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Constitution Review: Senate holds public hearing in 6 Geopolitical Zones
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The Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution is set to organise a comprehensive 2-day Zonal Public Hearing in the country’s six geo-political zones to gather Nigerians’ input on the proposed constitutional amendments.
The committee, chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, said the public hearing which 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), is convened to gather the inputs of citizens on the proposed amendments to the nation’s Constitution.
The hearing, scheduled for July 4th and 5th, 2025, will examine critical national issues, including local government autonomy, electoral and judicial reforms, state creation, state police and inclusive governance.
The Special Adviser to the Deputy President of the Senate on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, said one of the bills, proposes the establishment of Local Government Councils as a tier of government to guarantee their democratic existence and tenure.
This is part of a renewed push to grant full autonomy to the country’s 774 Local Government Councils.
The second bill on local government reforms seeks to create an independent National Local Government Electoral Commission (NALGEC) to organise, conduct and supervise local government elections.
Also to be considered during the zonal public hearing are two bills on security and policing for the establishment of state police and state security council to coordinate internal security policies at the sub-national level.
In the area of fiscal reforms, six bills are going to be considered including the one to empower the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission to enforce compliance of remittance of accruals into and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account and streamline the procedure for reviewing the revenue allocation formula.
Also, on fiscal reforms, a bill to alter the provisions of the constitution to specify the period within which the president or the governor of a state shall present the appropriation bill before the National Assembly or House of Assembly will be discussed during the hearing.
In a fresh move toward gender equity, the Committee will also consider a bill to provide additional seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly.
To strengthen traditional institutions, a Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution to establish the National Council of Traditional Rulers, the State Council of Traditional Rulers, and the Local Government Council of Traditional Rulers would also be considered.
On electoral reforms, a proposal seeking the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to allow for independent candidacy at all levels of election, from local councils to the presidency, will also be discussed at the public hearing. This is just as a bill for diaspora voting to enfranchise Nigerians abroad has been listed for consideration.
The hearing will consider over 20 bills seeking to overhaul the country’s judiciary, including timelines for judgment delivery and expanded jurisdiction for election tribunals.
In a bold push for devolution of powers, proposals have been made to transfer items like labour and shipping from the Exclusive to the Concurrent Legislative List.
Also to be considered during the public hearing are 31 proposals on state creation, with five requests each from the South West, South South, and North Central geopolitical zones. The committee has received seven requests from the North East, six from the North West, and three from the South East.
The committee stressed the importance of public engagement in shaping the country’s constitution, calling everyone to participate during the zonal public hearing.
A helicopter crash in Saudi Arabia killed 14 Saudi citizens on Sunday, the kingdom’s official press agency reported, adding that the aircraft belonged to state oil giant Aramco.
The Saudi Press Agency, citing an official at the energy ministry, reported the helicopter crashed in Ras Tanura in the country’s east.
“The accident claimed the lives of all 14 passengers, all Saudi citizens,” the agency said, adding that an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the crash.
Aramco says it operates more than 60 aircraft, including helicopters serving more than 300 heliports in Saudi Arabia, making it one of the largest corporate fleets in the region.
The deadly accident comes as oil-rich Gulf nations seek to ramp up their output following Iranian attacks and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the export of oil and gas.
The Gulf monarchy did not indicate the incident was in any way connected to a hostile attack.
During the Middle East war, Iranian attacks had targeted energy facilities in the Gulf.
Ras Tanura is home to one of the largest refineries in the Middle East, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, and is critical to Saudi Arabia’s energy sector.
The refinery has been targeted several times, notably during an Iranian drone attack at the beginning of the conflict, which caused a fire and forced a partial shutdown.
Riyadh said in April that the weeks-long attacks had disrupted several production operations at key facilities, with refineries in Ras Tanura as well as Jubail, Yanbu and Riyadh targeted.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading crude exporter, produces a little over 10 million bpd.
AFP
An Improvised Explosive Device, IED, planted by alleged bandits along the Kurawa–Sabon Birni road in Sokoto State on Sunday hit a vehicle, killing one person and injuring many passengers.
The incident raised fresh concerns over the growing use of explosive devices by criminal groups operating in parts of the North-West.
The vehicle was said to be conveying passengers from surrounding communities to Sabon Birni when it ran over the explosive device, triggering a blast that severely damaged the vehicle and left several occupants injured.
A security analyst based in the area, Bashir Guyawa, disclosed the incident in a post on his Facebook page.
Guyawa described the incident as another reminder of the persistent security challenges confronting communities along the border axis.
He said the vehicle was on a routine passenger trip when the explosion occurred.
“The vehicle was conveying passengers early this morning on their way to Sabon Birni when the unfortunate incident happened,” he wrote.
Twelve people were injured in a clash between farmers from Larabar Gadan Sarki and herders from the communities of Majawa and Karade in Warawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
The chairman of Warawa Local Government, Lamido Sunusi Ahmad, disclosed this in a statement issued by his media aide, Musleem Garindau.
The statement said the council chairman visited the injured victims at Wudil General Hospital and directed that the local government should cover the cost of their treatment until they had fully recovered.
He also commended community leaders and security personnel for their swift intervention, noting that calm had been restored to the affected communities.
The chairman urged residents to refrain from spreading rumours or engaging in any act capable of escalating tensions and instead embrace dialogue to promote peaceful coexistence.
Speaking further, the Vice Chairman of Warawa Local Government, Hon. Ibrahim Abdu Madari, explained that the conflict involved residents of the communities, all of whom are indigenous to the area.
He said reports indicated that the violence began after a cow strayed into a farmer’s field and ate some crops. The farmer allegedly beat the cow, prompting its owner to assault the farmer, and the disagreement later escalated into a wider clash.
He also reiterated his appeal to residents to live peacefully and resolve disputes through dialogue and mutual understanding.
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