The Senate has announced the suspension of plenary for one week starting from Tuesday next week to enable its members to participate in the zonal public hearing across the country.
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who made the announcement at plenary on Wednesday, said the exercise will hold in 12 centres across the country on 26 and 27th May 27.
Lawan urged Nigerians to participate fully in the exercise as the National Assembly has no pre-conceived agenda but would be opened to suggestions from Nigerians on how to move the country forward
In his words, “This is a very important exercise for our country and I will take this opportunity to appeal to all Nigerians who have one issue or the other that they think the constitution review committee of the senate should know and take note and address, this is time to go to the centre nearest to you.
“We are opened, we are plain, we don’t have any preconceived or predetermined position on anything. The myriads of issues that Nigerians want to be addressed to make Nigeria better, to make citizens secured and enhance the welfare of our people must be brought for consideration.
“Because of this very important assignment by this important committee of the senate, the senate will suspend Plenary through next week.
“This is to enable not only the committee members but the rest of us who are not even members of the constitution review committee to participate in the exercise.
“We wish our committee on the constitution review the best of outing and Nigeria should take every possible opportunity therein, by being there to present whatever they feel strongly about on how this country should work better.
“Therefore we are welcoming every suggestion on every issue. We are not sitting next week, this is because we are devoting the entire week for this exercise. When we adjourn it will be till first June when we will reconvene plenary.”
Lawan had earlier read a letter from the chairman of the constitution review committee, Deputy President of the Senate Ovie Omo-Agege announcing that the committee will hold its zonal public hearing for review of the 1999 constitution on May 26 and 27.
Lawan said the public hearing on proposals to alter the provisions of the 1999 constitution was scheduled to hold in two centres in each of the six geo-political zones of the country.
He listed the centres to include North-Central, which include, Jos centre, made up of Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue state, the centre has its Chairman as Sen. Abdullahi Adamu (APC Nasarawa), while Minna Centre, comprised of Niger, Kwara and Kogi and FCT is to be Chaired by Sen.Sabi Abdullahi (APC-Niger).
For North-East which has Bauchi centre, comprised of Yobe and Boronu states, with its Chairman as Sen, Abubakar Kyari (APC -Boronu), while the second centre, which consists of Gombe, Taraba and Adamawa states has its Chairman Sen.Goje Danjuma (APC Gombe)
For North-West, Kaduna Centre made up of Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states has Sen.Gaya Kabiru (APC Kano) as Chairman while the Sokoto centre consists of Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states has Sen.Adamu Alero (APC-Kebbi) as Chairman.
He said the South-East Zone, which has Owerri centre with Imo and Abia states has Sen.Orji-Uzor Kalu (APC Abia) as Chairman while the Enugu centre comprised of Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi states has Sen.Ike Ekweremadu(PDP-Enugu)as Chairman.
For South-South, Asaba centre consists of Delta Edo and Bayelsa states has Sen.James Manager (PDP-Delta) as Chairman, while the Port Harcourt centre comprised of Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Cross-River states and the Chairman is Sen.Berty Apiafi (PDP-Rivers).
For South-West, Lagos centre has Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states with Sen.Oluremi Tinunbu (APC- Lagos) as Chairman, while Akure centre has Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states, and Sen.Ajayi Boroffice (APC-Ondo) is the Chairman.