Kunle Adelabu
-Rep. Benson sponsored 4 of the bills
The voting pattern of members of the House of Representatives on the 5th amendment to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has been revealed.
Both Chambers of the National Assembly had, on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, voted on 68 Bills proposing amendments on the constitution.
Representative of the Ikorodu Federal Constituency and Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Rep. Babajimi Adegoke Benson, in a statement he personally signed on Wednesday (yesterday), stated how members of the Green Chamber voted on the Bills.
The young federal lawmaker sponsored four of the 68 Bills in the last three years of the 9th National Assembly. These are: A bill seeking to provide that federal and state government share concurrent legislative authority concerning power and electricity within their state and a bill on the removal of the land use act from the Constitution to make its amendment flexible and similar to other acts of the National Assembly.
The other two bills are: A bill to provide that Federal Government and State Government should share concurrent Legislative Authority concerning Railway and other matters related thereto and a bill to provide a Specified Timeframe for the Conduct of Population Census and for Related Matters.
Rep. Benson said that the amendments, which were to reflect the present realities in the country, are a first step among others that would still be included in the eventual amendments to the Constitution.
“My Dear Constituents, as you are aware, the National Assembly has commenced the process of the 5th amendment to the 1999 Constitution to reflect contemporary realities and ensure a prosperous, inclusive and egalitarian society”, Rep . Benson stated.
“Like I stated in my last update, this exercise is the first in the series of activities that will lead to the eventual amendment. I acknowledge that the voting may not have gone entirely the way we may have envisaged, however, you will agree with me that this is a starting point and any amendment that didn’t sail through now could be considered in subsequent exercise.
“Dear Constituents, the Constitutional Amendment process still has to go through the State Houses of Assembly before it can be presented to Mr. President for assent.
“I urge you to be resilient in advocating for the smooth passage of these amendments by the state legislature. Collectively, we can achieve our dream of a prosperous society governed with a constitution we can all call our own”, he charged.
According to Rep. Benson, summary of the voting pattern on the floor of the House on Tuesday 1, March, 2022, on the 68 amendment Bills, are below:
1. Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to Abrogate the State Joint Local Government Account and Provide for a Special Account into which shall be paid all Allocations due to Local Government Councils from the Federation Account and from the Government of the State; and for Related Matters. Yea-278/Nay-0.
2. Establish Local Government as a Tier of Government and Guarantee their Democratic Existence, Tenure; and for Related Matters. Yea-258/Nay-15.
3. Change the Name of Afikpo North and Afikpo South Local Government Areas, and for Related Matters. Yea-240/Nay-11/Abstain-14.
4. Change the name of Kunchi Local Government Area; and for Related Matters. Yea-267/Nay-2/Abstain-9.
5. Change the Names of Egbado North and Egbado South Local Government Areas; and for Related Matters. Yea-268/Nay-0/Abstain-1.
6. Change the Name Barikin Ladi Local Government Area; and for Related Matters. Yea – 202/Nay-70/Abstain-2.
7. Correct name of Atigbo Local government Area; and for Related Matters. Yea-245/Nay-16/Abstain-15.
8. Correct the Name of Obia/Akpor Local Government Area; and for Related Matters. Yea-252/Nay-, Abstain-.
9. Provide for the Financial Independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary; and for Related Matters. Yea-286/Nay-1/Abstain-0.
10. Compel persons to obey or comply with Legislative Summons; and for Related Matters. Yea-290/Nay-0/Abstain-0.
11. Regulate the First Session and Inauguration of Members-Elect of the National and State Houses of Assembly; and for Related Matters. Yea-287/Nay-0/Abstain-1.
12. Institutionalize Legislative Bureaucracy in the Constitution; and for Related Matters. Yea-290/Nay-0/Abstain-0.
13. Provide for the Procedure for passing a Constitution Alteration Bill where the President withhold Assent; and for Related Matters. Yea-289/Nay-0/Abstain-1.
14. Provide the Procedure for Overriding Executive Veto in Respect of Money Bill; and for Related Matters. Yea-288/Nay-0/Abstain-0.
