By Christiana Ekpa
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase, said the ongoing efforts to amend the Nigerian constitution is an opportunity for them to write their names in gold in the history of the country.
He said this at the opening of the two-day South-South Zonal Public Hearing of the House of Representatives Special committee on the review of the Nigerian Constitution in Asaba Delta State.
Wase, who is the chairman of the Committee, assured Nigerians they would ensure justice is done to every presentation made at the public hearing.
“This is a golden opportunity for us to write our names in gold so that we would give a stable Nigeria a document to work with. I want to assure you that we shall do those things that would promote the unity, happiness and prosperity of Nigeria,” he said.
Minority Leader of The House Of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, said public hearing is a direct response by the 9th National Assembly to the aspiration and demand by Nigerians for an urgent amendment to certain fundamental provisions of the 1999 Constitution to guarantee a peaceful, socially cohesive, politically stable and economically viable nation.
Elumelu, who is also the Chairman South-South Public Hearing (Asaba Centre), said they were conscious of the fact that every democratic constitution is made by the people for the fulfilment of their collective aspirations and objective as a society.
“Consequently, any constitution that does not guarantee the fulfillment of such aspirations, is to the extent of such shortcomings, defective, frustrating and cannot deliver benefits to the people. Instead, such constitutions breed discontentment, dissonances, agitations, violence, restiveness, economic retardation and political frictions,” he said.
He also expressed the commitment of the 9th National Assembly towards the aspiration of Nigerians in the current amendment exercise.
He however pointed out that the amendment process would not accommodate the disintegration of the country, saying the unity of the country is not negotiable.
