Why constitution review can’t commence immediately - Ekweremadu

Ike EkweremaduDeputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, is the Chairman, National Assembly Joint Committee on the Review of 1999 Constitution. In this interview with Taiwo Adisa, he declares the readiness of the National Assembly to break the jinx of failed constitution reform efforts in the country. He also speaks on the politics of the Senate and the relationship between his camp and that of the former Enugu State governor, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani. Excerpts:

ONE thing people are saying about the constitution amendment project of the National Assembly is that it is gradually becoming a state creation affair. There is that belief that people from the Southern part of the country are merely looking for how to get new states created to even with the North. There is also insinuation that you also have an interest in getting a state created out of the present Enugu State. Do you think the issue of state creation will not derail this exercise?
The constitution review, which the present National Assembly intends to embark on, is not focusing on state creation. We are only reacting to concerns of various Nigerians and groups that, having worked with the constitution between 1999 and now, it is time to look at various sections and see how we have fared and see what amendments could be made to deepen democracy; that is basically what we want to do.

We are not setting out to go and create states. If in the process, states are created, so be it. But I can tell you clearly that we are looking at a holistic picture; we are looking at the total picture where we are able to look at how far we have gone and see what amendments that are necessary to ensure that as we move on, we will be able to have a smooth sail.

But there is the insinuation that the Senate leadership, particularly the Senate president, you and the Senate leader are from the areas where the agitations for state creation are strongest and that the three of you are likely to make big influence in that direction?
I’m not aware of that because I’m sure there are people who are asking for a state in Kaduna and I’m aware that people are asking for states in other parts of the country. There are some people in Delta State that are also asking for a state.

So, it has nothing to do with where we come from and, of course, the clamour for constitution amendment did not come from three of us. So, I’m sure the media is aware that a lot has been said in terms of the need for constitution review.

I’m also aware that the media had on their own called for constitution review outside what other well-meaning Nigerians have done. Even the president and the Presidency have consistently said there is need for us to have another look at our constitution. So, to narrow it down to three persons who are in leadership is just mischievous. I don’t know what the creation of state will do for me, will do for the Senate president or the Senate leader.

The North has taken two steps in that regard recently; some traditional rulers recently announced a Committee on Constitution Review, the Northern Senators Forum has done the same. Are we not seeing a North/South dichotomy to this whole issue?
That’s commendable. In politics, we have tendencies. So, we expect that people should be able to articulate their needs. It will make our job much easier. If we have the views of Nigerians in respect of various issues that will arise, and then we see those who will be affected presenting their positions, we will use it to find a way to ensure that there is a balance and that we carry every part of the country along. So, I think it’s a welcome development.

A Northern senator recently threw up the issue of tenure elongation and he insisted that he was not just speaking for himself. Is there not a plan already to derail this exercise, following the pattern of the failed third term agenda?
The Senate has since replied to that. The chairman of Senate Committee on Information, Senator Ayogu Eze, has since dismissed that. He has stated clearly that the man was speaking for himself.

Are there no threats to this exercise?
Certainly not.

Why then is the exercise yet to take off halfway into the year?
Well, it has not because we are waiting for the House of Representatives to send in its nominees. Once that happens, the committee would be inaugurated and we are hoping and believing that very soon, the House will send in its own list and we will fix a date for the inauguration.

What duration do you think this whole exercise will take this time?
We are going to do something different this time and I hope that my colleagues in the committees will accept my proposal. My proposal is going to be quite clear: that we will not sit down and begin to look at all sections of the constitution and seek to amend them at the same time. So, I will make a proposal of step-by-step approach.

We will look at the issues. When we put all of them together, we will now articulate them into baskets and they have to range in accordance with priorities and the degrees of consensus arrived on some of those issues. So, we need to take them bit-by-bit. We can do the first amendment to cover certain demands or certain concerns.

When we finish with that, we can now have what we call the first amendment. When that happens, we can now look back to see the flaws in the process. That will enable us move to the next level where we will now make the second amendment to cover a set of issues. That will be my proposal to the committee.

Half way into the year, the budget issue is not settled. Is it that the 2008 budget has really ended in a stalemate?
There is no stalemate. We passed the 2008 Appropriation Act and that’s what we have.

But it has not been implemented?
That is a different kettle of fish. The important thing is that there is a budget in place and we expect that the executive will implement that exactly as we passed it.

You were part of the leaders who met the president when he said he had some reservations and that he would send in an amendment. What is happening to that agreement?
He said he would send an amendment, but up till now, we have not received the amendment and we don’t need to go and struggle with him to send us an amendment. When that comes, we will deal with it. But, for now, we have a budget in place and we can’t force the president to bring an amendment anyway, because there is a law already in place. He has the Appropriation Act to act upon. So, if he sends an amendment, which is within his powers, we will look at it and then deal with it in accordance with the agreements we reached.

You presented some bills recently to the Senate. There is one on national security and another on the state of the nation address, which had to do with the issue of the president visiting the National Assembly to present budgets. You said that was illegal. Is the Senate going to stop the president from making such presentations in the future?
That is the dynamics of politics and the dynamics of law. If you look at the provision of the constitution, all that the president is required to do is to send the Appropriation Act. He doesn’t need to come there (National Assembly).

