The committee will soon commence zonal public hearings across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to gather input from stakeholders.
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has disclosed that none of the 31 state creation requests has met constitutional requirements.
He also disclosed that the National Assembly has received over 200 bills seeking amendments to the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).
Speaking at the opening of a two-day retreat for members of the House Constitution Review Committee in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Kalu, who also chairs the committee, said the bills reflect the commitment to improving governance in Nigeria.
Kalu said 31 requests for state creation have been submitted, but none have met constitutional requirements. As a result, the deadline for submissions has been extended to March 5, 2025, to allow applicants to meet the necessary criteria.
“Although we received 31 requests for state creation, none have met the requirements. We have, therefore, extended the submission deadline to March 5, 2025,” he stated.
He noted that while some of the bills have progressed to the second reading, others remain at the first reading stage. The retreat, he said, aims to review these bills, incorporate expert input, familiarise lawmakers with the content, prioritise based on national interest, and prepare for zonal public hearings and a joint review with the Senate.
According to Kalu, the bills have been categorised nto thematic areas, including federal structure and power devolution, local government autonomy, public revenue, fiscal federation, revenue allocation, electoral reforms, judicial reforms, security architecture, gender issues, human rights, and state creation.
“We currently have 151 House bills before us. However, the latest count indicates about 250 constitutional amendment bills that will pass through this committee. While some have progressed to the second reading stage, others remain at the first reading. Our goal is to expedite the process following our deliberations at this retreat,” Kalu said.
In a bid to enhance public engagement, Kalu announced that a situation room would be established in collaboration with Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) to collect and address concerns from Nigerians during the constitutional review process.
“This situation room will monitor various engagements and ensure that all concerns raised are properly addressed. It will also help in publishing all engagements for transparency,” he added.
The committee will soon commence zonal public hearings across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to gather input from stakeholders.
Kalu urged lawmakers to approach the review process with diligence, objectivity, and patriotism, emphasizing that the success of the amendment process depends on collective commitment to national progress.