Philip Nyam 
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chairman, House Committee on Constitution Review, Hon. Benjamin Kalu has reiterated that the exercise must produce a constitution that must work for Nigerians.
Kalu stated this in his address at the 3rd Committee Retreat on Constitutional Review in Enugu on Friday.
According to him, Nigerians want a Constitution that empowers local governments to deliver services, streamlines electoral justice, strengthens fiscal federalism, guarantees women’s full participation in governance, and enhances accountability at all levels.
Kalu said, “It is in this vein that we have assembled a distinguished panel of constitutional lawyers, scholars, and policy analysts who will guide our deliberations, provide comparative perspectives, and help us navigate complex legal and political terrain.
“The work we do here in Enugu over the next few days will define the trajectory of Nigeria’s democracy for the next generation.Will we be remembered as the Assembly that empowered local governments, thereby bringing governance closer to the people?
“Will we be remembered as the Assembly that shattered the glass ceiling and guaranteed women’s full participation in public life?Will we be remembered as the Assembly that restored public confidence in our electoral system?
“These are not rhetorical questions. They are moral and political imperatives that demand our immediate and decisive action. Therefore, as we commence our deliberations, I urge us all to be guided by three principles”.
He noted that in discharging its responsibilities, the committee must have a unity of purpose; legislative discipline and national interest as guiding principles.
Kalu, “We represent different constituencies, different parties, and different ideologies. But on the issue of constitutional reform, we must speak with one voice. The amendments we propose must command broad, bipartisan support if they are to succeed. Let us focus on what unites us, not what divides us.
“Constitutional amendments are not ordinary bills. They require meticulous drafting, rigorous scrutiny, and careful sequencing. We must resist the temptation to overload the amendment agenda with contentious or politically divisive proposals. Our focus must be on achievable, high-impact reforms that enjoy widespread public support.
“Every decision we make here must be guided by one question: What is best for Nigeria? Not what is best for our party, our region, or our personal ambitions, but what is best for the over 200 million Nigerians we were elected to serve.
“The Constitution we are reviewing is the social contract that binds us together as a people. It is the promise we make to each other about the kind of country we want to build.
“Let the work we do here in Enugu reflect our commitment to that promise. Let us leave Enugu with a clear, actionable roadmap for constitutional reform: one that empowers local governments, guarantees women’s representation, strengthens electoral integrity, and deepens our federal democracy.
In his address, Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Ndubuisi, represented by the Deputy Governor of the State, Ifeanyi Ossai, emphasised the need to have diligent Judicial, police and other reforms that will attend to the needs of the Nigerian people for speedy justice delivery.
According to him, the reforms intended in the proposed amendments and new bills in the ongoing exercise, if implemented, will go a long way in addressing the socio-political, security, as well as economic challenges affecting the country.
He lamented that, whenever Nigerians discuss inclusive governance, a few thoughts run around what they discuss, even among parliamentarians, in the media, politicians, those in the academies and almost all classes of Nigerians.
He said, “The last time I checked, I wasn’t certain that there were constitutional liberties to it. But it’s almost clear that in all our national conversations, in political conversations, in development conversations, in all our conversations, the concept of the fact that geopolitical zones are taking root in our subconscious conversations has come to me.
“So, I was wondering, will the parliament think it’s worth it to begin to capture the concept of geopolitical zones in our constitution? Because it can happen that we need the framework for a robust and inclusive government and governance, as I’ve seen on page 51 of your material for reform.
“And if you think that’s worth it, to be part of our constitution and make it a formal conversation and break the rules, then it could be the framework that would drive the next thing I want to talk about, which is federal character. First of all, the concept of federal character has been won by the elites. Some, of course, were politicians.
“When you want to complain that we’ve not had access to public and political appointments at the federal level, we begin to read out all sorts of data about fairer character. How people get disadvantaged, how certain ministries go to certain parts of the country and are not fairly distributed”.
