Finally, amendment of the 1999 Constitution begins today in the National Assembly just as indications emerged that the federal legislature might drop creation of more states from its agenda. National Assembly sources told Daily Sun yesterday that demands for state creation has risen from the initial 46 submitted to the sixth National Assembly to 54, at the last count.
A source at the Senate Constitution Review Committee (CRC) confirmed that the process would commence with an inaugural meeting after which the 44-member committee is expected to draw an agenda for the exercise. Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu chairs the CRC.
More facts have, emerged on the vexatious issue of creation of states.
Daily Sun exclusively gathered that three main factors presently mitigate against creation of new states.
A major stumbling block is Section 8 of the present Constitution, which stipulates that, at least, two thirds of 36 states of the Federation, including state Houses of Assembly and the National Assembly must be secured before any request can scale through.
Section 8 reads: “An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new State shall only be passed if- (a) a request, supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new state) in each of the following, namely -(i) the Senate and the House of Representatives, (ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and (iii) the local government councils in respect of the area, is received by the National Assembly;
“(b) a proposal for the creation of the state is thereafter approved in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area where the demand for creation of the State originated;
“ the result of the referendum is then approved by a simple majority of all the States of the federation, supported by a simple majority of members of the Houses of Assembly; and “(d) the proposal is approved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.”
Expatiating further, the source noted that the country’s current fiscal regime “does not support creation of more states.”
The ranking lawmaker went ahead to enumerate reasons why the Seventh National Assembly might not be disposed to creating more states for now, despite promises to Nigerians in the last exercise.
Meanwhile, another source at the Senate CRC told Daily Sun that the process was delayed because the National Assembly was waiting for input from the Presidency.
He explained that the National Assembly was aware that President Goodluck Jonathan had set up a committee to draw up “areas needing amendment in the Constitution” which would be forwarded for consideration, adding that inputs from the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and Chief Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) are also being collated.
