…Gazette 34 other Constitution amendment bills
No fewer than 42 bills requiring the alteration of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution have been gazetted for Second Reading on the floor of the House of Representatives during Wednesday plenary.
As captured on the Wednesday Order Paper, eight bills are related to devolution of powers.
Eight other bills seeking to strengthening Institutions; four bills focused on State creation; one bill seeks to establish and provide roles for Traditional Rulers in Nigeria and Provide for the Recognition of the Advisory role of Traditional Rulers; three bills focused on Citizenship; four bills centred on fundamental rights and objectives; while 14 bills focused on Local Government Councils.
The devolution of power related bills are: a bill seeking to decentralize the Governance of Natural Resources in the Federal Republic of Nigeria to transfer Mines and Minerals, Including Oil Fields, Oil Mining, Geological Surveys and Natural Gas from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; and a bill seeking to Rename and Transfer Fingerprints, Identification and Criminal Records in Part I -Exclusive Legislative List to Part I] – Concurrent Legislative List.
Also listed for consideration are: A Bill seeking to alter the Concurrent Legislative List of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution with a view to Insert a new paragraph which provides for “Road Toll; A Bill seeking to move construction of Roads other than ‘Trunk A’ Federal Roads to Concurrent Legislative List; and A Bill seeking to provide for the inclusion of Tourism and Tourism related matters on the Concurrent Legislative List.
Similar the House is to consider a bill seeking to insert a new item in the Exclusive Legislative List with respect to Piracies and crimes committed on the High Seas and for related matters; A Bill seeking to transfer Quarantine from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; as well as a Bill seeking to move Water for Domestic, Commercial. Industrial, Irrigation, Power, and other uses to the Concurrent Legislative List, to allow State Governments put to sustainable use of water within their State, make provisions for State Governments to access Mines in their States, provide for the financial autonomy of Local Government Councils by prescribing an Independent Consolidated Local Government Council Account and for related matters.
This is coming barely 24 hours after the lawmakers passed 40 bills which seek to alter the 1999 constitution.
All the 40 bills gazetted on the Order Paper on Tuesday were passed without debate by the lawmakers who sponsored the bills.
The Majority Leader, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere who read the long titles of the bills, requested for the passage of the proposed bills after which the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu ruled that the bills should be passed for second reading.
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