Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, is the chairman of the senate committee on Constitution amendment. In this interview he speaks on the review of the committee’s activities. CHIDI OBINECHE presents the Excerpts.
If you look at the 1999 Constitution, there is no position on how it should be amended. What is the thinking of your committee?
First, we have done a number of amendments in the past and we are now doing a more elaborate amendment that will be all-encompassing. Secondly, Nigerians have been very concerned about the way the 1999 Constitution came about through a military process. I think if we make provision in the constitution for how a new provision can come into force, it can take care of that concern so that subsequent constitutions can also be subjected to, probably, a referendum; a more elaborate process of consultation and possibly, a conference.
There is the example of Kenya. Beyond the countries we have visited, we may still have to go to Kenya to study their own system. Kenya had the same problem and what they did was to amend their constitution to make certain provisions on how a new constitution can come about. Having got that, they also set up a commission for the implementation of those processes. It took them a long while but they were able to achieve it.
When people are talking about sovereign national conference or a referendum, you ask yourself, what is the authority for this? How can we achieve this when the law does not make provision for it? Section 1 of the constitution makes it clear that you can’t do anything outside the constitution. Otherwise, you will be subverting it. Very soon, we will begin to think about making provision in the constitution. I will share the view with my colleagues and if they feel strongly about it, I am sure that this kind of amendment can also take care of it.
Given that the 2015 elections are approaching, do you think you would have concluded the review before then?
As far as we are concerned, we will finish sometime in 2013 and, if we do, will still have two years before the elections so that most of the things that we have done would have taken shape ahead of 2015. However, even if we don’t finish as early as we are prepared to, it will not really affect the conduct of the elections in 2015.
Does it mean you don’t have a timeline to complete the assignment?
We pasted guidelines since January this year and we have been following it religiously. We stated that we were going to have publications inviting people to a public hearing in the month of May and we did that. We said we would hold retreats in April, we did that.
We said we would hold public hearing in October, it was held. We will be having another public hearing in November. In the first quarter of next year, we will hold a retreat. After that, within that first quarter, in the National Assembly, the debate will start in earnest. Hopefully, by July which is the third quarter, we are hopeful that the business of amendment would have been treated.
Section 7, of the constitution provides for the independence of the local government system, but what obtains now seems to be contrary to what is provided for in the constitution. What should Nigerians expect from the amendment?
It is one of the issues we intend to address. In addressing it, we have to first agree as to what would be the status of our Local Governments in Nigeria. We need to ensure that they get their money directly from the Federal Government without passing through a joint State/Local Government account. Recall that those who put the joint account in the constitution meant well.
The idea was for the money to go into a specific account in which the State Government will contribute from their internally generated revenue and then share to the Local Governments in such a way that they will get more money than was actually paid to them by the Federal Government, but we have noticed that instead of putting money into this account and sharing to the council areas from it, some states actually take money away from the account before sharing. On the whole, beyond that amendment, it is important that governance at the state level should ensure that Section 7 of the constitution is complied with in terms of making sure that elections are held at the local government level as independent as possible.
Your committee is said to be planning a foreign trip. Is this necessary?
Some of our colleagues have gone to Canada to do a comparative study of our federal system and that of Canada. They came back with a very revealing result. People like Senator Attahiru and a number of other Senators were there. We believe that we also need further information, especially from those who are on the same level of development as we are, like India. We are also hoping that we will go to Brazil and we will study more advanced system like the United States of America. America is a very complex society like Nigeria. But as complex as it is, they are able to unite the territory of America. Canada is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic country, yet the people are able to live together. It is the same with India, yet we cannot manage our own affairs.
What are those things that are happening there which are not happening here? These are the things that we need to have practical experience of and share with our colleagues to enable them to make an informed opinion at the appropriate time. This is a globalised world. No country can live in isolation.
That is why problems are easily handled these days because you can easily find examples from many places as regards how they have been able to solve their own problems. It is important for us to see how others are doing their things and getting better results. That is why it is important for us to study these areas and follow the best examples.
How many memoranda has your committee received?
At the last count, we had received about 240 memoranda outside the basic states’ demand. We have acknowledged these memos and these submissions and in July we had a retreat in Asaba, Delta State. There, we looked at all these memos and tried to summarise them. Most of them deal with similar issues; so, we identified the specific issues which we are concentrating on; those which we considered to be thematic, we will bring them out during the national public hearing so that Nigerians will begin to make contributions towards them.
We believe that every Nigerian will have an opportunity to say his or her own mind on the areas identified from the memos they have submitted. We have thrown it open to the public, and I am happy that for two days, we have very useful discussions and input from various people of Nigeria. We intend to further take it to the zones so that people who are unable to attend the national public hearing will have an opportunity to bare their minds on these specific areas. Beyond that, we intend to engage our constituents.
