Stakeholders in Osun, Ondo and Ekiti States have urged Nigerians to actively engage in the ongoing 1999 Constitution amendment process, emphasising that public input is crucial for critical reforms, such as state police and local government autonomy.
They also appealed to Nigerians to pay equal attention to all constitutional amendment bills, rather than focusing on the state police proposal.
The stakeholders noted that the state police bill generated widespread public debate due to its implications on national security, while several other amendment bills with significant governance impact received little attention.
Joshua Oyebode, an Osun-based lawyer and lead director of the Community Aids and Social Empathy Initiative (iCASE), said the constitutional review process should be comprehensive and not reduced to a single issue, regardless of its importance.
“The state police bill is undoubtedly important, but it is not the only proposal before the National Assembly or the only constitutional amendment that deserves public attention,” he said.
Also, Babajide Kofoworola, the majority leader of the Osun House of Assembly, said awareness of constitutional amendments was often low at the state level, with inadequate public hearings.
Mr Kofoworola noted that participation from the South-West region was low when the National Assembly organised public hearings on state police, state creation, devolution of powers, and other issues in Ibadan, Oyo State.
He, however, said the Osun assembly was committed to domesticating laws passed by the National Assembly, especially those beneficial to the people.
The majority leader called on lawmakers to improve public awareness of proposed amendments.
Mr Kofoworola also urged the legislators to ensure that stakeholders, including civil society organisations, human rights groups, professional bodies and the general public, were adequately consulted before passing such bills.
Similarly, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, a former member of the Osun House of Assembly, urged the National Assembly to intensify public awareness on all proposed constitutional amendments.
“Stakeholders must be adequately consulted before the passage of such laws. Deliberate efforts should be made to ensure citizens understand the purpose of proposed laws.
“They should have opportunities to contribute to the discussions before the proposed laws are finalised,” he said.
A legal practitioner, Sarah Ogenekome, said many Nigerians were unaware of the broader legal implications of the various constitutional amendments, as public discourse had largely focused on state police.
She noted that while the state police proposal is important, other amendments, such as those concerning local government autonomy and the financial independence of public agencies, would also have far-reaching implications.
In the same vein, a political scientist, Folorunsho Elijah, said the debate on state police had overshadowed other constitutional reforms due to the prevailing security challenges.
He, however, emphasised that constitutional review goes beyond security, noting that devolution of powers and financial autonomy would enhance governance, accountability and service delivery.
Also, Festus Odunuga, a political analyst, urged Nigerians to pay greater attention to other critical constitutional amendment issues, stressing that the debate should not be limited to the state police.
Meanwhile, Anthony Gilbert, an Ile-Ife-based legal practitioner, urged states to immediately begin developing policies and implementation frameworks for state police after the constitutional amendment has been approved and assented to by the President.
Contributing, Olatunji Oshati, the majority leader of the Ondo State House of Assembly, said the state was embracing the decentralisation of electricity.
“The practice in the state before the amendment was that we had an agency handling complaints on the power sector, even before the amendment. So, the House has been briefed about it, and it has passed the amendment bill to support the electricity flow in the state. We have done justice to that,” he said.
Mr Oshati also said local government autonomy was already being practised in the state, noting that allocations for local governments go directly to their accounts without state government interference.
“The state Assembly is yet to receive any document allowing the state to have its own correctional centres. Immediately we get a go-ahead on it, it will receive great support because such a law would give a lot of relief for inmates.
“This is one of the things that we have been clamouring for and expecting for states to take responsibility in order to hasten justice distribution.
“For the proposed state police bill, immediately it is jointly approved by the Senate and House of Representatives, we will give it a speedy debate and approval.
“Ondo State has been championing it through the creation of the Amotekun Corps. It is going to be a great relief as well,” he said.
Meanwhile, Franklin Oloniju, a former chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society in Ondo State, said the federal government should focus on decentralising the power sector, local government autonomy, and other reforms to complement the proposed state police.
Mr Oloniju said jettisoning the reforms would not only affect the country’s economic development but also exacerbate insecurity, noting that 40 per cent of Nigeria’s population lives in local government areas, which lack basic amenities.
Mr Oloniju, while describing the decentralisation of the power sector and local government autonomy as critical issues which needed to be addressed, said that the two reforms were germane drivers of insecurity in the country.
In Ekiti, Oladimeji Ojo, a constitutional lawyer, called for greater public engagement on the ongoing constitutional review, saying discussions should go beyond the proposed decentralisation of the Nigeria Police Force.
Mr Ojo expressed confidence that state legislatures would give the proposed amendments the necessary legislative attention, while urging lawmakers to organise public hearings to accommodate the views of citizens and stakeholders.
He also urged civil society organisations, the media and professional bodies to intensify public sensitisation on the constitutional review process, stressing that an informed citizenry would contribute meaningfully to reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s democratic and federal structures.
Also, Opeyemi Ajibola, the clerk of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, said the National Assembly had yet to transmit the bill on state police to the assembly for debate.
Mr Ajibola reiterated the assembly’s efforts to evolve legislation that would improve the living standards of the people and contribute significantly to the growth, progress, and socio-economic development of the state.
(NAN)
