Reps Seek Public Participation As They Consider 86 Constitutional Amendment

The House of Representatives is seeking public input on 86 constitutional amendment bills currently under review.

Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, made the call during a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

Kalu said the amendments cover key areas, including electoral and judicial reforms, devolution of powers, security, fiscal policy, human rights, and the creation of states and local governments.

“Eighty-six constitution review bills currently under consideration in the house will be presented to the general public in the form of a compressed compendium consisting of a collation of explanatory memoranda, long titles and a comprehensive exposé of the bills for their inputs,” Kalu said.

The public can access the summarised compendium of the bills at www.hccr.gov.ng, according to the committee.

The deputy speaker said the committee aims to ensure “broader participation in the process” through zonal public hearings in 12 centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

“To achieve this, we will be embarking on zonal public hearings in 12 centres across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria,” he said.

Public hearings in the northern zones will hold from July 11 to 13, while those in the southern zones are scheduled for July 18 to 20. A national public hearing will follow on July 21.

Kalu emphasized the importance of citizen engagement.

“I call on all stakeholders and the general public to actively participate in the zonal and national public hearings,” he said. “Your contributions and inputs are crucial to the success of this constitutional review process.”

He added that with public participation, lawmakers can produce a constitution that “reflects the aspirations of Nigerians.”