Constitution review: Taxpayers’ N4bn wasted, as Senate fails to override Jonathan’s veto

Four billion naira (N4 billion) of taxpayers’ money spent by the seventh National Assembly in amending the 1999 constitution has gone down the drain, as efforts by the Senate to override President Goodluck Jonathan’s veto on Wednesday hit a dead end.

Although the matter was listed as first reading on the order paper of Tuesday and Wednesday’s session, respectively,

it was, however, deferred to another legislative day.

Findings by BusinessDay revealed that at N1 million per cottage industry, the N4 billion is enough to create 4,000 industries in the country, with 108 small scale industries each in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Recall that a seven-member Supreme Court panel led by Chief Justice Mahmud Mohammed had last Thursday fixed June 18 for further hearing on the case by which the tenure of the seventh Assembly would have ended.

Jonathan had withheld his assent to the 4th Alteration Bill to the 1999 Constitution, citing alleged breaches of Section 9 of the same constitution.

He then followed up his refusal by dragging the National Assembly to the apex court in a suit filed by the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Mohammed Adoke.

But speaking after Wednesday’s closed door session which lasted for over two hours, Senate President David Mark who presided over plenary stressed that as lawmakers they will not be lawbreakers.

Mark, who also doubles as chairman of the National Assembly, however, warned the executive not to take the legislature for granted.

Victor Ndoma-Egba, Senate leader, thereafter moved that the item be moved till another legislative day, assuring that the red chamber would “do the needful”.

But speaking with journalists after plenary, Ndoma-Egba denied report that N4 billion was spent on the exercise. He, however, did not disclose how much was spent but referred the question to Ike Ekweremadu, the chairman, Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.

He said the upper chamber would vigorously challenge the order of the Supreme Court as soon as possible,insisting that contrary to the claims of the executive, the legislature met the constitutional votes requirement of four-fifth.

The senator also expressed suspicion that the president may have signed the original copy of the constitution into law following his decision to send the photocopy of the document to the legislative House.

“We have legal options and the legal options are to vigorously challenge the order of the court which was made exparte. It was made without us being put on notice. I believe we can get the court to quickly determine that and we intend to pursue that option as soon as possible.

“There was a resolution taken on the floor of the Senate for the original copy of the bill to be returned. That resolution has been communicated to Mr. President and commander-in-chief and up till now, we haven’t gotten
back the original.”