From ADETUTU FOLASADE-KOYI, Abuja
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review (CRC), Ike Ekweremadu, has promised that best practices in federalism and democracy across the world will be recommended in a fresh constitution that will be unveiled next July.
He spoke during a two-day study tour of The American Federalism by selected members of the committee at the weekend in Washington DC, United States. Ekweremadu, who is also the deputy Senate president, said the study tour had earlier taken some committee members to Canada.
He said they were currently in the USA and India, saying they were being co-sponsored by development partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and the European Union (EU).
Senator Ekweremadu said the committee embarked on the tour because it needed further information from democracies and federalisms such as those of the US and Canada, which he said were much older than Nigeria’s as well as those at relatively the same level of development with the country such as India and Brazil. “This is a global world; no country can live in isolation, hence problems are easily handled these days because you can easily find examples from places on how they have been able to resolve their own problems.
If you try to be too indigenous and ingenious, the way you do your own, you may be wobbling in the dark; it is important for you to see how others are doing their things and getting better results. “So, that is why it is important for us to study those areas and ensure that we follow the best examples without also losing sight of our local peculiarities,” he said.
The deputy Senate president said the US was a very complex society like Nigeria, saying the question to ask was: “How come that as complex and vast as it is, they are able to secure the territory of America while we are facing dire security challenges.” He regretted that Canada, which remained a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society was able to live together as one while Nigeria had not been able to manage her diversities.
“So, practical experiences on things that are happening there which are not happening in our own clime are the things we need to share with the rest of our colleagues and Nigerians to enable them to make an informed opinion when we start treating the issues,” he emphasized. Meanwhile, the study, which had been described by Ekweremadu as highly resourced and incisive, was facilitated by the International Law Institute, Washington DC and covered critical areas as distribution of powers, fiscal federal, local governments, citizenship rights, legislative drafting in constitution amendment, and the immunity of chief executives.
Make money from internet! Be paid N1,500 for each person U invite to register as Netcontacts online member.To know more,log onto http://www.netcontacts.com.ng and register for free trial with this Invitationcode:2843032810
Join us as we empower ourselves financially.
Can the devils who call themselves federal leaders allow Nigeria to become a trully federal state? Do we need America or Canada to tell us that federal govt should not control resources in a federalism? This tour is another waste of our resources and none of the findings will be implimented here. I have not travelled to America or Canada but I know the solution to Nigeria’s problem. Federal govt should hands off resources, power, internal security and appointment of INEC chairman. The judiciary should be independent and election rigging should be legislated into capital offence. These fools should be voted out of power because they are fools for ever. NONSENSE!!!
Ifeanyi, shut up. Didn’t you read here that the visit was sponsored by the UNDP and other development partners. Anyway, when a fool talks, he leaves no one in doubt that he is indeed a fool.
Opposition parties in this country are more selfish than PDP. Otherwise, they should merge to form a single, vibrant and formidable party that will sack PDP out of power. PDP has done more evil to Nigeria than the military did. Posterity will definitely not forgive Olusegun Obasonjo.
We need revolution in this country. Goodluck has been blindfolded. He can’t see the iminent civil unrest. But we know it is arround the corner. It is clear he wants to make history as the Nigeria’s president who was sacked by mass action
Earn Instant $4.83 In your Liberty reserve Thru Currency Exchange
Exchange earnings
Break into your Financial Freedom do not pay any one to teach about online business
i have paid heavily to so many brokers and Forex marketers but got nothing and i am
unveiling this here for free do not pay any one to get this, start making you own earnings
online its free, All you need do, is just to get your calculator and follow me carefully
as i outline the (steps) below.
thelibertycashstreams-workfromhome(.)hpage(.)co(.)in
Mr. Ekweremadu, I hope that the report of your studies have not been written for you by your Arewa godfathers – that only the South-Eastern States will be reduced to two or one to make Nigeria develope. ON fed. character level, is it not important that we also send members to Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afganistan and their likes to also study how to kill christians?
The Almighty Creator will fight for us – with you or without you. My big question is if there were no constitution/s in Nigeria when the north monopolized their strangulating grip on Nigeria for 43yrs? Correct this evil or salt will loose it’s quality. Thanks.