The member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency of Osun State, Mr Bamidele Salam, has revealed that the amended constitution will be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari before the end of February, 2022 for assent.
The lawmaker made this known while speaking to journalists’ on Saturday at the South-West town hall meeting between legislators and their constituents.
Salam noted that amendment of a constitution is bogus and requires wide ranging engagement of critical stakeholders, opinion moulders and others.
“The constitution will be amended before the end of this 9th National Assembly. I want to give an assurance that the amendment will be done. But let me tell you that amending a document such as a constitution of a country is very serious business. It is an assignment that requires a wide-ranging engagement of critical stakeholders, opinion moulders and institutions.
“Even though we may not have cameras beamed on what is being done presently, that does not mean that nothing is being done. People sent in memoranda in hundreds of thousands from everywhere and there were submissions made by members of the National Assembly themselves to amend certain aspects of the constitution.
“All these will be aggregated together into a sizable portion so that we don’t have an unwieldy set of clauses being pushed forward for amendment. Very soon, we will start seeing more activities in that regard. Before the end of this year, we would have been able to see some things. Some of those provisions will be sent to state houses of assembly very soon, especially those that we have formed a consensus on; they will be passed and sent, and others will follow suit in the last part of the tenure of this 9th National Assembly” Salam said.
Giving insight on the aspect of the constitution that gained much call for change, the lawmaker said the South-West wanted devolution of powers and true federalism, South East wanted creation of more states, and south-south called for the derivation fund to be moved from 13% to 50%.
Salam further said;
“Based on the work plan that has just been rolled out, the constitution will be passed on to the President for his assent. By that time, the Senate and the House of Representatives would have sat and harmonised their positions and the amended constitution would be transmitted to the President before the end of February”.
Other lawmakers present at the town hall meeting were; Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi from Ekiti North; Senator Tolu Odebiyi from Ogun West; Senator Kola Balogun from Oyo South; Isiaka Ibrahim, who represents the Ifo/ Ewekoro Federal Constituency of Ogun State; and Babajide Obanikoro, who represents the Eti Osa Federal Constituency of Lagos State.
