SENATE Committee on Constitution Amendment, in Abuja, on Thursday, commenced series of public hearing, preparatory to the second amendment of the 1999 Constitution, with Nigerians from different sections of the country insisting on restructuring of the polity.Eminent Nigerians who spoke at the public hearing, held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, submitted that the country was due for restructuring on the planks of devolution of powers, regionalism, local government autonomy and state creation.Though a number of participants at the hearing expressed varied views on the need to return to regional structure and state creation, majority of the speakers agreed on the need to restructure the polity.Foremost human rights activist and constitutional lawyers, Chief Olisa Agba-koba and Chief Mike Ozekhomhe, recommended devolution of powers at the executive, legislative and judicial arms.Ozekhome disagreed with the presidential system and kicked against the sustainability of the two chambers of legislatures at the national level, describing it as wasteful, unproductive and unnecessary.Agbakoba, in his presentation, believed that the problems with Nigeria was that it had not been able to manage its structural diversity properly, adding that 'we need to see massive devolution of power from the exclusive list to the concurrent and residual lists.'The Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abuba-kar, who was represented by a chief superintendent of police in Abuja, submitted that government was meant for the security and welfare of the people and identified lack of fund as the bane of police in the country.He spoke against creation of state police, saying that 'it will not be in the interest of the country. I don't think it is feasible for now. We are not politically mature to have state police, it will not be in the interest of all of us.'But Senators Ayogu Eze, Ita Enang and Nkechi Nwogu all kicked against the regional legislature as agitated by some people, saying it was not practicable in the country.According to Enang, 'to amend constitution in this regard, the two chambers must agree, as no chamber will be ready to step down for another. We have to look at the practicability and implementability of such policy.'Welcoming the participants, the Deputy Senate President and chairman, joint committee on the review of the constitution, Ike Ekweremadu, disclosed that a total of 231 memoranda, in addition to 56 other memoranda proposing the creation of additional states, were received.He appealed to Nigerians to make their contributions at the various public hearings, through the media and other opportunities that would come their way with sense of decorum.Senate President, David Mark, who declared the hearing open, noted that in reviewing the 1999 Constitution, 'the National Assembly will hold certain fundamental ideals sacrosanct and will also resist any attempt to erode them.
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