House Committee on Constitution Review extends submission of constitutional amendments to April 30

The House Committee on Constitution Review, led by Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, has extended the public’s deadline for submitting memoranda on the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The extension was considered during the last committee’s meeting to provide an additional timeframe for stakeholders, organisations, and interested citizens to contribute to aspects of the constitution they want to be amended.

The Spokesman for the House Committee on Constitution Review, Dr. Philip Agbese, emphasised the significance of public participation in the Constitution Review process.

The extension of the deadline demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that the Nigerian people are actively involved in shaping our nation’s future. We encourage everyone to visit our website, (https://hccr.gov.ng), to learn more about the process and submit their memoranda, he stated.

According to the Deputy Speaker, the Constitution Review process is a priority for the 10th Assembly. He stated, “We are committed to managing this process to deliver an amended constitution that authentically mirrors the aspirations of Nigerians. This is a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, and we are fully committed to getting it right.”

The initial deadline was April 10, but the committee has Committed to welcoming all inputs, so the new deadline is April 30, 2024.

Meanwhile, Kalu had previously announced that the key areas to be reformed are federal structure, power devolution, local government autonomy, public revenue, fiscal federation, and revenue allocation.

Other areas include Nigeria’s police, security architecture, judicial reforms, electoral reforms to deliver transparent, credible, free, and fair elections, socio-economic and cultural rights, residency and indigenous provisions, traditional institutions, and gender issues.

The extension also aims to ensure that the parliament’s target of sending the proposed amendments of the constitution to the President for his assent in August 2025 is met.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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