Constitution Review: Akeredolu Votes For Resource Control, Scrapping Of Senate

The Government of Ondo State has advocated scrapping of the Nigerian Senate and provision for states to control its resources in the constitution.

It said the review of the 1999 Constitution must be undertaken with all seriousness.

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, spoke at the sitting of the House of Representatives Committee on the review of the 1999 constitution.

Akeredolu said the amended constitution must reduce the cost of governance and shift attention to service delivery.

Akeredolu noted that it does not make economic sense to retain many ministries, departments and agencies of government that are moribund.

He called for the scrapping of the Nigeria Senate, creation of State Police, pruning of political appointees, devolution of powers, decentralization of the Supreme Court amongst others.

According to him, “The government at the centre must divest itself of this self-inflicted heavy burden for effective and impactful performance. At most two Ministers should be appointed to represent each Zone.

“Items on the Exclusive List too must witness significant reduction. The Federal Government must not be seen to be competing with the states in service delivery to the people. Its role should be, largely, to coordinate the activities of government with minimal interference at the other tiers of government. It cannot legislate on residual matters as they concern the states.

“The component parts in federation should reserve the rights on the number of local governments they desire to have. The inclusion of the names of 774 local governments in the Constitution smacks of over centralization of administration. It runs against the principles of federalism.”

“The country may consider dropping the current bicameral structure of the National Assembly and adopt a unicameral legislature. The membership of the Assembly should be part time. No member should earn allowances not known to the Revenue Mobilisation and Allocation Committee and, more importantly, people they claim to serve. Legislators should earn under a uniform salary structure. Allowance peculiarities must not be about obscenity. The Senate should be scrapped.

“The House of Representatives too should not be unwieldly. A maximum of four representatives should come from each Zone. The states must have a judicial system which conforms to its aspirations to develop. An effective and efficient judicial system should be anchored on the peculiarities of a State and the quest to maintain law and order. The hierarchy of courts should be about satisfying the need to dispense justice among the people.”