The National Assembly has begun reviewing requests for the creation of new states and local governments as part of the ongoing amendment to the 1999 Constitution.
Deputy President of the Senate, Barau I. Jibrin, stated this on Thursday at the opening of a two-day joint retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, held in Lagos.
Jibrin said the National Assembly is committed to ensuring that the ongoing constitution amendment produces people-oriented outcomes within the set timeline.
“For the past two years, we have engaged constituents, stakeholders, civil society organisations, and interest groups through town hall meetings and public hearings. The process has so far produced 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 local government creation requests,” he said in a statement by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir.
He explained that the retreat would enable members of the committees to consider the proposed amendments clause by clause and make recommendations for adoption by both chambers.
“It will not be an easy task to conclude in two days, but I believe we can do it, especially as we have promised Nigerians to deliver the first set of amendments before the end of the year,” Jibrin said.
The Deputy Senate President, who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, urged lawmakers to put national interest above personal or sectional considerations.
“We are here as one committee — there should be no division between the Senate and the House. Our guiding principle must be what best serves Nigerians,” he said.