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Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu
The 36 state governors, along with the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Committee on the Review of the Constitution, Benjamin Kalu, have pledged commitment to strengthening the 1999 Constitution.
As part of its efforts to gather additional input for amending the 1999 Constitution, the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review announced on Tuesday that it will engage with various groups, including the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the Nigeria Guild of Editors, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, chairmen of the 18 political parties, and civil society organizations, among others.
Following the NGF’s meeting with Kalu’s Committee in Abuja early Thursday morning, Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani informed journalists that in addition to discussing constitutional matters, the meeting also addressed other pressing issues affecting Nigeria.
He disclosed that the forum led by Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, emphasised the importance of utilising data and technology to improve education management systems during its meeting with the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa.
He added, “The Forum hosted the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Committee on the Review of the Constitution, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who briefed governors on the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
“The Deputy Speaker emphasised the importance of collaboration between the forum and the committee, proposing the establishment of a ‘one-stop shop’ framework to align state-level priorities with the constitutional review process. Governors pledged their support for the initiative and reaffirmed their commitment to actively engage in shaping amendments that strengthened Nigeria’s constitution.
“The forum engaged with the Minister of Education on strategies to reposition Nigeria’s education system for improved outcomes. The minister provided an overview of the challenges, including out-of-school children and high rates of learning poverty, particularly in the North-East and North-West regions.
“Key proposals discussed include strengthening collaboration between federal and state governments, improving the quality of girl-child education, integrating vocational training, and leveraging data and technology to enhance education management systems. Governors reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate with the Federal Government and development partners to address these challenges and align efforts towards achieving SDG4.”
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Committee on the Review of the Constitution disclosed that the Tax Bill was not discussed during the session.
Kalu, accompanied by Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere, Deputy Majority Leader Abdullahi Ibrahim Halims, Deputy Majority Leader Sada Soli, and others, stated that ignoring the governors would slow down the progress towards achieving the goals of the constitutional review.
He stated “We have had a robust discussion, and I must say the governors made valuable contributions and are in support of the constitutional review.
“We also informed them that we are going to visit their states and geopolitical zones to advance public opinion in their various regions regarding the thematic areas of the constitution we are reviewing.
“We told them that we have received about 161 areas for amendment in the constitution and that we will provide a breakdown of all of them in the coming engagement.”
The Deputy Speaker expressed hope that with an established liaison desk between the National Assembly and the NGF, it will be easier for the Houses of Assembly to fulfill their responsibilities regarding the constitutional provisions and their role in voting on them.
In response to a question about the Tax Bill, he explained that the governors were receptive to all the areas being considered in the Constitution.
He added, “They were not particularly focused on tax reform, and they only informed us that it is before Parliament, which will critically review it and align it with the wishes of the people we represent.”
