President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday in Abuja inaugurated 21-man presidential advisory committee on constitutional amendment.
Speaking at the occasion, Jonathan stated that the committee was
expected to develop draft bills on previously agreed issues that would go a long way to strengthen the unity of diverse ethnic and socio-religious groups in the country.
According to him, these settled issues include strong recommendations from past constitutional and political reform conferences; on national security, human rights and social security and people’s charter and social obligations.
Others are environment and natural resources, models and structure of government, public service, power sharing, local government reforms and the economy.
Other areas of firm agreement, he said, were proposals for judiciary and legal reforms, constitutional amendments pertaining to the public service, anti-corruption, joint state/local government accounts, traditional institutions and cultural reforms; and civil society, labour, trade unions and national media reforms, amongst many others.
He said that the draft bills would be considered by the executive branch of government before sending them to the National Assembly.
The president maintained that the ultimate purpose was to identify with and reinforce the on-going efforts of committees of the Senate and House of Representatives as they grappled with outstanding constitutional issues.
“On our part, the Executive branch will also revisit some of the recommendations for which changes, course corrections and consider new initiatives, so long as they improve the capacity of government to serve the people better.
“I am confident that the maturity, composition, procedures and response capacity of our national institutions are sufficient for the needs of the nation.
“We have the competence, temperance and depth of vision to tackle all the issues involved to ensure the best outcome for the nation.
“Within the process that I am initiating, there is room and mechanism to fully engage the public.
“I find this necessary and appealing in the belief that it will accelerate progress on unresolved issues of our national life as we grapple with present day challenges and anticipate our future needs.’’
Jonathan challenged members of the committee to study and deliberate on the resolutions, recommendations and implementation guidelines of the last national political reform conference as well as any relevant aspects of the 1994/95 constitutional conference.
“The committee will observe that all of the recommendations were unanimously adopted; they were, however, not implemented because of the controversies that engulfed the process of legislation at that time.
“It is not your job to vitiate or qualify such manifestly stated items of national consensus. Rather, you may review their currency in the light of subsequent developments and situate them within present needs and realities.
“Also, parts of the draft documents and resolutions that culminated in the 1999 Constitution were unilaterally excised from the final document.
“You are to consider, and where necessary, update them in the light of contemporary challenges.’’
Jonathan also enjoined the members to feel free to suggest fresh solutions to old problems, especially those that might have defied consensus in the past.
“When people allow a quarrel between the past and the present, they risk the future. I am confident in the ability of the members of this committee to rise to challenge of the moment.
“If we all approach the task ahead with honesty, faith and unity of purpose, we shall create a nation that we can all be proud of.
“And, by our collective efforts and service, we must bequeath this nation as a worthy edifice to our posterity.’’
Responding on behalf of the 21-member committee, the chairman and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore, thanked the president for the opportunity given to the team to serve the country.
He noted that it was better to do a comprehensive review of the constitution rather than doing it in parts and assured that the team would try its best possible to correct the “confusion and lacuna’’ contained in the constitution.
Other members of the committee are Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma as vice-chairman, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Mr. Ledum Mitee, Dr. Abubakar Saddique and Ms. Comfort Obi.
The members also include, Mr. Peter Esele, Prof. Oladipo Afolabi, Prof. Jerry Gana, Mr. Tessy Ikimi, Mr. G.O.S. Miri, and Amb. Babagana Kingibe, Amb. Jibrin Chinade and Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha.
Prof. Anya O. Anya, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Alhaja Salimot Badru, Hajia Najatu Mohammed, Mr. Ferdinand Agu, Alhaji Wakil Mohammed and Barr. Halima Alfa will also serve as members of the committee