We intend to take our colleagues to their various districts so that they hold meetings with the people of their respective constituencies. Every Senator will be involved in this, but the members of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review will also organize a stakeholders meeting in their respective states to explain to them what we are doing and probably get their input. We are hopeful that every other Nigerian will be engaged through the electronic media, communication systems, probably by SMS.
Every Nigerian will get the message on most of the issues in the form of questionnaires. It will be a two-way traffic. We would have paid for the SMS so that they won’t spend any money in answering those questions. We are setting up a website where Nigerians will have an opportunity of baring their minds in respect of these areas. On the whole, every Nigerian will be a part of this process.
We have never had state creation in a democratic setting. Do you think this National Assembly can break that jinx?
From the memos submitted so far and from the contributions of Nigerians in the public hearings, I think there is the desire of Nigerians to have states created and we are representing the people and ours is to give meaning to the expressions of Nigerians. To that extent, we will vigorously pursue the issue of state creation. If it succeeds, fine. If it doesn’t succeed, we would have done our job.
But some believe that you are too slow on the state creation matter.
Creation of states is a work that needs every hand to be on deck. It requires the vote of senators and members of the House of Representatives; we also have to take it to the states so at one place and decide on any issue including states creation.
NIGERIA CONSTITUTION IS A KORANIC ISLAMIC SHARIAH DECREE WRITTEN BY HAUSA-FULANI OLIGARCHY, NO AMOUNT OF AMENDMENT WILL CHANGE IT. THE ONLY THING THAT WILL LOOK SANE ANYBODY CAN DO IS SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE. AMEND THIS KORANIC ISLAMIC SHARIAH DOCUMENT ONE MILLION TIMES, WHAT IT IS, IS WHAT IT IS, A SCRIPT OF SOKOTO CALIPHATE THAT MADE IGBO MAN A SLAVE IN HIS LAND. NDIGBO CANNOT CONTINUE TO BE SUBSERVIENT IN NIGERIA. WHAT NDIGBO WANT NOW IS REFERENDUM TO DETERMINE WHETHER WE WANT BIAFRA INDEPENDENCE. A FEW INDIVIDUALS THAT MANIPULATED CORRUPT ELECTORAL PROCESS IN NIGERIA TO WIN ELECTION OR CALL IT SELECTED CANNOT DETERMINE THE FATE OF GENERALITY OF NDIGBO. THOSE WHO HAVE DECIDED TO BE SLAVE AND SUBSERVIENT TO HAUSA-FULANI HEGEMONY CAN NO LONGER DETERMINE OUR FATE. THE FATE OF NDIGBO DOES NOT LIE WITH NIGERIA BUT BIAFRA. NIGERIA IS A GENOCIDIST STATE AND A CURSED ENTITY WE NDIGBO DO NOT WANT IT.ANYTHING NIGERIA IS CORRUPTION AND FRAUD.HOW CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE CONFISCATION OF BIAFRAN LAND, WATERS, RESOURCES, FINANCE AND PROPERTIES. NIGERIA IS BUILT ON FALSEHOOD WITH SWEAT OF NDIGBO. THE RESOURCES USING TO SUSTAIN NIGERIA TODAY IS BIAFRA RESOURCES TAKEN BY FORCE WITHOUT CONSENT BY HAUSA-FULANI AND YORUBA PEOPLE DURING AND AFTER NIGERIA/BIAFRA WAR. THE RESOURCES HAVE BEEN USED TO DEVELOP LAGOS, IBADAN, ABUJA, KADUNA, KANO, SOKOTO AND OTHER PART OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN NIGERIA WHILE IGBO LAND AND NIGER DELTA WHERE THAT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE COMING OUT FROM EVERYDAY CONTINUE TO WALLOW IN POVERTY AND PENURY. IN IGBO LAND TODAY, IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ONE TO MAKE IT WITHOUT TRAVELING OUT OF IGBO LAND. WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO BE SLAVE AND SUBSERVIENT IN OUR LAND.
You are correct my dear. Nigeria has no constitution in the first place. Let us see if they can make it. To Senate President and his Deputy, be very careful as you do this job. They are not happy. Remember what the other BASTARD and EVIL Governor, Kwankwoshokor insinuated.
@ Price Jimmy: God Bless you. Flesh and Blood did not reveal this to you. Again i say God bless you. Thank you
My Friend deputy Senate President there is nö need fying up and Down to Other countries to copy cat and see how their System is working.Nigeria State will size to be in 2015 for the Land of the rising Run Biafra to stand.Wasting Ur time studying the civilise system when ur civilise Brothers in the North re wedging war against u at home is irrelevant.lets Divide this Country..mumu.
