The South-East’s citizens have called for a constitution that gives local governments nationwide complete power and permits rotating presidency.
They made the plea on Friday in Enugu during the Senate’s South-East Zonal Public Hearing on Review of the 1999 Constitution.
During the exercise, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah stated that the South-East placed a high value on the idea of rotating presidenc
According to the governor, the state thought that implementing a rotating president among the six geopolitical zones would give all regions, including the South-East, an equal opportunity to hold the nation’s top position.
Mbah noted that the concept would promote a stronger sense of national cohesion and belonging, as represented by Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, the Secretary to the Enugu State Government.
To ensure more representation and involvement at all governmental levels, we also suggest that governorships and legislative seats be rotated among districts and senatorial zones.
“To further enhance inclusivity, particularly for women, we advocate for one additional Senate seat per state for women and two additional House of Representatives seats per state for women.
“As a state, we advocate for three additional Assembly seats per state for women.
“This measure will significantly boost gender parity and ensure active participation of women in governance and in decision-making processes,” Mbah said.
The governor also called for institutionalisation of local government councils as a truly autonomous level of government.
According to him, the current practice where state governors appoint caretaker committees for LGs, instead of the council being run by elected representatives, hinder grassroots development.
In order to guarantee local governments’ democratic survival and give them direct access to their revenues from the National Consolidated Account, he continued, “we urge the committee to reinforce the 1999 Constitution.”
The governor also advocated for fiscal reforms, improvements, and legislative authority to provide the states more authority and funding.
He emphasized that the expansion and development of subnational entities had been hindered by the current concentration of authority at the center, which is a holdover from military dictatorship.
“States must be independent organizations with adequate authority and resources to improve the lives of their citizens in order for there to be a true federal system.”
Francis Nwifuru, the governor of Ebonyi State, advocated for the establishment of a new state in the southeast to level the playing field with other geopolitical regions of the nation.
Nwifuru also demanded that women be given reserved seats in politics, as represented by Mr. Moses Odunwa, Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
“All the parties will have female candidates to fill the void if a specific seat has been set aside for women,” he stated.
Government representatives, traditional leaders, non-governmental organizations, and civil society organizations attended the public hearing.
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