The Senate Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) began public hearing yesterday, in the various geo-political zones across the country, with renewed clamour for creation of additional state in the South East, state police and power devolution among other demands listed by the State governors and other stakeholders.
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and his Delta and Plateau counterparts, Ifeanyi Okowa and Simon Lalong, respectively, top the list of governors calling for power devolution and true federalism
El Rufai argued that devolution of powers is necessary because the current structure overburdens the federal government with too many responsibilities which it cannot efficiently handle.
The governor further recalled that the APC Committee on True Federalism, which he headed, had identified legislative interventions that the National Assembly can more easily undertake to achieve a truly balanced, equitable and fair federal structure.
He said: “The reality of our security situation today requires that Nigeria must strengthen its military and security agencies. This includes decentralising the police to enable the states to exercise effective control in securing their residents and communities.
“We need to have federal, state and community police, with each granted sufficient powers to make them effective in securing the areas assigned to them and cooperating closely with each other.
“The power to hire and fire police officers should revert fully and totally to the Inspector General of Police, under the supervision of the National Police Council, as envisaged by the Constitution.’’
In Asaba, Delta state capital, which hosted the public hearing Delta, Bayels and Edo states, Over Ifeanyi Okowa said there should be “acceptable and legitimate division of powers among different tiers of government; a written constitution delineating such division; the coordinate supremacy of the levels of government with regard to their respective functions; and a considerable measure of autonomy – fiscal, legislative and judicial – of the Federal Government and the federating units.”
The governor, who was represented by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori, advocated that revenues collected by the Federal Government through the parastatals of NNPC, NLNG, CBN, NIMASA, FAAN and other similar agencies should be remitted into the federation account.
The public hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution which kicked off in Owerri, Imo State, yesterday, was dominated by popular agitations for State policing and creation of another State in South-East.
Chief of Staff to Abia State government, ACB Agbazuari, while submitting his memorandum, noted that State police will strengthen the peaceful coexistence in the southeast and check security challenges.
He urged members of the senate committee review to look into their submission in view of granting their request.
Similarly, Chief Theo Okire, who represented Aba Mass Movement, submitted that an additional states should be created in the South East.
He said if additional states are created in the South East, it would bring an even political atmosphere and less marginalisation of the zone.
Other memoranda submitted were calls on gender equity, revenue allocation system, youth empowerment in politics, maintaining standards in professions in the country and accordance of constitutional roles to traditional institutions.
Gover Hope Uzodimma who also seized the opportunity to warn his detractors said: “Let me, however, use this auspicious opportunity to tell these alarmists and pretenders to love of Ndigbo, that they are not more Igbo than I am and they do not love Igbo more than I do.
“The difference is that while they want immediate and sentimental public applause, I want enduring prescriptions that can comprehensively address the Igbo challenge in Nigeria.
“Without sounding simplistic, what we seek is justice and equity. When we talk of restructuring or devolution of power, we are talking actually of having an environment created for us to unleash our potential and talent without let or hindrance.
“We are also talking of being treated equally like every other part of Nigeria.” – The Sun.
