Constitution Review: Deputy Speaker, unveils compendium of 86 Bills, seeks public input

By Christiana Ekpa

House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review, Wednesday, unveiled a summarized compendium of 86 Constitution Review Bills currently under consideration.

The was just as Kalu revealed that  the Committee is embarking on zonal public hearings in 12 centers across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, stressing that the hearings are designed to provide an open platform for citizens, civil society organizations, professional bodies, traditional institutions, and other interest groups to express their views and contribute meaningfully to  the constitutional reform process.

This is seen by the stakeholders as a significant step towards constitutional reform by the Committee chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.

The compendium is organized into 13 thematic areas, including Electoral Reforms, Judicial Reforms, Legislature, Inclusive Governance, Security and Policing, Devolution of Powers and Strengthening of Institutions.

Others are Traditional Institutions, Fiscal Reforms, Citizenship and Indigeneship, Fundamental Human Rights, Local Government Reform and Creation of States & Local Governments.

Addressing a press conference alongside some members of the committee in Abuja, the Deputy Speaker and Panel Chairman, Kalu said the compendium provides a comprehensive overview of the proposed amendments, including explanatory memoranda, long titles, and detailed expositions of each bill.

He also said that the move is aimed at fostering public engagement and soliciting inputs from Nigerians on the proposed legislative reforms, revealing that the House intends to use the feedback gathered from the public to inform its decisions when the bills are brought up for voting.

Kalu added zonal public hearings will be held across the country, where stakeholders and members of the public will have the opportunity to scrutinize the bills, seek clarifications, and provide constructive inputs.

He said: “86 Constitution Review Bills currently under consideration in the House will be presented to the general public in form of a compressed compendium consisting of a collation of explanatory memoranda, long titles and a comprehensive exposé of the Bills for their inputs.

“The Bills, sponsored by Members of the House, represent legislative efforts  aimed at addressing various developmental challenges affecting  governance practices in Nigeria.

“The purpose of the summarized compendium are to present the Compendium as reference material to all stakeholders and members of the public during the Zonal Public Hearings, thereby enabling them to understand the legislative proposals; facilitate public engagement by allowing citizens to seek clarifications, critically examine the Bills based on their subject matter, and contribute through constructive input;  foster the exchange of ideas during the Hearings, thereby providing  Members of the House with valuable insights into the expectations and concerns of their constituents and the wider public. This will help guide their legislative actions and inform their decisions when the Bills are brought up for voting; provide feedback to members of the public who submitted memoranda, informing them whether and how their concerns have been addressed in the proposed amendments.”