Fund not a challenge to Constitution Review – Sen. Omo-Agege

Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, Chairman, Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution, says fund is not in any way a challenge to the ongoing review of the constitution.

Omo-Agege, who is also the Deputy Senate President, stated this on Monday in Abuja at a news conference on the ongoing exercise.

He said though the committee was still working with funds appropriated in the 2020 budget, fund was not a challenge to the all-important national assignment which assuredly, the report would be presented to the National Assembly in July.

“In the 2021 Budget, we have not received an appropriation yet. I believe it was an oversight. So we are still working with the 2020 Budget.

“We are hoping that during the supplementary exercise, we will be accommodated,” he said.

According to him, the committee has received over 250 memoranda which have been analysed.

“The committee has held several consultations and meetings to deliberate on the process and submissions in preparation for the Public Hearings at the national and zonal levels.

“Following from the analysis of the memoranda submitted, the issues have increased from 13 to 16, including Gender Equity/Increased participation of Women and Vulnerable Groups in governance, the Federal Structure in governance and Power Devolution, among others.”

He said the zonal public hearings would be held simultaneously at all the six geo-political zones on Wednesday, May 26 and Thursday 27.

“To bring the process closer to the people, the hearing will take place in two centers in each of the six geo-politacal zones: North Central having Jos, Plateau and Minna, Niger as centres.

“North East: Gombe and Bauchi centres; North West: Kaduna and Sokoto centres; South-East: Enugu and Owerri, Imo centres; South-South: Asaba, Delta and Bayelsa centres while South-West: Akure, Ondo and Lagos centres.

“After the zonal hearings, there will also be a National Public hearing in Abuja on Thursday, June 3 and Friday to give opportunity to those. especially government agencies and other stakeholders. who could not attend the zonal hearings,” he said.

On the fairness of all the senators who are to chair the centres, Omo-Agege said “What we are seeking to do is to collate views of members of the public on their positions on respective submissions already made.

“The chairman of the North-Central zone, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu is standing in for me in that centre.

“He is standing in for me at the centre. His job like any other chairman is to collate these views, prepare reports and bring all of those to us as a committee, we take a look at it, meet with our consultant and based on these reports, we will reduce those collations into bills that we take before the senate.”