yBy; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
The Partnership to Engage Reform and Learn (PERL) has tasked community development champions (CDCs), media, women groups, people with disabilities and other stakeholders to lobby members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly to vote “YES” in favour of constitutional amendment for legislative and local government autonomy.
Speaking on a topic, “Brief Overview of the Constitutional Amendment Process, PERL State Team Lead, Abel Adejor said that for the bill is expected be passed by the Senate, comprising 72 Senators and House of Representatives, with 240 members as well as two third of the state assemblies, which is 24 out of 36 states.
“Reach out to your members of state houses of assembly, tell them to vote in favour of amendment of the constitution for autonomy for the legislative and local government areas.
“We must ensure we lobby all the key stakeholders.
“We are doing this to ensure we lobby members of our states assembly to vote yes,” he said.
Speaking further at the one-day session with stakeholders to influence the consideration and ratification of constitutional amendment in Kaduna on Thursday April 21, 2022, he said that out of the 68 bills advocated by PERL, only 44 passed and are set for amendments.
“44 out of the 68 bills passed for amendment, some were dropped, like that of state’s creation,” he said.
He said another important bill PERL is looking at is the legislature and legislative bureaucracy.
“The bill seeks to recognize the state’s assembly legislative service commission just like the civil service and judicial service commissions to provide operational modalities.
“PERL like in previous years, is working with critical partners and stakeholders to champion advocacy for the ratification of the critical bills by the state houses of assembly especially the bill that would increase functionality of the LG systems through financial and administrative Autonomy as well as other bills
“The media plays an important role in shaping and guiding discourse on constitution review and explaining how it affects citizens.
“This platform could generate healthy debate around constitution amendments, enable the legislature to be acquiesced of citizen preferences and increase political participation in a manner that deepens democracy,” he said.
