But for the sudden shift in the resumption date, after the 2020 legislative year break, the House of Representatives would have been back in session on Tuesday, January 26, 2021. With a new resumption date fixed for February 9, JOSHUA EGBODO writes on the expectations the House should deliver early in fulfilment of its own promises.
Resumption hopes dashed
While expectations were high in the air that the House would be back in plenary on Tuesday as scheduled when it went on its yuletide break, marking the end of the 2020 legislative year, a dramatic twist came up on Saturday, when Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Mr. Ojo Olatunde in statement announced that the new date for members of the parliament’s resumption is February 9, 2021.
The CNA in the short statement he titled “Special Announcement”, explained that the shift was to allow members on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC participate in the party’s membership registration and revalidation exercise.
“This is to inform all distinguished senators and honourable members of the National Assembly that the resumption of plenary sessions earlier scheduled for Tuesday, 26th January, 2021 is hereby rescheduled for Tuesday for 9th February, 2021.
“This postponement is to enable members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party participate in the registration and revalidation of its membership, scheduled to commence on Monday 25th January, 20121″, the statement read in part”.
Issues on the table
With a new date in focus, which in the expectations of many Nigerians remains sacrosanct, a lot of issues requiring urgent legislative interventions have been waiting. Some of such, the House through its leadership had pledged to tackle.
Constitution review
A further alteration to Nigeria’s extant constitution has remained a great concern of majority of citizens, with high hopes that deeper and more effective work, devoid of parochial sentiments would be done by the apex legislature. On Thursday October 15, 2020 when the special Ad hoc committee for the review of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) under the leadership of Deputy Speaker Idris Wase was inaugurated, the House of Representatives assured Nigerians that it was determined and committed to producing a constitution that would address most of the current challenges facing the Nigeria as a nation.
Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila in his message charged the Committee to engage as many voices as possible in the course of its work, while also considering the expectations of different interest groups in the country. “Mr Chairman, Honourable Members of this Committee, I do not envy the enormous amount of work you have in front of you. However, I know you have an abundant capacity to execute this important assignment and deliver on our joint commitments to the Nigerian people.
“I encourage you during this assignment to seek out and listen to as many voices as possible. Engage with as many interest groups as possible, reject misinformation, document the stories of our people, consider their expectations
“Let the work you do demonstrate that this House of Representatives is fully capable of reflecting the most urgent concerns of the Nigerian people and acting in their best interests. I am confident that you will act judiciously and produce for the consideration of the House of Representatives, a quality report we can implement expeditiously,” he said, adding that the House was commencing the process “at a time of great and ongoing upheaval in our country”.
He said, “New challenges emerge daily from every corner. Some of these challenges are of our own making, and others, we could not have foreseen or been prepared for.
“Whichever may be the case, the Nigerian people look up to us as a government to proffer solutions that work, to do the heavy lifting of writing a new constitution, one better suited to our current aspirations and reflecting our vision of the future.
“When you ask me what the state of our nation is, the honest answer is this: we are in a fight for the very survival of our country and the continuation of the Nigerian project. Recent global developments have exposed all our systemic weaknesses so that we can no longer pretend to ourselves that things are on an even keel and slow progress is enough to get us to where we ought to be yet are still so far away from.
“This 9th House of Representatives has since committed to the cause of reform. Our commitment must neither waver nor wane on the matter of thoughtful and fair overhaul of our nation’s constitution.
“The reality of our current circumstances and the now certain knowledge that only we can save ourselves imposes on us an obligation to act with greater determination and all the urgency this moment calls for,” he stated.
Need for continuous review of laws
The speaker stressed the need for continuous review of the nation’s laws, as novel challenges emerge, stating that “the ongoing evolution of our nation’s democracy requires that we continually review and update the rules of our engagement. Every election season exposes significant gaps in the process that if left unaddressed, threaten our democracy.
“Electoral reforms are not a party-political issue, they are a matter of loyalty to an ideal that is greater than the party to which one belongs to, or the personal ambitions we may each hold. Electoral reforms are a matter of our nation’s future, and the process of setting out systems and protocols for managing how we choose our leaders and representatives begins with the Constitution. We must keep this in mind as we begin this process”, he said.
Review panel’s focus
Delivering specific areas of focus, though not exhaustive at the time, chairman of the review committee and deputy speaker of the House, Wase said despite the fact that Nigeria prides herself as a federal state, it is sadly evident that we were far from what true federalism entails.
“Some have stated that our Federal system is more Unitary than Federalist especially with the number of items on the Exclusive Legislative List where the Federal Government regulates even simple items like Primary Education and Agriculture. Hence, there has been a clamour for more devolution of powers from the centre to the states in order to make states more viable and economically sustainable.”
He said even as the current state structure in the country has attracted lots of commentaries, “It is pertinent to note that the current 36 states of our federation were created via military decrees. Hence the true wishes and aspirations of the people were never considered in such creations.
“There is a need, therefore, to examine the subject of state creation (and the associated Constitutional rigours and difficulties surrounding it) in such a manner as to reflect the wishes and aspirations of homogenous people in a democratic system…
“Arguably, the framers of the 1999 Constitution, created a worrisome situation by giving validity to the existence of 3.162 (6) which prescribes the “State and Local Government joint account. Many advocates have stated that we may not be able to see true development at the grassroots level comprising the mass of our population until we review the Constitution to give clear and unambiguous autonomy to local governments”, he said, naming other areas to include the issue of state police, financial autonomy for state judiciaries and legislatures and more.
The PIB question
One piece of a proposed legislation that has enjoyed a long history of mention in the National Assembly is the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). Politics, ethnic sentiments and business interests had collectively been albatross to all efforts at passing the legislation. Already, reports were rife on the stern opposition by International Oil Companies (IOCs) and other collaborators against its passage by the current National Assembly”.
Will the House triumph?
To many, issues surrounding key elements of the constitution review, the PIB and other pro-citizens’ legislations require courage and some measure of doggedness to see them through. Speaker Gbajabiamila while not being specific on any, on December 21, 2020 before the House went on recess, noted that “the responsibility of undoing the damage of many years has fallen to us. We have a lot of work to do. We are each called to lead our nation towards the promised land, to restore the dignity of every man, woman and child who swears allegiance to our constitution and salutes our nation’s flag. It is on such promises that the citizens are hoping for a new dawn.
