An NGO, Yiaga Africa has held a one-day roundtable to sensitise residents of Kaduna State to participate in the ongoing public hearing on constitutional review and electoral reform by the National Assembly
The State Coordinator of Yiaga Africa, Ms Gloria Bulus spoke on Monday in Kaduna at the event tagged: “Citizen’s Roundtable on the Constitutional Review and Electoral Reform.’’
Bulus recalled that the Senate had scheduled May 26 and May 27 for zonal public hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution.
She explained that the roundtable, with support from European Union (EU) was to enable citizens and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at the state level to effectively engage the public hearing and the review process.
“As an organisation working to support democracy in Nigeria, the key issues for us in the review is the inclusion of women representation and vulnerable group participation in governance.
“We are also concerned on local government and autonomy, federal structure of governance and devolution of power, electoral reform, and social economic right.
“We want citizens in Kaduna State to know what the issues for the public hearing are, issues for citizen’s to focus on and the modalities for participation in the public hearing.
“The citizens also need to know how to make a difference by participating in the public hearing and engage the amendment process effectively.
“We hope that the review process will reflect the wishes and desire of Nigerians,’’ Bulus said.
Dr Rakiya Shonekan, the Executive Director, Women and Youth Awareness Empowerment Network, said that the meeting would enable citizens to prioritise issues to engage the electoral reform process.
According to Shonekan, this is critical to developing strategies that can be deployed to ensure that the National Assembly passes the electoral reform bill.
She stressed the need to build solidarity for effective post constitutional review public hearing and electoral reform engagement.
“This will enable the mobilisation of citizens to demand speedy passage of electoral amendment bill and constitution review when State Assemblies commenced vote on proposed amendment,’’ she added.
Mrs Lilian Ilechuku, a legal practitioner, noted that governance and the electoral process in the country was in shamble because citizens kept quiet.
According to her, the public hearing has presented an opportunity for citizens to articulate issues to make their voices count and create the change they want.
On his part, Mr Abel Adejor, State Team Lead, Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn, said that the meeting was for citizens to articulate issues they would present at the public hearing.
Adejor said that 17 issues had been identified for the public hearing and urged the citizens to articulate their issues.
He identified some of them as gender equity, federal structure and devolution of power, public revenue, fiscal federalism and revenue allocation, state police, judicial and electoral reform.
Adejor said that others were residency as indigeneship, immunity, constitutional role for traditional rulers, legislature and legislative bureaucracy, states and local government creation, socio-economic rights and independence of critical institutions. (NAN)