15. Provide for the Procedure of Removing Presiding Officers of the Legislature; and for Related Matters. Yea-201/Nay-67/Abstain-10.
16. Provide Pension for Presiding Officers of the National Assembly; and for Related Matters. Yea-102/Nay-193/Abstain-3.
17. Establish the Federal Revenue Court and the Revenue Court of a State; and for Related Matters. Yea-262/Nay-32/Abstain-2.
18. Further Strengthen the Judiciary for Timely Dispensation of Justice; and for Related Matters. Yea-272/Nay-3/Abstain-0.
19. Provide the timelines within which Civil and Criminal Cases are heard and determined at Trial and Appellate Courts in Order to Eliminate unnecessary delay in Justice Administration and Delivery; and for Related Matters. Yea-246/Nay-2/Abstain-0.
20. Ensure Uniformity in the Retirement Age and pension Rights of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts of Records; and for Related Matters. Yea-297/Nay-3/Abstain-0.
21. Delete the Reference to the Provisions of the Criminal Code, Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Act, Criminal Procedure Code or Evidence Act; and for Related Matters. Yea-296/Nay-5/Abstain-1.
22. Exclude the Period of Intervening Events in the Computation of Time for Determining Pre election Petitions, Election Petitions and Appeals therefrom; and for Related Matters. Yea-294/Nay-5/Abstain-2.
23. Allow Court or Tribunal Proceedings to be Conducted remotely, Virtually, Online or through any Media Platform or Technological Innovation; and for Related Matters. Yea-292/Nay-2/Abstain-1.
24. Expand the Interpretation of Judicial Office to include Courts or Tribunals created by an Act of the National Assembly or a State House of Assembly; and for Related Matters. Yea-302/Nay-0/Abstain-2.
25. Provide for the Post Call Qualification of the Secretary of the National Judicial Council; and for Related Matters. Yea-288/Nay-1/Abstain-3.
26. Permit Public Servants to Engage in Healthcare Education, Production and Services beyond Farming; and for Related Matters. Yea-280/Nay-8/Abstain-0.
27. Impose the requirement of fair Hearing in the process of Recommendation of Removal of Judicial Officers by the State Judicial Service Commission; and for Related Matters. Yea-281/Nay-0/Abstain-1.
28. Include Judges of the National Industrial Court in the Composition of Election Tribunal; and for Related Matters. Yea-261/Nay-41/Abstain-0.
29. Move Airports from Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; and for Related Matters. Yea-283/Nay-20/Abstain-0.
30. Move Fingerprints, Identification and Criminal Records from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; and for Related Matters. Yea-290/Nay-6/Abstain-2.
31. Delete prisons in the Exclusive Legislative List and Redesignate it as Correctional Services in the Concurrent Legislative List; and for Related Matters. Yea-280/Nay-12/Abstain-3.
32. Move Railway from the Exclusive Legislative List to Concurrent Legislative List; and for Related Matters. Yea-297/Nay-1/Abstain-0.
33. Allow States Generate, Transmit and Distribute Electricity in Area covered by the National Grid; and for Related Matters. Yea-298/Nay-2/Abstain-0.
34. Include Value Added Tax on the Exclusive Legislative List; and for Related Matters. Yea-91/Nay-209/Abstain-6.
35. Provide for Special Seat for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly; and for Related Matters. Yea-81/Nay-208/Abstain-13.
36. Expand the Scope of Citizenship by Registration; and for Related Matters. Yea-135/Nay-143/Abstain-2.
37. Provide for Affirmative Action for Women in Political Party Administration; and for Related Matters. Yea-192/Nay-107/Abstain-7.
38. Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide Criteria for Qualification to become an Indigene of a State in Nigeria; and for Related Matters. Yea-193/Nay-98/Abstain-2.
39. Empower the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission to Enforce Compliance with Remittance of Accruals into and Disbursement of Revenue from the Federation Account and Streamline the Procedure for Reviewing the Revenue Allocation Formula; and for Related Matters. Yea-260/Nay-4/Abstain-2.
