Nigeria needs new Constitution, not amendment – Okowa – Newstrends
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Nigeria needs new Constitution, not amendment – Okowa

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3 years ago

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Delta Governor Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, on Wednesday, said Nigeria needed a new Constitution, not an amendment to accommodate emerging issues of good governance and greater interest of Nigerians.

Okowa stated this when he received on a courtesy visit, the Senate Sub-Committee on review of the 1999 Constitution led by Senator James Manager at Government House, Asaba.

He said that a new Constitution for the country had become imperative in view of observed lacunas in the 1999 Constitution and called for the insertion of a clause to allow for the re-writing of the Constitution while it would continue to be in operation until a new one was ready.

“There is no doubt that there is still a lot to work on in our Constitution to have a near-perfect document, and I know that the National Assembly has continued over time, to cause some of the amendments to be.

“I thank God that those sent here are familiar with the zone; so, when the people truly speak they would understand.

“But, I also wished that some persons from other zones actually had the opportunity to come down here to hear the voices of our people directly because sometimes we do not understand the extent of the pains that people of the Niger Delta truly suffer in our nation.

“We believe in one Federation; we believe in the unity of Nigeria, but we will continue to ask for very strong equity in our Federation as a people and I know that the people will really voice out their opinion at the public hearing.

“We know that some amendments were made recently but on a general note, we are also aware that the Constitution itself appears to have just been hurriedly put up just before the 1999 elections and handed over.

“I wished it was possible to start the whole process again and to re-write the Constitution and also believe that there may be a need for us to look very closely on ways and means of re-writing the Constitution as a new document even when the current Constitution exists,’’ Okowa said.

He recalled that the process of reviewing the 1999 Constitution started in the 7th Assembly, but that it was not possible to push it forward because of certain disagreements at that time.

Reiterating the necessity of a new constitution for the country, he said “if we look deeply as lawmakers we would be able to create a window for that purpose because every year or in every assembly, we continue to engage ourselves in one amendment or the other.

“I think that it is possible to insert a clause that will enable us to truly rewrite the constitution while the current constitution may be operational until the new one is brought into force.

“In that case, we would not be struggling year-in-year-out trying to amend one clause or the other because there are challenges when it comes to that.’’

The governor urged the National Assembly to look into power devolution to the states, review of revenue allocation formula, oil derivation and state police in the amendment to enable Chairman of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission to lay revenue allocation formula proposals directly before the lawmakers.

“As a state, we believe that the way the federal structure is in terms of governance, the powers at the federal level or what you call the powers of the Presidency are too weighted against the rest of the structures in the state or what you call the sub-national governments.

“We believe that the exclusive list ought not to be as it is, because there are many things in that place that could truly be in the concurrent list.

“This is because the sub-national governments are much closer to the people and understand truly the pains and needs of their people and they are more likely to affect development changes that will be impactful on their people,” he stated.

He regretted that no review had been made to the revenue allocation formula for the past 24 years whereas it was supposed to be reviewed every five years.

Okowa said that oil-producing states had continued to struggle for the 13 percent derivation fund, and remarked that oil was a wasting asset while the environment where it was being extracted had continued to be polluted and degraded.

“The 13 percent is actually too low and we believe it should be reviewed to 50 percent as it used to be in the past or allow the states to own the assets and pay tax to the centre as applicable in other climes.

“We are also fully aware that our country is going through tough times with the current insecurity pervading our nation.

“We believe in the Nigerian Police but to fully secure the land there is a need for states to have their own police and all the governors of this nation are in support of that.

“The Nigerian police have been stretched beyond the limit and to complement the Federal Police Force there is a need for the states to have their own police,” he added.

He assured the Committee of the support of the state when recommendations were made from the National Assembly.

“We are glad that you have come to listen to the people and we hope that when you also speak within the larger Committee that those voices which do not understand the pains of our people will not suppress the voices of our people.

“It is in the interest of the country that we provide more funds for the development of oil-producing states and for them to take care of the degradation of their environment,” the governor stated.

Earlier, Senator Manager had said that the Committee which comprised Senators from Edo, Bayelsa, and Delta was in the state to conduct a two-day public hearing on the amendment of the 1999 Constitution.

He said that aside from the Spiritual Books, the Constitution was the most important book for any country.

Manager restated that Southern Senators had endorsed all the resolutions made by the Southern Governors in the “Asaba Declaration’’ of May 11.

“The amendment of the Constitution is not what can be done by the National Assembly alone, but it involves states’ Houses of Assembly and other stakeholders.

“The document is never a perfect one; therefore, amendments are inevitable from time to time and in tune with current realities.

“The public hearing will afford the Committee the opportunity to hear from the people and collate their views for onward processing by the Senate,” he stated.

 

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Yahaya Bello: Court summons EFCC chair over contempt 

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7 hours ago

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April 26, 2024

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Yahaya Bello: Court summons EFCC chair over contempt 

A Kogi State high court has ordered Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, to appear before it on May 13 to show why he should not be convicted for allegedly disobeying its order.

The presiding judge, Isa Jamil Abdullahi, gave the order on Friday while ruling in a suit No: HCL/68M/2024 and motion No: HCL/190M/2024, filed by former Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello.

Bello on February 8, Bello instituted a suit asking the court to restrain the commission from arresting him.

The court granted the injunction restraining the EFCC on February 9.

But the EFCC on March 12 filed an appeal against the order.

However, the commission has filed a notice to withdraw the appeal.

