Constitution Amendment: Speakers accuse Omo-Agege of blackmail

The Conference of Speakers of States Legislatures of Nigeria has reacted to the National Assembly’s position on Constitution Amendment, saying that the National Assembly was out to blackmail it to Nigerians.

In a statement, the Chairman of the Conference and Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman, yesterday, said the comments of Deputy Senate President and Chairman, Senate Constitution Review Committee, Ovie Omo-Agege, on the ongoing Constitution review exercise made on Tuesday were unnecessary.

Abubakar said it was very clear that the press conference was designed not only to blackmail the state Houses of Assembly but also to undermine them.

“We like to make it clear that we will not give in to blackmail and intimidation by anyone no matter how highly placed. It is therefore imperative we make clarifications in the misrepresentations of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria and indeed the State Houses of Assembly in the Press Release.

“Omo-Agege rightly alluded to a letter by the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria conveying the four Bills for consideration by the National Assembly. The letter was addressed to the two Chairmen of both Committees of the National Assembly on the Constitution Review separately. And what we raised in our letter as highlighted by the Deputy Senate President were the same issues we have consistently raised in many fora of our engagements with the two committees on Constitution Review long before the transmission of the resolutions of the National Assembly to the state Houses of Assembly.”

The Speakers said as major stakeholders in the Constitution alteration exercise and representatives of the people at the grassroots, they are by far in a better position to know basic and pressing needs of the people.

“Hence our appeal for inclusion of the Bills. For instance, the issue of insecurity should agitate any conscientious leader. So, we believe this should be tackled frontally by government. And the best way and the most generally acceptable way to curb the menace, we believe, is by providing for state policing in the Constitution.”

“Sadly, the proposed amendment was missing in the Resolutions transmitted by the National Assembly to the State Houses of Assembly. So, for the great importance of this proposed amendment and others namely, streamlining the procedure for removing Presiding Officers of State Assemblies, Institutionalising State Legislative Bureaucracy in the Constitution, and Establishing State Judicial Council; the Conference of Speakers further appealed to the National Assembly for their inclusion in the exercise.

“Expectedly, a reply by Sen Ovie Omo-Agege to our letter was received on the 6th October, 2022 acknowledging importance of the four Bills for incorporation in the alteration exercise and appealing to the State Houses of Assembly to proceed on the initial 44 Bills transmitted. On the strong appeal by Sen Ovie Omo-Agege and assurance that the four Bills would be considered, the State Houses of Assembly have already proceeded on the ratification of the resolutions of the National Assembly on the Constitution Review,” he said.

He said further that, it was rather very disheartening that the Deputy Senate President could make a turnaround within few days of his reply to their letter to blackmail the Hon speakers of the State Houses of Assembly by erroneously saying the Conference of Speakers “are using the four Bills as a quid pro quo to act on the 44 Bills the National Assembly transmitted to State Houses of Assembly”.

“The inconsistency and flip-flop displayed in his statements are regrettable and beneath the dignity of the occupant of such a revered office.

“Contrary to the number given by Sen Ovie Omo-Agege, the actual number of the State Houses of Assembly that have, so far, passed the resolutions of the National Assembly on the Constitution Review is 16. They are: Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Katsina, and Adamawa States. We believe the misrepresentation was deliberate to demonize the Hon Speakers and the State Houses of Assembly in the eye of the citizenry. This is also regrettable and disappointing;

“The Deputy Senate President in his statements has undermined the Hon Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly by suggesting that they are stooges to the Governors. Sen Ovie Omo-Agege would perhaps want to see the Hon Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly to be confrontational with the Governors in their respective States. Agreed, one of the cardinal principles of Democracy is Checks and Balances, but it must not be carried out in a confrontational manner. It is not out of place if the Executive Governors are carried along in the process of altering the Constitution of the nation but it is wrong to insinuate that the Hon Speakers have abandoned their constitutional role for the Governors.