By Haruna Salami
Electoral Hub, a non governmental organisation, NGO has advocated increased women representation, electoral reform, local government autonomy, judicial reform and increased independence of public institutions in a memorandum submitted at the national public hearing of the Senate Committee on the review of the 1999 constitution in Abuja Thursday.
Speaking on the memorandum, the founder and team leader, Princess Hamman Obels applauded the 9th National Assembly for their initiative in organising the public hearings on constitution review.
Electoral Hub is a multidisciplinary strategic think-tank which seeks to provide solutions to improve the credibility and integrity of the electoral process.
The memorandum demanded among others that “the appointment of INEC commissioners should be done by an independent body rather than the president, political aspirants should be allowed to contest elections as independent candidates, definite terms and tenures of local government councils should be provided for in the Constitution, state independent electoral commission, SIECOM Commissioners should be appointed by an independent body, and their funds paid directly to them.
The memorandum also said “revenue should be allocated directly to the local governments rather than states, while courts and tribunals should be prevented from determining disputes related to electing members of parties’ executive committees, their principal members, or other governing bodies, the Auditor-General should be appointed by the Federal Civil Service Commission, rather than the President, the Office of the Attorney-General should be separated from the Ministry of Justice, and the Attorney-General should be appointed by the National Judicial Council rather than the President”.
Obels expressed optimism that these alterations to the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria will promote the unity and good governance of the Nigerian nation.
