Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has emphasised the need for a Nigerian Constitution that effectively serves every segment of society.
Speaking at a retreat of the House Committee on Constitution Review, which he chairs, Kalu said Nigerians are yearning for a Constitution that empowers local governments to deliver essential services, streamlines electoral justice, strengthens fiscal federalism, ensures women’s full participation in governance, and promotes accountability at all levels.
He noted that, in line with the House’s commitment to producing a people-centered Constitution, a distinguished panel of constitutional lawyers, scholars, and policy analysts has been assembled to guide the committee’s deliberations.
According to him, the experts will provide comparative insights and help the lawmakers navigate the complex legal and political issues involved in the Constitution review process.
He said, ‘The work we do here in Enugu over the next few days will define the trajectory of Nigeria’s democracy for the next generation.Will we be remembered as the Assembly that empowered local governments, thereby bringing governance closer to the people? Will we be remembered as the Assembly that shattered the glass ceiling and guaranteed women’s full participation in public life? Will we be remembered as the Assembly that restored public confidence in our electoral system?
‘These are not rhetorical questions. They are moral and political imperatives that demand our immediate and decisive action. Therefore, as we commence our deliberations, I urge us all to be guided by three principles’.
He maintained that in discharging its responsibilities, the Committee must have a unity of purpose; legislative discipline and national interest as guiding principles, saying ‘We represent different constituencies, different parties, and different ideologies.
‘But on the issue of constitutional reform, we must speak with one voice. The amendments we propose must command broad, bipartisan support if they are to succeed. Let us focus on what unites us, not what divides us.
‘Constitutional amendments are not ordinary bills. They require meticulous drafting, rigorous scrutiny, and careful sequencing. We must resist the temptation to overload the amendment agenda with contentious or politically divisive proposals. Our focus must be on achievable, high-impact reforms that enjoy widespread public support.
‘Every decision we make here must be guided by one question: What is best for Nigeria? Not what is best for our party, our region, or our personal ambitions, but what is best for the over 200 million Nigerians we were elected to serve.
‘The Constitution we are reviewing is the social contract that binds us together as a people. It is the promise we make to each other about the kind of country we want to build.
‘Let the work we do here in Enugu reflect our commitment to that promise. Let us leave Enugu with a clear, actionable roadmap for constitutional reform: one that empowers local governments, guarantees women’s representation, strengthens electoral integrity, and deepens our federal democracy.
‘Let us leave Enugu ready to build the consensus necessary to secure passage of these amendments in the National Assembly and in State Houses of Assembly across the Federation.And let us leave Enugu inspired by the knowledge that we are engaged in a historic endeavour: one that will shape Nigeria’s destiny for generations to come’.
Enugu state Governor, Peter Mbah emphasised on the need to have a diligent Judicial, police and other reforms that will attend to the needs of the Nigerian people for speedy justice delivery.
Represented by the Deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai, the governor said if implemented, reforms intended in the proposed amendments and new bills in the ongoing exercise, will go along way in addressing the socio-political, security as well as economic challenges affecting the country.
He stated that whenever Nigerians discuss inclusive governance, a few thoughts run around what they discuss eveng among parliamentarians, in media, politicians, those in the academies and almost all classes of Nigerians.
According to him, one thing that is consistently discussed in the country is describing Nigeria from the perspective of geopolitical sense.
He said, ‘The last time I checked, I wasn’t certain that there was constitutional liberties to it. But it’s almost clear that in all our national conversations, in political conversations, in development conversations, in all our conversations, the concept of the fact that geopolitical zones are taking root in our subconscious conversations has come to me.
‘So, I was wondering, will the parliament think it’s worth it to begin to capture the concept of geopolitical zones in our constitution? Because it can happen that we need the framework for a robust and inclusive government and governance, as I’ve seen on page 51 of your material reform.
‘And if you think that’s worth it, to be part of our constitution and make it a formal conversation and break the rules, then it could be the framework that would drive the next thing I want to talk about, which is federal character. First of all, the concept of federal character has been won by the elites. Some, of course, were politicians.
‘When you want to complain that we’ve not had access to public and political appointments at the federal level, we begin to read out all sorts of data about fairer character. How people get disadvantaged, how certain ministries go to certain parts of the country and not fairly distributed.
‘But, have you also tried to interrogate, why is it that those of us who complain about federal character from the perspective of political appointment and access to political jobs, we don’t see them as you look at fairer character from the perspective of national budget.
‘Those of us who are politicians seek opportunities at the centre, we are not getting it. We begin to raise all hell about fairer character. But, we don’t do the real work of seeing how the national distribution of free infrastructure cuts across dialectical and enforcing policies’
Gov. Mbah said the Committee needs to do more in those area Judicial and police reforms to address the various outcries about the problems affecting the Judiciary and the Police as regards justice delivery and fighting crimes.
‘But, it really doesn’t matter that in the long run, if you don’t go after proper policing, it doesn’t matter if it’s the state police, federal police, local government police, you will still be running around in circles.
‘And, I will add one thing. For those of us who are allies, you will know that the content and context of investigation in this country is essentially detention and extraction of professional weaknesses.
‘Suspects are routinely detained, high jail, and some tortured, some not tortured, but put under arrest to confess or say nothing. And, for those of us who have a privilege to visit police detention facilities, like the police cells, the police offices, those cells, where our statistics are held, are what I call instrumental constructing to us.
‘There is none of us here, in this room, that will be detained in any of the police cells in this country for three hours, and you will not accept a crime you don’t commit.Because, they are all inhuman condition.
‘So, while we look at a legislative framework that will create state police, it’s also good to look at the police Act and see if parliament will assist in developing operational guidance that have a balance of facts to admit crimes they do not know, or to just want to offer bribe to police people to leave.
‘But, in addition, I want to link that up to judicial reforms, which I also saw in the document. I want to look at an approach where parliament will work with the judiciary, to develop a framework where we have magistrates on call. In all our medical facilities across this country, doctors are on call.
‘If a patient comes in at 2am and understands that the patient is on call, they call the doctor and he comes. We should actually begin to think of having magistrates on call, so that it becomes the responsibility of the magistrate to determine whether someone should be held in a medical facility or not.
‘So, if someone has been arrested, and a lawyer is seeking to bail that person, he goes to the magistrate or to the deputy of the city, presents his case before the magistrates, who looks at the facts, who makes the decision, if proper authorities are provided for bail.
‘And if it’s who wills that it’s not safe to release that person, he can order, even if it’s on a Saturday, that the person be transferred to a prison near the police station. What that does is that police will now take a possible and final evidence to prosecute crime.
‘Because most of the times that suspects are detained for so long that they will be punished, who are these others going to court? Because most of the times the evidence they have are weak.Lawyers are able to get those suspects released’.