There is no law that says he should come here. His coming here contravenes that provision of the constitution. What he needs to do is to send a minister to bring it before the National Assembly; the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively. The law does not require him to come.

So, in line with best practices all over the world, we are now coming up to fill this gap where we require the president to come once in a year to address Nigerians on the state of the nation and tell us what is going on, what has happened over the year and what is happening at present.

This is what we intend to do in the near future to tackle some of the challenges. Presidents or heads of government in Nigeria have used the presentation of the budget to do that. But, as I said, it is illegal. The correct thing for him to do is to send the Appropriation Bill.

But if, by this law, he is expected to present the budget alongside that address, then we must be seen to be complying with the law we are making, and we must also be in conformity with best practices; practices that endured over these years in much older democracies and that even much younger democracies have adopted. That means there is something good about them.

Can you let us into the outcome of the recent meeting held between the presiding officers of the National Assembly and the president?
We just had a meeting of current presiding officers and former presiding officers with the president and it was done behind the press; it was just a private meeting with him.

We have been having feelers around the Senate that following the ruling on the election in the Senatorial District of the former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, where the election of the Action Congress (AC)’s Senator Sati Gogwin was nullified, that there have been jitters in the Senate as for his coming. Are you aware of this?
There are no jitters in the Senate at all. Mantu is in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The election from his district has been annulled. So, there will be a fresh election. If he desires to contest, that is his right and we don’t have any problem with it. But my advice to him is not to bother contesting because, he had been a presiding officer and there is now another presiding officer in place. It is not good for him to now come and assume the role of a sitting member of the Senate; I don’t think that augurs well for his personality. But, as I said, that is for him to decide.

The crisis in the Enugu State chapter of your party, particularly the disagreement between the Ebeano family and the former governor, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, appears unending. What is happening now?
The issue of our congresses has been settled. The executive has been inaugurated and the chairman is currently going round local government areas, inaugurating the local governments and the wards executives.

So, the matter is now settled and I must advise the chairman to ensure that everybody is carried along. There is no winner and there is no loser; the more the people, the merrier for us. We are building a much bigger umbrella that will accommodate more people. So, Enugu is together.

What is the role of former Governor Nnamani in the current state of the party in Enugu State?
I said there is no problem. The party in Enugu State is stable.

Reports in the media have it that the incumbent governor, you and other political office holders have teamed up to outwit the political structure of the former governor. Is this true?
We don’t have any problem. The truth is that there is a governor, who is the chief executive in Enugu and there is also a former governor who is now a senator. So, I don’t think there is any conflict between them. Enugu, as I said, is together. We don’t have any problem between them. We are living peacefully as brothers. So, there is no problem whatsoever.

Have you had any instance or occasion to think that politics is not a worthy venture?
Like every other human endeavour, it has its own frustrations. In politics, you see people who would tell you one thing and then go and do another thing; people you’ve reached some level of agreements and some consensus with, only for them to do a different thing; people you believe are honest, but tomorrow, what come out of their mouths and actions would betray every assessment you had of them. So, those are some of the frustrating aspects that, sometimes, you begin to wonder whether it’s worth it.

There are so many disappointing things you meet in politics. But as I said, it’s just like every other thing we do in this world. It has its own frustrations and we have to live with it.

There have been political leaders from the Southeast who were also leaders of Nigeria. Do you pattern your politics after any of these figures?
We’ve had very great leaders in Nigeria who are worthy of emulating, and as we say, Zik (Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe) was one of them. For us, we need to build bridges across all parts of this country, make friends just like the late Zik did and, of course, people like Chief Obafemi Awolowo who was very conscious of issues.

Some of us believe that we need to deal with issues instead of dealing with personalities and accusing one another of all kinds of atrocities. So, it should be issues-based; it should be issues-driven and, of course, it should be development-driven, just like Awolowo believed. So, these are some of the people, and, of course, there have been other great Nigerians who showed examples in their different places of endeavour. As far as I’m concerned, these leaders are worthy of emulation. They are role models for those of us who are just growing up.

As the highest political officer in the Eastern zone, how are you carrying the people along?
Well, it’s for them to answer and not me. They should answer that question. But I think I’m doing my best. So, it’s for them to decide. The best judge of human conduct is history and conscience. My conscience is satisfied that I’m doing my best. So, I await the verdict of history.

What is happening to the Southern Senators Forum?
I think that very shortly, it will come back on stream. I don’t think Southern senators would want to react because another group has emerged. We don’t want to be seen to be competing and we don’t want the Senate to be seen as divided between the North and South. If Southern senators decide to meet, it’s just to ensure that matters of crucial interests are discussed, not as a challenge to anybody. That is why, deliberately, there has not been any conscious effort to make progress in terms of commencing operations once more.

Wasn’t it in operation in the last Senate?
Yes, it was. When the Northern senators started all over again, some of us believed that if there is any quick setting up or commencement of action, it would be like a reaction and we don’t want the Senate to move in that kind of direction. But I’m sure that in a very short while, they will also come together to contribute to national debate.