Deputy Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review, Barau Jibrin, has urged federal and state lawmakers to remain steadfast as the constitution amendment process enters its decisive stage.
Barau spoke yesterday at a joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Constitution Review with the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Abuja.
The Deputy Senate President said the engagement was aimed at firming up positions earlier agreed upon and ensuring full collaboration with state assemblies before transmitting approved Bills to the Executive.
The meeting, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, brought together members of the National Assembly, state assembly speakers and consultants working on the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution.
Barau recalled the committee’s previous meeting in Lagos, where members debated the amendment Bills and agreed to reconvene for further consultations.
The Deputy Senate President hailed fellow lawmakers for their “commitment and dedication” to what he called one of the most important legislative assignments before the 10th National Assembly.
He noted that the Abuja meeting was not designed for fresh debates except where there was a substantive motion to revisit an already concluded matter.
According to him, members are expected to adopt agreed positions and receive reports from the sub-committees working on specific areas, including state and local government creation.
Barau said the presence of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly was crucial, describing them as “critical and strategic partners” whose concurrence is required under Section 9 of the Constitution before any amendment can become law.
“This meeting offers the state assemblies the opportunity to be fully brought on board on the issues we have sieved after public hearings and consultations across the country,” he said.
“Their observations and inputs are important as we prepare our final report to the plenary.”
The Deputy Senate President urged all stakeholders to remain committed to ensuring that the amendment Bills are transmitted to the state assemblies before the end of the year.
