Over 200 bills for amendment to 1999 Constitution received- Kalu

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Special Committee for the reviewof the 1999 Constitution, Hon. Benjamin Kalu has disclosed said that the House has received over 200 bills seeking further alterations of the Constitution of Nigeria.

Kalu made the disclosure on Friday, at the commencement of a 2-day retreat for members of the constitution review committee of the House holding at Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.

He said that the bills reflect the collective commitment to refining governance in Nigeria, with some of them progressing to the second reading stage and others remaining at the first reading at the moment.

“Distinguished colleagues, currently we have 151 House bills before us. But I’m sure these numbers are the last count before the recent additions. My office has been told that there are about 250 constitutional amendment bills that will pass through the House for this committee. This bills reflects our collective commitment to refining governance in Nigeria.

“While some have progressed to the second reading stage, others remain at the first reading stage. But it is our intention that by the time we are done with our conversation during this retreat, that we progress those bills at the first reading stage for them to be given expedited hearing.

“The compilation process has revealed instances of duplication—whether by sponsors or overlapping subject matters. This necessitates meticulous harmonization to streamline efforts and

eliminate redundancy. To aid our analysis, bills have been categorized into thematic areas, and our consultants have conducted thorough reviews, offering insights to guide prioritization.

“The thematic areas include: Federal Structure and Power Devolution,

Local Government/Local Government Autonomy, Public Revenue,

Fiscal Federation, Revenue Allocation, Nigerian Police and Nigerian Security Architecture, Comprehensive Judicial Reforms, Electoral Reforms, Gender Issues, Human Rights, and State creation”.

Kalu also said that the committee has received 31 requests for state creation, saying however that none of the applications met the constitutional  requirements, prompting an extension of the submission deadline to March 5, 2025 to enable the applicants to fulfill the relevant provisions.