From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, affirmed that the National Assembly is fully committed to the will of the people by pursuing timely amendments to the 1999 Constitution.
At a two‑day joint retreat in Lagos, the Senate and House committees on constitutional review will examine 69 bills, 55 state‑creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 local‑government creation requests.
In a statement issued by his media adviser, Ismail Mudashir, Barau, called on lawmakers to work together to deliver the first set of amendments to state houses of assembly before year‑end.
He noted that the process has spanned two years, involving extensive consultations with constituents, stakeholders, civil society, and interest groups.
“Though it won’t be easy in just two days, we can do it if we approach the bills with open minds,” Barau said, urging members to set aside partisan divides and focus on Nigeria’s best interests.
As Chairman of the Senate Constitution Review Committee and first deputy speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, he stressed that the Constitution is the nation’s grundnorm and must be handled with patriotism.
He added, “There should be no ‘we’ and ‘them’—only the interests of Nigerians. I wish us fruitful deliberations that meet the approval threshold of Section 9.”
The retreat was organised to allow members of the joint committees to review the proposed amendments “clause-by-clause.”
