ABUJA – Joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives for review of Nigerian Constitution is to be inaugurated next week.
Making the announcement at the resumption from their 10-week break on Tuesday, Senate President David Mark also urged the executive to submit its 2009 Appropriation Bill for early passage.
He acknowledged the high expectation of the citizens and assured the nation that “this Senate shall not deviate from its earlier covenant with the people”.
“As we return the expectation of the people is naturally and rightly high.
Among others, our people anxiously await action on the Constitution amendment;. you would recall that before we proceeded on recess, we had announced the names of our colleagues who would represent us in the Constitution Review Committee (CRC). it is heartwarming to note that the House of Representatives has also named its membership; we can for all intent and purposes declare that we are set to kick start the process. The Joint Committee should be inaugurated early next week, God willing”, the senate president said.
He also assured Nigerians that “no report received from any committee will be swept under the carpet” and enjoined all committee chairmen of the Senate to ensure that bills and matters which had been referred to them are returned for necessary legislative action within the shortest possible time.
Prominent among such probes were the administration of the Federal Capital Territory. (FCT) between 1999 and 2007, the N19.5 billion Aviation Intervention Fund, the Agric Sector probe report and the dismal performance of the Super Eagles in the 2008 edition of the African Cup of nations held in Ghana early this year.
Also Senator Mark disclosed that Senate leadership was compiling a comprehensive table of pending bills and appealed to all the committee chairmen to “expedite action on this so that we can collectively live up to the expectation of our people”
On the 2009 Appropriation Bill, Senate President Mark noted that “while we look forward to receiving the 2009 budget estimates, I wish to remind the executive of the overriding desire for early passage of the budget” adding, for this to materialize, the National Assembly would require adequate time.
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