40. Enhance the Independence of Certain Bodies; and for Related Matters. Yea-258/Nay-3/Abstain-3.
41. Remove Transitional Lawmaking Powers from the Executive Arms of Government; and for Related Matters.
42. Expand Immunity to the Legislative and Judicial Arms of Government; and for Related Matters.
43. Specify the Time within which the Executive shall present to the National Assembly any Treaty between the Federation and any other Country for Enactment; and for Related Matters.
44. Specify the period within which the President or the Governor of State shall present the Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly or House of Assembly; and for Related Matters.
45. Require the President or Governors to submit the Names of Persons Nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within thirty days of taking the Oath of Office for Confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly,; and for Related Matters.
46. Alter Third Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to include Presiding Officers of the National Assembly in the Membership of the National Security Council; and for Related Matters.
47. Establish State Security Council; and for Related Matters.
48. Alter the Second Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Empower the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly Powers to summon the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governors of States to answer Questions on issues on which the National and State Houses of Assembly have the Power to make Law; and for Related Matters.
49. Reduce the Period within which the President or the Governor of a State may authorize the withdrawal of Monies from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the absence of an Appropriations Act from six months to three months; and for Related Matters. Yea-301/Nay-3/Abstain-0.
50. Replace the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation with the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government; and for Related Matters.
Yea-250/Nay-38/Abstain-1.
51. Establish the Office of the Accountant –General of the Federal Government separate from the Office of the Accountant –General of the Federation; and for Related Matters. Yea-299/Nay-0/Abstain-0.
52. Specify the Timeframe for the Conduct of Population Census; and for Related Matters. Yea-289/Nay-5/Abstain-1.
53. Establish the Office of the Attorney–General of the Federation and of the State separate from the Office of the Minister of Justice or Commissioners for Justice of the state in order to make the Offices Attorneys–General Independent and Insulated from Partisanship; and for Related Matters. Yea-297/Nay-8/Abstain-0.
54. Provide for a State of the Nation and State of the State Address by the President and Governor; and for Related Matters. Yea-298/Nay-4/Abstain-0.
55. Include Former Heads of the National Assembly in the Council of State; and for Related Matters. Yea-282/Nay-14/Abstain-3.
56. Provide for the Termination of Tenure of Certain Elected Officials on Account of a Change of Political Party; and for Related Matters. Yea-259/Nay-44/Abstain-3.
57. Enhance existing Provisions on the Formation of Political Parties; and for Related Matters. Yea-299/Nay-0/Abstain-0.
58. Provide for Independent Candidacy in Presidential, Governorship, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Councils Elections; and for Related Matters. Yea-269/Nay-28/Abstain-3.
59. Provide for Diaspora Voting; and for Related Matters. Yea-58/Nay-240/Abstain-0.
60. Provide for the Office of the Mayor for the Federal Capital Territory Administration Abuja; and for Related Matters. Yea-233/Nay-71/Abstain-2.
61. Provide for Appointment of a Minister from the FCT; and for Related Matters. Yea-245/Nay-53/Abstain-2.
62. Correct the Error in the definition of the Boundary of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; and for Related Matters. Yea-289/Nay-7/Abstain-1.
63. Make Free, Compulsory and Basic Education a Fundamental Right of all Citizens under Chapter IV of the Constitution; and for Related Matters. Yea-307/Nay-1/Abstain-0.
64. Further define Acts that Constitute Torture, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment; and for Related Matters. Yea-284/Nay-5/Abstain-2.
65. Require the Government to Direct its Policy towards ensuring Rights to Food and Food Security in Nigeria; and for Related Matters. Yea-296/Nay-2/Abstain-1.
66. Reflect the Establishment and Core Functions of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps; and for Related Matters. Yea-271/Nay-19/Abstain-2.
67. Establish the National and State Councils of Traditional Rulers to advise the President and Governors on Matters Related to Customs, Security and Public Order; and for Related Matters.
Yea-245/Nay-57/Abstain-3.
68. Provide Reserved Quota for Women; and for Related Matters
