NIGERIA CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW: SPEECH DELIVERED BY ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI AT THE RETREAT ORGANISED BY THE SENATE AD HOC COMMITTEE

SPEECH DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY (DR.) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI, CON, PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AT THE RETREAT ORGANISED BY THE SENATE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW ON 17TH JUNE, 2016.

PROTOCOL

1. Distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, you would recall that in earlier this year upon the inauguration of this all important committee, I did make the point that the members of this committee had been arrived at in recognition of the enormity and solemnity attached to the exercise of constitutional review.

2. This is why the essence of this retreat cannot be overemphasized.

3. Since, independence, our nation has sought to develop for itself workable Constitution on which her unity can be perfected. Other nations have trodden a similar path. For instance, following the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War in 1776, the original 13 States of the United States of America operated an Article of Confederacy, a necessary but unwieldy document that institutionalized a central government. The Article lasted for 8 years before it was jettisoned for the current Constitution of the United States.


4. Constitution making has always been a challenging issue in any polity. Because it is expected to put together the aspiration, commitment, values and agreement of different communities, debates can be polarizing, contentious and in some cases conflictual. These defaults issues should be viewed as part of the process of building consensus and strengthening our democracy. As polarizing as these issues are, with robust engagement, inclusive participation and process-led initiatives we can resolve the contentions and agree on some of the issues.

Watch live Opening remarks of the retreat of the committee on the review of the 1999 constitution today 17-06-2016

Fulani herdsmen attack Gbise village in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, 7 killed.

Suspected Fulani herdsmen have attacked Gbise village in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, killing at least seven people. 

Gbise attack was after the killing of over 100 peoples in two seperate attacks on Vingir and Gawa, all in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area. Gbise was reduced to ashes in the latest attack. 

Its market and shops which spread across the Katsina-Ala-Takum Road were also torched.

The Nation’s senior correspondent in Taraba State, Fanen Ihyongo’s father, Joshua Ihyongo, fled the village days before the attack.

His cousin, Tavershima Shenge, who witnessed the carnage, said the assailants, numbering over 300, came in two batches with sophisticated weapons.

JUSTICE ADENIYI ADEMOLA’S RULING ON 37 APC LAWMAKERS IN HOUSE OF REPS: AT LAST OUR FEARS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED (Press Release)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APC CAUCUS PRESS CONFERENCE: 01 -04-2014

Yesterday, a Federal High Court Presided over by Justice Adeniyi Ademola handed down a ruling in which he restrained 37 APC members who joined our great party on December 18, 2013 from effecting the change of Leadership in the House of Representatives thereby granting the prayers of the Plaintiffs – the PDP in the suit.

For us in the APC, we were not surprised because in the course of the proceedings the same judge had earlier issued a preservative order as soon as the arguments against his jurisdiction in the case was taken. This was our first apprehension of the commencement of the case.

Our fears were further confirmed when the judge after granting the reliefs sought in the suit went ahead to render an opinion on issues that were not before him nor solicited by the plaintiffs.