Report on constitution review to be ready by early 2021 — Omo-Agege

The standing Committee of the Senate on the review is the 1999 Constitution has commenced work, with the aim of presenting its report to the Senate at the end of the first quarter of 2021.

The Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, made this known on Thursday at the first panel meeting where he presented the work plan proposed for the input of lawmakers, Punch newspaper reports.

The work plan, he said, is the panel’s road map aimed at presenting its report to the Senate plenary by March 2021.

“We have collated previous reports such as the 2014 Constitutional Conference Report and the El-Rufai’s report on restructuring, which are being analysed. And bills already submitted by federal lawmakers would be considered,” Punch quoted him saying.

Mr Omo-Agege, who chairs the committee, said the panel held two meetings on February 26 and June 3, to work out the modalities for carrying out the assignment.

“Among the major fallout or outcome of the meetings were that the El-Rufai report on restructuring and the 2014 Constitutional Conference report were recommended to be part of the committee’s working documents, which has been obtained by the secretariat of the committee for duplication and circulation to members,” he added.

The Senate had, in February, constituted the 57-member committee to undertake the task. The panel comprises all principal officers as members; one senator from each state and two senators selected to represent each geo-political zone in the country.

The committee is expected to deliberate and review all bills that seek to alter the constitution.