Constitution amendment: Delta assembly Okays 57 clauses

From Osa Eresoyen, Asaba

Not less than two months after the state Houses of Assembly across the country received copies of the draft amended 199 Constitution from the National Assembly, Delta State House of Assembly on Tuesday adopted its resolution for the fourth Alteration Bill, 2014, after voting in favour of 57 clauses out of the 72 clauses as proposed by the National Assembly

It however, voted against 12 clauses including alteration of Section 7, 7A- 7Z, 66, 107, 124, 162, 197, 201, 202, 306, 318,part 1 third schedule , part 11 of the Third Schedule, fifth schedule part 1, sixth schedule and the alteration of seven schedule.

The motion for the consideration of the resolution on the clauses as proposed by the National assembly was moved by the Majority Leader, Hon Monday Igbuya and seconded by the Minority Leader, Hon Julius Okpoko.

After considering the Proposed Constitution (Fourth Alteration), Bill 2014 clauses by clause, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Peter Onwusanya , who presided over plenary, called for the adoption of the bill as proposed by the National Assembly after a motion by the majority Leader, Hon Monday Igbuya and seconded by the deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Basil Ganagana.

It would be recalled that the National Assembly, two months ago transmitted the 23 amendment to the 1999 Constitution to the State’s houses of Assembly with plea to the state legislator not to truncate the amendments through undue influences, apparently from the governors.

Receiving the amendments on behalf of the state legislators in the National Assembly, the Chairman of conference of speakers of State House of Assembly and Speaker, Akwa-ibom State House of Assembly Hon. Samuel Ikon, commended the National Assembly for their effort during the review process and assured the federal lawmakers that the errors committed by the state legislators in 2010, including the rejection of autonomy for state legislatures, would not be repeated this time.

Before handling over the document to Ikon, Senate President, David Mark, had explained how the National Assembly traversed various constituencies which make up the nation to ensure that their view formed the nucleus of the review process.

According to Mark, the amendments being transmitted to the state were not wishes of members of the National Assembly but rather those of the generality of Nigerians, regretting that state legislators opted to reject autonomy given to them during the last review process. He explained that local government autonomy in the current amendments was the wish of Nigerians as gathered from submission at public hearing on the constitution.