The South-west Governors Forum has proposed the conversion of
the six geopolitical zones into federating units.
The governors made the proposal in a document presented to
members of the national assembly from the south-west, as part of the review of
the 1999 constitution, THISDAY reports.
The document dated July 5, 2021, is titled ‘Proposals for
the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As
Amended): Presentation by South-West Governors’ Forum’.
The governors proposed an amendment to section 3(1) and (3)
of the constitution.
Section 3(1) of the 1999 constitutions states that there
shall be 36 states in Nigeria but the governors proposed that the section be
amended as a federation consisting of six geopolitical zones constituted from
the states.
At independence in 1960, Nigeria had three regions —
northern, western, and eastern.
However, states were created out of the regions and the six
geopolitical zones were delineated during the regime of Sani Abacha, late head
of state, in 1993.
“We propose that Section 3(1) be amended as a federation
consisting of six geopolitical zones constituted from the states. The
federating units or regions are divided into the following geopolitical zones:
North-West Zone, North-Eastern Zone, Middle – Belt Zone, South-East Zone,
South-South Zone, South-West Zone and the Federal Capital Territory,” the
proposal reads.
“Section 3(6) be amended to provide for a number of local
governments or such autonomous administrative units to be created by the
respective federating units or states, the criteria of which shall include
population, taxable capacity, ethnoreligious or other cultural and social
affinities.”
“Section 7 of the constitution be amended to include an
additional (sub)section prohibiting the dissolution of elected local government
councils.
“This will be in compliance with the Supreme Court decisions
in ALGON v. Oyo State Government; AG Plateau State & Others v. Goyol &
Others; Governor, Ekiti State v. Olubunmo & Others.”
The governors also proposed that section 8 (5) and (6) be
removed so that local government creation will be the exclusive duty of state
governors.
“Section 8(5) and (6) should be expunged. Section 8 (1) and
(2) provides for the procedures for creation of state while Section 8(3), (4),
(5) and (6) provides for the procedure for creation of local governments,” the
forum added.
“However, Section 8(5) and (6) should be expunged to make
local government creation the exclusive duty of the state government.”
The governors also sought the removal of section 29(4)(b),
which confers adulthood status on a married under-18 woman.
“Section 29(4)(a) and (b) contradict each other. While (a)
says ‘full age means the age of 18 years and above’, (b) says ‘any woman who is
married shall be deemed to be full of age’. This reinforces child marriage
which negates the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 and the Child’s
Rights Act 2003, which outlaws child marriage.”
The governors also want the states to be in charge of
mineral resources within their territories.
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