In the notice filed on April 22, the anti-graft agency said the withdrawal was predicated on the fact that events had overtaken the appeal.

The commission also admitted that the appeal was filed out of the time allowed by law.

Bello approached the court again, praying for an order to invite the EFCC chairman and slammed with a contempt of court allegation.

The judge granted Bello’s prayers and ordered Olukoyede to appear before the court to answer the contempt charge.

“The applicant’s application before me is to the effect that the respondent has carried out some acts upon which they have been restrained by this court on February 9, pending the determination of the substantive motion on notice before this court,” the judge held.

“That the said act was carried out by the respondent in violation of the order which was valid and subsisting when they carried out those acts. That same act of the respondent amounts to an act of contempt.

“It’s against the above facts that this court hereby grants the prayers sought in line with the principle of ‘Audi Ultra Patem’ (listen to the other side).

“This matter is adjourned to May 13 for the respondent’s chairman to appear before this court in answer to form 49 ordered to be served on him.”

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Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut

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14 hours ago

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April 26, 2024

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Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut

Members of the organised labour, on Friday, protested and shut down the headquarters of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) over alleged cut of workers’ salaries in the agency by the management of the fund.

The aggrieved protesters, led by the President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo and executive members of the Association of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFE), started their demonstrations at about 11:00am.

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Armed with placards with various inscriptions, the protesters alleged that the management led by Mrs Maureen Allagoa, the Managing Director of the Fund, had made deductions of consequential taxes from their salaries to the tune of N2.1bn which were not remitted.

Addressing the protesters, Osifo said the protest and subsequent shutdown of the Fund became imperative after efforts made by the leadership of ASSBIFE to resolve the issue amicably with the management failed.

The protesters urged President Bola Tinubu to sack the MD of the agency with immediate effect to avert “looming crises” in the Fund and called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe their claims.

Both the MD of the Fund, Mrs Allagoa and spokesman of the Fund, Mr Godson Nwachukwu could not be reached for comments at the time of filing this report.

Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut

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How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms

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23 hours ago

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April 26, 2024

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Winifred Oyo-Ita

How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms

Hamma Bello, the eighth prosecution witness in the trial of Winifred Oyo-Ita, a former Head of Service of the Federation, has narrated how N3 billion was diverted to private companies.

The witness stated this while testifying before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday about how the defendant and her subordinates diverted public funds into their private companies.

Oyo-Ita, the first defendant, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, along with her special assistants; Ugbong Effiok (seventh defendant) and Garba Umar (fourth defendant).

Others are six companies: Frontline Ace Global Services Limited, Asanaya Projects Limited, Slopes International Limited, U and U Global Services Ltd, Prince Mega Logistics Ltd, and Good Deal Investments, on 18 counts bordering on misappropriation, official corruption, money laundering, and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of over N3 billion.

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The witness, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Faruk Abdullahi, and H.M. Mohammed, told the court that Oyo-Ita used Slopes International Limited and Good Deal Investments Limited – fifth and sixth defendants respectively, to fraudulently award government contracts to herself through the fourth defendant, Umar.

The first entry transaction of Good Deal Investment Limited. in February 2019 showed that N42,748,201.47 was paid into its Zenith Bank account.

Umar, the witness said, incorporated the company with Oyo-Ita’s full knowledge.

“We called for the account statements of these two companies, and upon analysing them, we realised he (Umar) was paid several sums of money from the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, where he is an employee.

“And upon interviewing the fourth defendant, he admitted that he was also a contractor. He also admitted to have paid the first defendant on several occasions from the proceeds of the transaction,” the witness said.

On April 27, 2019, the witness disclosed that a transfer of N20, 2027, 142 was made in the name of Ibrahim Madu to the Zenith Bank account of Asanaya Projects Limited.

The mandate card of the account bears the signature and photo of the seventh defendant, Effiok.

Investigation, according to the witness, also revealed that the seventh defendant incorporated Asanaya Projects Limited in his name with the knowledge of the first defendant and that approvals were granted and payments made to the seventh defendant either through his personal account or to the account of the company.

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The witness said, “The seventh defendant, upon interview, confirmed he had never travelled for most of the funds he received and that the first defendant was aware of and benefitted on several occasions from the funds. The account of U and U Global Services Limited was also opened by the seventh defendant.

“In summary, from 2015 to 2018, U and U Global Limited received several payments in the form of Duty Tour Allowances and estacodes. Sometimes, payments from the federal government were made directly to the account, for instance, on March 24, 2016, he received N40, 313, 453. 58. This particular payment was from the federal government.”

Further in his testimony, the witness stated that, “Exhibit O is the Fidelity Bank account of Prince Mega Logistics Ltd. On March 27, 2018, and April 6, 2018, there were four entries, N4, 950 000; N3,946,000, N4,676,000 and N1,478,000, from Thomson Titus Okure, who used to be a colleague of the seventh defendant in the Account Department.

“There were also outward payments to Ignom, Minaro Blessing, Winifred Oyo-Ita, Olarenwaju Godman Olushola and the seventh defendant is the sole signatory of this account.”

Speaking further, he said, “I also want to add that we invited the first, second and seventh defendant at different times to our office and interviewed them. In the case of the first defendant, we printed chats from her phone and saw conversations she had with contractors, subordinates, and permanent secretaries. She also voluntarily made a statement to the EFCC.”

The matter was adjourned till April 30, 2024.

(SAHARAREPORTERS)

How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms

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