Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, has declared that the National Assembly is determined to deliver the first set of amendments to the 1999 Constitution before the end of the year, describing the effort as people-centred and time-bound.
Barau, who chairs the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, spoke at the opening of a two-day joint retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Constitution Review in Lagos.
During the session, lawmakers will consider 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustment proposals, and 278 local government creation demands. Barau stressed that the exercise allows clause-by-clause scrutiny to ensure credibility, inclusiveness and transparency.
“It has been a long journey to bring the Senate and House proposals together. We have spent two years engaging citizens, stakeholders, and institutions through town halls, public hearings, and consultations. The views harvested have shaped the bills and requests now before us”, he said.
He urged members to rise above partisan, ethnic, and religious considerations. “It is not going to be simple, but we can deliver. We promised Nigerians that the first set of amendments will reach the State Houses of Assembly before year-end,” he added.
Barau emphasised that the constitution is the foundation of Nigeria’s democracy and called for joint deliberations guided by national interest. “We are seated here as one Committee. There should be no ‘we’ and ‘them’. We must focus on what serves Nigerians best”, he said.
The retreat represents the most intensive phase yet of the 10th National Assembly’s constitutional review, which aims to address state creation, local government autonomy, resource control, gender inclusion and electoral reforms.
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