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1999 Constitution Must Be Reworked To Address Critical National Issues —– Gbajabiamila

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House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has said the 1999 Constitution is being amended to address critical national issues the current document has failed to address.

The Speaker said this on Tuesday at the opening of the zonal public hearing on an amendment to the constitution in Lagos.

He noted that the current document falls short of these standards, explaining that this is “because the 1999 Constitution is the product of a hurried national compromise that we entered into two decades ago in order to ensure that the military returned to the barracks and that we returned to democratic government”.

The Speaker said the National Assembly could only give Nigerians a people-oriented constitution after getting the inputs and support of the citizens.

Gbajabiamila added: “The foundational constitution of the United States of America deemed people of colour to be ‘less than’ and denied women the right to vote. It did not include any limits on the President’s term of office and allowed for citizens to be denied the right to vote for failure to pay the ‘poll tax’. Twenty-seven reviews and amendments, over 100 years cured these and other defects.

“No nation in the world has a perfect constitution, but we need a near-perfect constitution in Nigeria and we can achieve that through substantive amendments that significantly alter the character of our nation…”

Participants at the two-day public hearing included Deputy Governor Dr. Babafemi Hamzat, who represented Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; members of the House of Representatives Special Committee on the Review of the Constitution; members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ); Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); representatives of political parties, civil society organisations (CSOs), youth organisations and market women.

Also, Senate President Ahmad Lawan has said a national public hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution will hold on June 3 and June 4 in Abuja.

Lawan announced this yesterday at plenary while reading a letter addressed to him by the Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee and Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege.

Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong yesterday called for stiff penalties against abusers of the constitution.

He spoke at the public hearing on the review of the Constitution for the Northcentral in Jos, the state capital.

Representatives of Nasarawa and Benue states’ governors described the public hearing as a golden opportunity for all grievances to be addressed so that the nation could have a people’s constitution.

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed urged the committee to assign constitutional roles to traditional rulers in the country.

The governor spoke at the opening of a two-day public hearing on the constitution in Bauchi.

He noted that despite the fact that traditional rulers are custodians of cultures and traditions, they were not recognised in the 1999 Constitution.

Also, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) appealed to the National Assembly not to remove the national minimum wage from the Exclusive List.

Its Head of International Relations Department, Liaison to the National Assembly, Mr Uchenna Ekwe, spoke yesterday in Enugu during the public hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on 1999 Constitution Review.

He said those canvassing for its removal were ignorant of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) laws and making a vital mistake.

BIG STORY

JUST IN: Chaos At PDP Caucus Meeting As Security Operatives Forcefully Eject Members [VIDEO]

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The caucus meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) turned chaotic on Monday after security operatives forcefully removed some members from the national executive committee (NEC) hall.

The meeting was scheduled to take place at the NEC hall of the party’s headquarters in Abuja, with members already arriving at the venue.

Two individuals were ejected by security personnel following claims by some protocol officers that they had no authorization to be present at the meeting.

During the confrontation, a glass door was broken while the members were being dragged out.

“Are you NWC member?” shouted Chinwe Nnorom, national director of publicity, before the individuals were taken out of the venue.

Earlier in the day, security personnel had taken control of the PDP headquarters and stopped members of the board of trustees (BoT) from accessing the NEC hall for their scheduled meeting.

As a result, the BoT moved their meeting to the Yar’Adua Centre located in the central business district of Abuja.

In recent weeks, the PDP has been embroiled in increasing drama and new developments amid its internal crisis.

Watch VIDEO HERE

 

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BIG STORY

BREAKING: Security Operatives Block PDP BoT From Meeting At Party Headquarters

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Security operatives have barred members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) from holding their meeting at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.

The security personnel stopped the BoT members from accessing the National Executive Committee (NEC) hall where the meeting was scheduled to take place on Monday morning.

The BoT has subsequently relocated the meeting to the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja’s Central Business District.

 

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BIG STORY

Nigerian Medical Student Hails “Inspiring” Encounter With President Tinubu, St. Lucian PM Pierre

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For Nigerian medical student Bob Chikwem Amadi, what started as a routine work assignment turned into an unforgettable experience with two world leaders — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria and Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre of Saint Lucia.

Amadi, currently studying medicine at the American International University in Saint Lucia, was part of the service team present during President Tinubu’s courtesy call to Prime Minister Pierre’s official residence on the second day of the Nigerian president’s state visit to the Caribbean nation.

Originally from Rivers State, Amadi has lived in Saint Lucia for ten years and recently completed the four-year basic phase of his medical education. He is now preparing to begin his clinical training.

Alongside his studies, Amadi also works part-time as a talent and brand manager with a local catering and entertainment company — a role that brought him close to the high-level diplomatic event.

During the visit, Prime Minister Pierre was informed by his aides that one of the staff members was a Nigerian student.

Taking a brief moment before his official engagements began, the prime minister introduced Amadi to President Tinubu.

The president, known for his engaging nature and interest in Nigerians living abroad, took time to speak with the young student, asking about his name, background, and academic journey.

Tinubu extended his best wishes and words of encouragement, praising Amadi for his dedication to his studies overseas.

Describing the experience, Amadi said it was “an inspiring moment” for him.

“Saint Lucia is an amazing island. I will describe it as a wonderful place. They are a very contented society and things are relatively calm”, he said.

The moment was capped off when Amadi was invited to join President Tinubu and Prime Minister Pierre for a group photograph — a symbolic and memorable close to a chance meeting with two major political leaders from Africa and the Caribbean.

Amadi also reflected on the strong historical and cultural ties between Nigeria and Saint Lucia.

“We have always hoped that there are many opportunities between Saint Lucia and Nigeria. We share similar food crops and culture, and the connection is deep”, he said.

President Tinubu’s visit to Saint Lucia marks the beginning of a broader diplomatic tour of the Caribbean and South America, focused on enhancing trade, cultural ties, and diplomatic collaboration between Nigeria and Caribbean countries.

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