Barau: 55 new states, 278 LGAs proposed in ongoing constitution amendment

Deputy senate president Jibrin Barau, has stated that the national assembly’s joint committee on the review of the 1999 constitution is considering 55 new state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 LGA creation requests.

Barau gave a speech during the Senate and House of Representatives committees’ two-day retreat on constitution review in Lagos.

Barau’s special adviser on media and publicity, Ismail Mudashir, said in a statement that the exercise shows the national assembly’s dedication to providing timely and people-centered revisions.

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He asked legislators to make sure that state houses of assembly receive the first round of modifications by the end of the year.

“It has been a long journey to bring the senate and the house of representatives constitution amendment proposals that cut across several sections and deal with different subject matters,” Barau said.

“We have been in this process for the past two years, engaging our constituents, critical stakeholders, institutions, civil society organisations, and interest groups — in town hall meetings, interactive sessions, and public hearings — harvesting and synthesising views and perspectives which have culminated in what we have here today

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“It is not going to be a simple task to achieve within two days, but I believe we can do it, especially as we have promised Nigerians that we will deliver the first set of amendments to the state houses of assembly before the end of this year,” he said.

“I believe we can deliver on this promise if we engage the bills and the issues with open minds.

“I acknowledge that we represent constituents with diverse ethnic, religious, and socio-economic cleavages through different political platforms, but the constitution is the grundnorm for Nigerian citizens and nationhood, which we must approach with patriotism and nationalism as higher shared goals.”

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Barau, who also serves as the first deputy speaker of the ECOWAS parliament, urged lawmakers to focus on what best serves Nigerians and to avoid divisive or competitive debates.