NASS tasks states’ Houses of Assembly on constitution amendment

The National Assembly has urged the remaining 25 states’ Houses of Assembly, which are yet to pass the constitutional amendment bills, to do so in the interest of Nigerians.

Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege said this at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mr Omo-Agege said the committee recommended 66 constitution alteration bills for passage by the states, saying, however, that only 44 bills were approved.

He said the bills included the local government’s financial autonomy and the inauguration of senators and lawmakers-elect bills.

Mr Omo-Agege said six months after the transmission of the bills to the state assembly, 25 out of them were yet to vote on the bills.

“It is most disheartening that only state houses of assembly 11 have demonstrated their independence and loyalty to the constitution regarding the 44 bills,” he said.

Mr Omo-Agege listed the states assembly that approved the bills to include Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Lagos, Ogun and Osun.

“These states have successfully considered, voted on and forwarded their resolutions on the 44 bills to the National Assembly.

“More worrisome is that while we are still expecting the receipt of the resolutions of the remaining houses of assembly, we received a letter from the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly informing the National Assembly that the remaining states will not act on the 44 Bills.

“The letter indicated that they could only approve the bills when the National Assembly passes four new bills they have proposed,” he said.

He said the new bills sought to amend the constitution to establish states police and state judicial council and streamlining the procedure for removing presiding officers of states houses of assembly and the institutionalisation of legislative bureaucracy in the constitution.

He said that the national assembly was in no way averse to passing bills or memoranda appropriately tabled before it at any time.

“However, it is legally inappropriate for the conference of speakers to use the four bills as a quid pro quo (a favour or advantage granted in return for something) to act on the 44 Bills,” he said.

Mr Omo-Agege said the bills transmitted to the state assembly were not about members of the National Assembly.

(NAN)