The issue of Nigerin constitution amendment is overdue since and can not be debated.The problem of this country is nothing but lack of true focused leaders managing the affairs of the nation. It is only and when truthful and God fearing leaders manage the leadership of this country that you and me will realiased the love of God to this nation but because of our individual and collective wickedness, tribalism,hatred, unfaithfulness, lack of love to each other that God decided back us and nothing seems to work, no matter our effort.You know, God hate all the above mentioned evil act.Minus hatred and replace it with love in our society and see what will happen.l am an Igboman, a christian and lover of my fellow human being created by God, inrespective of tribe,culture,religion,colour and what more. In Nigria today, all the evil act i mentioned are all over us, yoruba, Igbo, Hausa/Fulani and the earlier we learn to respect each others right and value the better for us.You cat not amend a constitution on paper while your heart is saying opposite, it is only when you amend your ways of life style to the fear of God by loving your fellow as yourself coupled with consititional amendment that we can enjoy this country Nigeria.It is very unfortunate that some people up till now write and speak as if they have not been to the four walls of secondary school not to talk of university.It is high time we amend our ways by doing the right thing at the right time for better tomorrow.Remember, we will be judged by our did at the last day. President, senators, Hon/members, ministers, governors, all the opportunist in the high plcaces, do the right thing.Should you mismanaged your position or maltreat people you soppose to show love, simply because they are not from your tribe and state/zone, definitely you pay for it in one way or the other. For those of us that speak and write carelessly, be advised that whatever you said wrongly will be judged against you.
The efforts of the Ekweremadu Committee shows that there is hope for this country. I was at the National Public Hearing with other members of the civil society. At lease, ordinary Nigerians showed so much interest. The hall was crowded, even as every inch of space at the international Conference Centre was occupied by Nigerians peacefully advocating one amendment or the other. Gwari people, the Abuja indigenes came in several traditional costumes demanding a mayoral status for Abuja. Kudos
My senator,its not all about amending the constitution,but the implementation has alway been the problem.it is pertinent to note that the peripheries has always come out with best policies but implement has alway been a lacuna.travelling to study the core countries is not the best, but a critical understanding of the nigerians.
I truly salute my sanator 4 his comity’s efort at d constitution review. Senator Ike is quick to remind us that odas like canada, garmany and kenya and u s a made thier countrys’ law document wok inspite of thier ‘cultures and tribe’ but certainly d senator is ignoring the ‘relegion’ of islam wish is influencial in those countries as we hav in naija. Irethria n Ethiopia couldnt go 2getha cos of sharia so it was with sudan n s.sudan. Truth b told! Nigeria wil nt wok as d sanator wishies unles he divise a way to supres this sharia tin bcos we share xteristics of canada, japan, garmany, kenya, US xcept a large influence of islam’s sharia. Tnx and God’s wil b done.
WASTING TIME IN NIGERIA WILL NOT SERVE ANYBODY’S INTEREST. NIGERIA IS A CURSE NATION AND MASSIVE FRAUD. ONLY SEPARATION CAN MAKE SENSE. WE CANNOT ACCEPT AMENDED KORANIC ISLAMIC DECREE BY HAUSA-FULANI OLIGARCHY. A SCRIPT WRITTEN BY SOKOTO CALIPHATE.
My Hon. Dep. Senate Pres. Sir, true constitution must reflect the belief system of the people, culture,history and to some extent their modified way of life to accomodate others and such does not require carbon- copying other peoples’ way of living. If the Nigerian people cannot evolve an acceptable document for their diversity, then, the positions of leadership, intellectuals and elder statemen are vaccant. Tommorow, the north will say that the countries the committee visited were predominantely christian nations and another committee will be set-up. Nigerians can supply the committee with the information on how to rebuild this “once” country because the knowledge and answers are with us and in us.So , save the resources for better things. Wait until i publish my political theory then you will know that not all Blacks fit-in to Hegel and proff. Bobble’s description of black men.
I wonder how those who claim to be learned in Nigeria always go for every thing the white man does irrespective of its wrong adaptation to the issues at stake. Nigeria is a circular state with muslim extrimists which America and Canada doesnt have and so going there for our constitution amendment is uncalled for. Nigeria have enough educated people from any of its tribes that can handle this amendment.let us learn how to utilise our resources well for the benefit of the mases and not the other way round. we have pushed this unitary system in nigeria for so long and its no working and so its better we go back to confederation where every region will take care of their problem the best way they feel. that way, there will be competition among the federating regions on development and this will speed up development as it was during the first republic.That way, the north will have their own law governing them and so other regions. If its not done that way, then forget about Nigeria…. Goodluck Mr Dep. Senate President
Biafra, Federalism,Unitary system etc are all political jargon,they are not the problem. Constitution amendment is fine. But what ever constitution that is made is still to be implemented by “man”. Until man decides to be good nothing can change. Until the righteous are in authority, there will always be gnashing of teeth from the people
Fix the roads in the South-east, Mr Deputy Senate President. They are the worst in the country. What are the elected law makers from south-east zone doing in Abuja? We are not impressed. So much talk and no action.