”.
The Speaker of the state legislature said there should be growth in human development index.
He said: “These are issues as have been canvassed and the position of Rivers State. The governor of the state has spoken and the Attorney-General has presented the position of Rivers State government”.
He said that the country’s constitution does not fall in line with true character of federalism.
Making his presentation the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Hon Zacchaeus Adangor, said that there should be devolution of power to the states, saying matters should be removed from exclusive list to concurrent list.
He also said that the constitution should be amended to provide for creation of state police.
There were also other presentations at the public hearing.
The Attorney-General of Akwa-Ibom State in his presentation said that states should determine minimum wage and not federal government.
He also said each state should have its own police to operate within the borders of the state.
The Attorney-General said elected representatives should be banned from defecting within the period of their tenure.
The Nigerian Labour Congress said that the country should practise true federalism or return to parliamentary system.
In his presentation the deputy President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Amaechi Asogene, said that labour issues should be retained in exclusive list adding that workers were the driving force of the country’s economy.
The two-day public hearing for review of the constitution was declared open by the governor of the state, Chief Nyesom Wike, represented by his deputy, Dr Mrs Ipalibo Harry Banigo, in which he said that what the country needs was a constitution that would give Nigerians true sense of belonging.
