Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution Review public hearing begins Williams Osewezina, Asaba,delta. The public hearing of the review of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution has commenced with a call on all Nigerians to be part of the process. At the first public hearing held in Asaba, Delta State, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Honourable Emeka Ihedioha said that the House had received memorandum covering wide range of issues, which it had commenced discussions on. The public hearing is aimed at encouraging public participation and involvement in the review of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution. Review focus The Nigerian Senate President, Senator David Mark, suggested that the review of the constitution, should for now focus on the areas that required urgent review. He stressed that the review was necessary as the constitution which was put together by the military was far from being a perfect document. Senator Mark pledged the National Assembly’s commitment in ensuring that the review would reflect the true will of Nigerians.

“Let me assure you that the national assembly will not foist a fate accomplice on Nigerians under the guise of constitution review. No Senator harbours any pre conceptions as to what is to be inserted into the constitution. The constitution is for all Nigerians and not for Senators alone,”

he said. A broad consensus on the 1999 constitution has crystallised around some areas which the senate said included, devolution of powers, fiscal federalism, concept of federating units, the system of local government administration, including funding creation and autonomy, judicial reforms, creation of state, national security, terrorism and insurgency, boundary and further fine tuning of the electoral system. He, however, warned that the review of the constitution without attitudinal change on the part of the citizen could not guaranty democracy, banish terrorism and insurgency, stop corruption, kidnapping or violence. charting way forward professor isawa elaigu, guest speaker at the event recommended among others a 5 year single term of office for the president and governors in the next political dispensation to the admiration of the people. he said this suggestion will stop the despiration of the sitting president and governors to contest and win the second term term all cost and reduce political tension in the country. according the 5 year term will give the elected peresident and governor the oppurtunity to work assisdously during the time frame and contributed meanifully to the socio-economic development of the country and the state.