By Clement Adeyi, Abuja
The plans to organise a comprehensive two-day zonal public hearing in the country’s six geo-political zones has been announced by the the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.
The hearings are slated for July 4 and 5.
They are parts of an extensive national consultation procedure which targets capturing citizens’ voices on critical issues capable of determining the future of governance in the country.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by Ismail Mudashir, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Deputy Senate President and Committee Chairman, Senator Barau I Jibrin, on Sunday.
According to the statement, the hearings will be held simultaneously in Lagos (South West), Enugu (South East), Ikot Ekpene (South South), Jos (North Central), Maiduguri (North East), and Kano (North West).
Barau revealed that the committee would entertain over 50 proposals addressing a series of national concerns — from local government autonomy to gender representation, state police, judicial timelines as well as creation of new states.
“This is a critical moment for our democracy. We are calling on all Nigerians to be part of this national dialogue. The aim is to ensure that the voices of citizens are reflected in the constitution that governs them,” Barau said.
In the conversation are two bills seeking to grant full autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local governments.
While one of them proposes constitutional recognition of local councils as a distinct tier of government, the other one recommends setting up an independent electoral body to oversee local elections.
The move has the potentiality to free local politics from the grip of state governments.
The hearings will also harp on crucial issues such as creation of state police forces and state security councils to address insecurity challenges in the country with calculated local approaches.
In the area of fiscal governance, six bills have been proposed, including one mandating a timeline for governors and the president to submit annual budgets, and another strengthening the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to ensure accountability in public finance.
In addition, 31 separate requests for new states — from all six zones — are on the table. These include seven from the North East alone, as well as multiple proposals from the South West, South South, and North Central.
The committee is also seeking to advance gender equity with a proposed bill to reserve additional legislative seats for women in both the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly.
Another bill proposes the formal recognition and establishment of National, State, and Local Government Councils of Traditional Rulers.
While also reflecting the scope of the review, bills enabling Nigerians in the diaspora to vote and allowing independent candidates to contest elections at all levels are scheduled for debate.
Over 20 judicial reform bills have also been submitted, with a view to accelerating the delivery of justice and broaden the jurisdiction of election tribunals.
Barau also stressed the significance of public engagement in this constitutional moment.
“This is more than a legal exercise. It is a democratic process. Every citizen has a stake in the Constitution. This is your opportunity to be heard,” Barau said.