Over 30 state governors storm national assembly, reasons, other details emerge

In a significant meeting aimed at advancing constitutional amendments, 36 state governors, alongside the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, have pledged their commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.

The discussions, held on Thursday, November 21, in Abuja, also focused on several national issues, including education reform and the integration of technology into governance.

36 Governors Meet National Assembly Leaders, Reasons Emerge
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The engagement, part of ongoing efforts to amend the 1999 Constitution, was initiated by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review.

During the meeting, Kalu emphasized the importance of collaboration between the National Assembly and the governors, proposing the creation of a "one-stop shop" framework to align state-level priorities with the national constitutional review process.

“We have had a robust discussion, and I must say the governors made valuable contributions and are in support of the constitutional review."We also informed them that we are going to visit their states and geopolitical zones to advance public opinion regarding the thematic areas of the constitution we are reviewing," Kalu said.

Kalu further disclosed that the committee had received approximately 161 areas for amendment, which will be broken down in future engagements.

Addressing Nigeria’s education challenges

In addition to constitutional matters, the meeting also addressed the ongoing challenges facing Nigeria’s education sector. Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, revealed that the forum led by Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, stressed the need for data and technology to improve education management systems.

The governors, alongside the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, discussed strategies to address issues such as out-of-school children and learning poverty, particularly in Nigeria’s North-East and North-West regions.

Key proposals included strengthening collaboration between the federal and state governments, improving girl-child education, integrating vocational training, and leveraging technology for better educational outcomes.

“The governors reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate with the Federal Government and development partners to align efforts towards achieving SDG4,” Governor Sani noted.

Tax bill excluded from discussion

While the meeting covered a wide range of issues, the proposed Tax Bill was not a focus of the discussions.

Kalu clarified that the governors were receptive to all aspects of the constitution being reviewed, though they did not place particular emphasis on tax reform.

“They informed us that the Tax Bill is currently before Parliament and will be critically reviewed and aligned with the wishes of the people we represent,” Kalu explained.

Source: Legit.ng