allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Constitution Review Membership Divides House (Page 1 of 2)

Fierce disagreements over the selection of members of the House of Representatives to represent it in the Joint Constitution Amendment Committee of the National Assembly, may have led to delays in the release of the list for the exercise.

THISDAY learnt yesterday that interference by the House leadership over who should be in the Constitution Amendment Committee might have caused the delay in releasing the list of members.

The House, like the senate has already chosen its deputy, Honourable Bayero Nafada. But other leaders of the lower legislative chamber also want their names on the list, which is now breaking the ranks with lobbying by several high-ranking members gathering in intensity.

Ever since the decision was taken to select National Assembly representatives to the Constitution Amen-dment Committee, there has been intense lobbying for membership of the committee by lawmakers interested in pushing their agenda to the fore front.

Some of the issues likely to generate interest during the constitution review include the issue of new states and local government creation, as well as the push by oil producing committees to amend the oil revenue derivation formula.

Meanwhile, the chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Eziuche Ubani, in a briefing yesterday disclosed that inspite of an endorsement of support from the British parliament over investigations into the power sector and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), there is a general dissatisfaction with the lower legislature's overall performance since its inauguration almost a year ago.

Ubani said the House and its leadership were not happy with its performance so far. He said the House passed few bills in one year, but fared well in its committee activities and oversight functions.

"Yes we have not passed as many bills as expected but in terms of oversight functions, the House fared extremely well. Yes, it may be true that we have not been passing laws, but on oversight, which is an essential part of legislative business, we are doing very well. Compared to the last House, we have faired well in terms of vibrancy," he said.

Speaker Dimeji Bankole, two days ago, warned members, particularly the chairmen of the House committees against any laxity in their assignments.

Bankole decried the failure of committee chairmen to present their reports on bills referred to their committees, as scheduled by the House Committee on Rules and Business.

"Let all the committee chairmen be advised that presentation of reports as and when due is one of the performance indicators, just as attendance of plenary session and committee activities by members," he reminded them.

During Thursday's plenary session, there was an open disagreement between the ANPP Leader, Ali Ndume and Bankole on the number of bills passed by the House since its inauguration.

While Ndume insisted that only one bill has been passed, Bankole said the House passed more than ten bills.

Ubani who was in the speaker's entourage to Britain and South Africa disclosed that international bodies expressed support for the investigations but pleaded with the House that the reform processes started by the last administration of Obasanjo should not be encumbered.

"They support the investigations so as to ensure that the processes would begin to open the system. They want to see that the process of reform is continuous and institutions like the EFCC and other agencies are given free hand to function effectively."

Ubani explained that the speaker took time to explain some actions taken by the House to the British Members of Parliament (MPs), particularly the ongoing probes of some sectors of the Nigerian economy.

He said the speaker explained that the probe was not targeted at any particular person but aimed at moving the country forward.

According to him, the British parliamentarians agreed with Dimeji that the oil sector in Nigeria deserved to be put under the searchlight because of its importance to the economy.

Ubani further said the speaker discussed exchange programmes with the British MPs, particularly in the area of capacity building.

Ubani said given the peculiar nature of the legislature in the country where very few members of parliament make it to the legislature the second time, there was a dire need for capacity building to enable members meet the expectations of voters.

"The speaker was assured that the British parliament would do a lot to assist Nigerian lawmakers," Ubani said.

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