House Of Reps To Present Amended Constitution April 18th

THE botched January 31 public presentation of collated report of the Peoples’ Public Sessions on the Review of the 1999 Constitution conducted by the House of Representatives in the 360 Federal Constituencies of the country by the House ad hoc committee on constitution review would now hold on April 18.

The much publicised presentation suffered serious setbacks on January 31 amid controversies over the authenticity of the collated view results.

The Speaker, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, had announced the postponement of the event indefinitely without any cogent reason for the sudden postponement.

However, in a statement issued and signed by the  Clerk of the ad hoc committee, Mr Chinedu Akubueze, he noted that the presentation was to hold on Thursday, January 31, but was postponed to allow  members of the House more time to verify that the results reflected the voting in their various constituencies.”

The statement further explained that “ collated results of the sessions which held on 10 November, 2012, will be presented at a ceremony to be held at the House of Representatives and to be presided over by the Speaker.

According to the statement: “The results will show the voting pattern on all the issues itemized in the Template for voting by Nigerians during the Sessions at the various Federal Constituencies.

“The public presentation is in keeping with the promise made by the Deputy Speaker/Chairman of the Committee,  Hon. Emeka Ihedioha,  that the House will make the process of the Public Sessions, and indeed, the entire Constitution amendment exercise transparent, inclusive and accountable to the Nigerian people,” the statement said.

Those expected to attend the event include: Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum (Representing the State Governors); Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures (Representing the Speakers of State Houses of Assembly); President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA); President, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON); President, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC); President, Trade Union Congress (TUC); President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); President, Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT); President, National Council of Women Societies (NCWS); President, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE); President, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ);President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS); President, Nigerian Youth Council (NYC); Representatives of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Representatives of Women Organisations.