Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) and governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, has thrown his weight behind the ongoing constitution review process, describing it as a milestone in Nigeria’s pursuit of a more inclusive, equitable and people-driven governance.
He made the statement on Saturday while declaring open the North-East Zonal Public Hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria held at Gombe International Conference Centre.
Inuwa opined that since the independence, the nation has continually grappled with the challenge of drafting a constitutional framework that genuinely reflects the aspirations and diversity of the compatriots.
“The constitution is a living document, one that must be constantly updated to reflect the evolving needs and aspirations of our people,” he said.
The northern governors chairman noted that while previous amendments have been made in 2010, 2011, 2017, and 2023, several critical issues still persist, particularly around federalism, local governance, fiscal decentralisation,
and the protection of fundamental rights.
He advised that the Constitutional Review Committee should focus on three major areas in the constitution that demand urgent attention such as political stability through equitable representation and devolution of powers, economic prosperity by addressing fiscal federalism and resource control, and social justice by ensuring stronger provisions for gender equity, rights of the marginalised, and the protection of all citizens.
He urged the committee to consider the submissions by the Gombe State Government as presented by the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice “in the broader interest of national unity and cohesion”.
The Chairman House of Representatives Committee for the Constitutional Review in North East and Chief Whip of the House, Usman Bello Kumo, stated that the exercise being conducted across the country is in line with section 62 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which mandates the legislature to undertake a periodic constitutional review so that the grand norm of the land can be an all- inclusive and acceptable document.
“In the House of Representatives, our standing rules order 18 rule 9 empower the House of Representatives to periodically engage the public to have their buy-in and make sure that the grand norm of the land is a people’s oriented document to govern the country”, Kumo stated.
