The Senate, after a two-hour closed-door session, yesterday,
declared that Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable. This came as the House of
Representatives resolved to investigate calls for restructuring by some
sections of the country...
The House also said it will constitute a
committee to aggregate the issues raised by agitators towards addressing the
demand for restructuring of the country, as well revisit aspects of the
constitution, dealing with power devolution. The Senate position followed a
briefing from chairman of the South-East Senate caucus, Senator Enyinnaya
Abaribe. The Senate also said it will encourage agitators in the polity to seek
peaceful means towards resolving their grievances. While the Senate was on
break, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, which is seeking secession of the
South-East, was declared a terrorist organisation by the military and
proscribed by governors of the region. Although, the government later procured
a court order to legitimatise its action after Senate President Bukola Saraki
faulted the proscription of the group, saying it was unconstitutional. He said
the senate would investigate the issue when it resumed. In the House, the
Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, at the resumption from the seasonal holiday,
yesterday, also indicated the readiness of the National Assembly to revisit
areas pertaining to devolution of powers that were stepped down during the
recent voting exercise. Meanwhile, chapters of the All Progressives Congress,
APC, in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states, yesterday, threw their support behind
the restructuring of the polity towards giving more powers to the states. In
his opening address, while welcoming members back from the holiday, Dogara
recalled issues that stirred the polity while the House was on vacation. Among
the issues he noted were agitations against marginalisation in the South-East,
recovery from recession, among others. On a possible way out of the agitations,
he said: “We are all aware that during the recess, the agitation by a group of
persons based in the South-East geo-political zone of the country and the
heightened call by many groups for restructuring of the country dominated
discourse in Nigeria. “Indeed all patriotic Nigerians rose in unison to uphold
the fundamental rights of all citizens to move freely and reside in any part of
the federation as they choose, without let or hindrance. It appears to me that
the citizens of this great country have sounded the message loud and clear that
they stand for a united, prosperous and just Nigeria. “Do we have a legislative
response to the issues that have been thrown up? Is the National Assembly
involved in the debate? Can restructuring take place outside the existing legal
order? Indeed all the arguments about restructuring are, at the end of the day,
legislative issues. It may be necessary in due course for the National Assembly
to have a second look at the issues that had been thrown up. The National
Assembly as a representative and product of the people cannot act contrary to
the wishes and aspirations of its constituents. We need to sift all the ‘noise’
and find out what exactly a majority of our people actually want? This is a
responsibility we cannot outsource. “Going forward, it is my view that we need
to revisit some aspects of the voting on Constitution Alteration. Luckily we
still have the legislative window of conferencing with the Senate, where we
have differences.” Following Dogara’s remarks, the House Leader, Mr. Femi
Gbajabiamila (APC, Surulere, Lagos) moved for the constitution of an ad-hoc
committee to probe various issues raised by ethnic nationalities across
Nigeria. He observed that “events of the last few weeks brought Nigeria close
to the precipice but for the determination of Nigerians in their various show
of commitment to the peace and unity of the country. Hence the urgent need for
the intervention of the House of Representatives.” Ruling in favour of the
motion, Speaker Dogara said: “There’s no need to debate this matter until the
investigations have been concluded. I’ll, therefore, put it to vote.”
Immediately he pronounced it, the ayes carried the day without any dissenting
voice. Presidency hails House The House resolution was welcomed by the
Presidency, which through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on
Legislative Matters, Sulaiman Kawu hailed the House on the move. Kawu in a
statement yesterday said: “May I use this opportunity to commend the 360
members of the House for unanimously passing a resolution to work for the unity
of Nigeria in the face of daunting challenges and threats by certain groups,
who are bent on causing disharmony and disunity among Nigerians. “Indeed, there
is no better time to come out with such a strong position like now. In the same
vein, the lawmakers resolved to work with Mr. President for One Nigeria so as
to take the country to the next level of development is laudable.” Meanwhile,
the Senate also after a closed-door session affirmed that the indivisibility of
Nigeria as a country was not negotiable, just as it said that it could only
support lawful agitations by any group or section of the country. The Senate
also resolved that constitutional means must be used to resolve crises in the
country, even as it vowed that as an institution, it would use all means within
its reach to ensure peace in all parts of Nigeria. These decisions, Vanguard
gathered, were taken at the closed-door session after the Chairman, South East
Senate Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South) briefed the Senators
on the unfolding issues surrounding the Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB, its
leader, Nnamdi Kanu, his bail as well as the proclamation that the group was a
terrorist organization. A source told Vanguard that the Senators were however,
divided on the issue especially those from the North who were not comfortable
with the activities of IPOB, and the hate speeches of Kanu. But at the end of
the day, the lawmakers came to a compromise of the need to preach peace and
keeping Nigeria as one indivisible nation. SOKOTO, KEBBI and ZAMFARA APC
support Restructuring The state chapters of the three North-West states of
Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara made their submissions to the APC committee on
restructuring at its public hearing in Sokoto yesterday. The position of Sokoto
as presented by former deputy governor, Chiso Abdullahi, rejected the creation
of new states, saying that many states in the country at the moment are not
viable. He advocated that the presidential system and fiscal federalism should
be maintained as enshrined in the constitution while power rotation and zoning
should be maintained to foster national unity while also calling for the
abolition of one of the two chambers of the National Assembly. Kebbi State also
rejected the creation of new states and bicameral legislature while zoning
should be practised between North and South. Kebbi also advocated a revenue
sharing formula with Federal Government having 40 percent, states 40 percent
and local government areas 20 percent. It also canvassed for devolution of
powers whereby the Federal Government should transfer some aspects that will be
better handled by the states. Zamfara State, however, disagreed with Sokoto and
Kebbi as it called for the sustenance of the status quo on the major issues of
derivation, devolution of powers, presidential system of government and land
tenure system. Speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the APC Restructuring
Committee for North-west and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, said all
the views collated would be taken back to the APC national headquarters. “At
the end of the exercise, all the views collated will be analysed and this will
form the opinion of the APC and the federal government,” he said. In his
remarks, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, said the aim of the public
hearing was to collate views of the people on how the country should be
restructured and governed.
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