A bill advocating for a return to a regional system of government in Nigeria is set to be transmitted to Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu next week.
According to Saturday PUNCH, the bill titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to substitute the annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with new governance model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria’, seeks to establish a new constitutional framework under the title “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria New Governance Model for Nigeria Act 2024.”
The draft bill emphasizes the need for a constitution that reflects the deliberations and consensus of the Nigerian people, contrasting with the current constitution, which it describes as imposed by the military without the explicit consent of the populace.
The bill calls for a federal/regional system of government, allowing ethnic blocs within states to self-organize into provinces, divisions, and districts with control over their own affairs.
The preliminaries of the bill partly read, “Whereas Nigeria, its peoples and government have been governed under Decree 24 of 1999 that was handed down by the then military government without the express consent of the people despite the preamble of ‘We, the people.’
“Whereas the said Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) is not autochthonous as it does not evolve from the deliberations and consensus of the Nigerian People; whereas the peoples of Nigeria now desire and effectively demand for a change to a constitution based on federal/regional system of government.
“Whereas the federal and regional governments are to operate within the provisions of this Constitution, it is within the discretion of the ethnic blocs within the states that constitutes a given region to aggregate or disaggregate as provinces, divisions and districts, while being in control of their affairs without let or hindrance at whatever level of governance.”
However, the House disowned the bill as the duo of the House spokesman, Akin Rotimi and the Chairman, Rules and Business, Francis Waive said the proposed legislationl was not before committee for deliberation.
Dr. Akin Fapohunda, the drafter of the bill, indicated plans to engage with members of the National Assembly before formally submitting the bill to the parliament. However, he has decided to send the proposed law directly to Tinubu, who may then present it to the parliament as an executive bill.
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