Posted by By Emmanuel Aziken on
THE National Assembly Joint Committee on the Review of the Constitution will today receive the final report of the review exercise amidst protestations of alleged adulteration of the report of proceedings during last month's retreat in Port Harcourt.
*Anti-third term lawmakers petition Nnamani, Masari
ABUJA - THE National Assembly Joint Committee on the Review of the Constitution will today receive the final report of the review exercise amidst protestations of alleged adulteration of the report of proceedings during last month's retreat in Port Harcourt. Besides, lawmakers opposed to the third term amendment yesterday petitioned the two presiding officers of the National Assembly over what they called irregularities in the proceedings of the committee. The petition followed a feeling of euphoria in the anti-third term lobby that the plot to extend the tenure of the President and Governors may have hit the rocks. The camp is boasting confidently of having signatures of more than 140 Representatives irrevocably committed to shooting down the amendment.
Some members of the JCRC yesterday alleged that section 137 (1)(b) limiting the tenure of office of the President was being doctored to win support from the North.
In its meeting in Port Harcourt, the JCRC controversially altered the section to extend the tenure to read: 'If he has been elected to such office at any three previous elections." However, the report of the JCRC Port Harcourt retreat now being studied by lawmakers in preparation for today's meeting has been altered to read: 'If he has been elected to such office at any three previous elections in accordance with this Constitution."
It was being suggested yesterday that the addition was to pacify Northern opposition as the provision would mean that President Obasanjo's first two elections in 1999 and 2003 would be reckoned with should he attempt to further his tenure of office beyond 2011, if the third term amendment sails through.
'We never inserted that clause in accordance with this Constitution, and that must be the act of the magicians," one Senator said yesterday on the condition of anonymity.
The petition signed by six Senators and four members of the House of Representatives faulted the proceedings of the Mantu Committee on five grounds.
Signatories to the petition which was circulated to lawmakers of both Houses are Senators Uche Chukwumerije, Saidu Dansadau, U.K. Umar, Umaru Dahiru, Kanti Bello and Idris Kuta. Members of the House who signed the petition are Representatives Aminu Tambuwal, Nze Chidi Duru, Tsegba Terngu and Idris Nadabo.
Noting constitutional provisions guiding the two Houses to regulate their own rules, the petition said the very rules of the two chambers were violated in the consideration of the report by the Senator Ibrahim Mantu-led Committee.
'After the zonal public hearings, chairmen of the zonal sub-committees were directed (and they complied) to submit their findings in a meeting held in the Aso Villa even when members of the Committee had not had the opportunity to see the reports. This is against the standing rules of the Senate and the House of Representatives," the petitioners noted.
They equally observed that contrary to the rules that the Committee continued to receive memoranda after the deadline for submission as they said memoranda were received from the Kwara, Bauchi and Gombe State governments during the coalition of the reports in Port Harcourt.
Noting the violations of the Senate and House standing rules at Port Harcourt, they said: 'All the safeguards were completely and flagarantly flouted by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, and his co-chairman, Mr. Austin Opara, during the collation period in Port Harcourt, specifically in the consideration of proposals for the amendment of sections 137 and 182 of the Constitution (tenure of the President and Governors.)
'A strange thing happened when the meeting got to Section 137. The chairman's pace revved to overspeed. He promptly recognised one Speaker as if on cue, a supporter of third term. Immediately the Speaker ended his speech, the chairman rushed to put the question. His move met uproar and loud demands for counter motion. The chairman reluctantly, after a quiet intervention by the co-chairman, allowed a counter motion. After the counter motion, he allowed only three speakers - the shortest list of speakers in all contributions made on controversial issues throughout the proceedings."