…As Sen.Ubah Kicks against exclusion of YPP
By Ignatius Okorocha
The Senate on Thursday announced the composition of a 56 – member Constitution review committee to handle all bills seeking for one alteration or another in the amendment of certain provisions of the 1999 Constitution .
The 56 – member committee as constituted by the President of the Senate , Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan , consists of eight principal officers who are to serve as steering committee within the larger committee, with a senator from each of the 36 States of the Federation and two senators from each of the six Geo-political zones .
Membership of the committee which is to be chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate , Senator Ovie Omo-Agege , are the Senate Leader, Abdullahi Yahaya , Deputy Senate Leader, Professor Robert Ajayi Boroffice.
Others include,Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha , Minority Whip, Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda and Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Sahabi Alhaji Yau’ .
Further composition of Membership of the committee per State , are Senators Theodore Orji ( PDP Abia Central), Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed ( APC Adamawa Central), Stella Oduah ( PDP Anambra North), Albert Bassey Akpan ( PDP Akwa Ibom North East) and Dauda Jika ( APC Bauchi Central).
Others are Senators Degi Eremienyo ( APC Bayelsa East), Gabriel Suswam ( PDP Benue North East), Abubakar Kyari ( APC Borno North), Gershom Bassey ( PDP Cross River South), James Manager ( PDP Delta South), Sam Egwu ( PDP Ebonyi North) , Mathew Urhoghide ( PDP Edo South ) and Bamidele Opeyemi ( APC Ekiti Central).
Also representing states in the committee are the former Deputy Senate President , Ike Ekweremadu ( PDP Enugu West) , Danjuma Goje ( APC Gombe Central), Rochas Okorocha ( APC Imo West), Muhammad Sabo ( APC Jigawa South West), Uba Sani ( APC Kaduna Central), Kabiri Gaya ( APC Kano South) and Ahmed Baba Kaita ( APC Katsina North).
Others are Senators Mohammed Adamu Aleiro ( APC Kebbi Central), Smart Adeyemi ( APC Kogi West), Sadiq Umar ( APC Kwara North), Oluremi Tinubu ( APC Lagos Central) , Abdullahi Adamu ( Nasarawa West), Sani Musa ( APC Niger East), Ibikunle Amosun ( APC Ogun Central), Nicholas Tofowomo ( PDP Ondo South), Bashiru Ajibola ( APC Osun Central) and Teslim Folarin ( APC Oyo Central).
Also on the list on State basis are Senators Dimka Hezekiah Ayuba ( APC Plateau Central), George Sekibo ( PDP Rivers East) , Aliyu Wammako ( APC Sokoto North) , Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf ( APC Taraba Central), Ibrahim Gaidam ( APC Yobe East) and Mohammed Hassan Gusau ( PDP Zamfara Central).
Those representing the zones on the committee are Sebators Bala Ibn Na’Allah ( APC Kebbi Sout ) and Ibrahim Shekarau ( APC Kano Central ) for the North West geo political zone .
For the North East Geo- political zone are Senators Kashim Shettima ( APC Borno Central) and Lawal Gumau ( APC Bauchi South).
Senators Lilian Ekwunife ( PDP Anambra Central) and Chukwuka Utazi ( PDP Enugu North), are to represent the South East Geo- political zone on the committee.
While Senators Eyinkenyi Etim ( PDP Akwa Ibom South ) and Rose Oko ( PDP Cross River North ) are for South South zone on the committee, Abdulfatahi Buhari ( APC Oyo North) and Biodun Olujimi ( PDP Ekiti South ) are for South West geo political zone .
For the North Central geo political zone are Senators Umar Tanko Almakura ( APC Nasarawa North) and Yakubu Oseni ( APC Kogi Central ) .
Reacting to the composition of the committee, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah( YPP Anambra South) protested against exclusion of a representative of his party from the committee, noting that the whole membership were drawn from the APC and PDP stuff which according to him, was unfair .
But the Senate President in his response , said the Committee composition was not based on party membership but on States and zonal basis.
” This composition is not about party affiliation but of equal representation from states and geo political zones, since the assignment before the committee is for the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians devoid of partisanship “, he said .
For the committee members , Lawan admonished them to be very patriotic in their conducts and activities , saying ” what is expected of you is to give Nigerians , constitution that will enhance stability , unity and enabling environment that will afford every Nigerian to actualise his or her dreams without let or hindrance “.
He therefore called on all Nigerians seeking for alteration in any of the provisions of the 1999 constitution , to submit their memoranda to the committee.
