· Senator lekan Mustapha -member

· State creation, derivation formula/revenue allocation amongst discussion

Eight principal officers and five former state governors were among 37 senators announced yesterday by the Senate, as members of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review (JCCR).

The House of Representatives is also to contribute 37 members into the Committee, which will operate under the chairmanship of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, while the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Usman Bayero Nafada is to be the Deputy Chairman of the Committee. The committee is saddled with the sole responsibility of proposing amendments to the 1999 Constitution and to collate views of all stakeholders on aspects of the Constitution that requires amendment and/or review.

There had been calls for the amendment of provisions in the Constitution bordering on such issues as removal of the immunity clause, state creation, and rotational presidency. Others are provision of constitutional role for the traditional institution, the derivation formula/revenue allocation and the Joint State-Local Government Account, amongst others.

The proposed amendments, which will eventually be presented to the floors of both chambers, shall be consequent upon collation of input from all Nigerians who will be given the opportunity of submitting memoranda to the committee at its scheduled public hearings in the six geo-political zones of the country.

Senate President, Senator David Mark, at yesterday’s plenary, said the Committee was constituted on the basis of one senator per state.
Other members of the Committee are, the Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin (Oyo State), Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, (Cross River State), Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mahmud Kanti Bello (Katsina State), Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Mana (Adamawa State), Minority Leader, Senator Maina Ma’aji Lawan (Borno State), Minority Whip, Senator Ahmed Rufai Sani (Zamfara) and Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora.

Former governors who made the committee include, among others, Senator Saminu Turaki (Jigawa State), Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi State), Senator Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna State) and former Katsina State Military Administrator, Senator Joseph Akaagerger (Benue State).

Other members are Senators Lekan Mustapha ( Ogun State ), Iyiola Omisore ( Osun State ), Femi Kila ( Ekiti State ), Gbenga Ogunniya ( Ondo State ), Nkechi Nwaogu ( Abia State ), Joy Emodi ( Anambra State ) and Julius Ucha (Ebonyi Sate).

Also in the committee are, Senators Osita Izunaso ( Imo State ), Effiog Dickson Bob ( Akwa-Ibom State ), Heineken October Lokpobiri ( Bayelsa State ), Patrick Osakwe ( Delta State ), Ehigie Edobor Uzamere ( Edo State ) and Lee Maeba ( Rivers State ).

The remaining members are Senators Gada Abubakar Umar (Sokoto), Muhammed Adamu Bello ( Kano State ), Tawar Umbi Wada ( Gombe State ), Joel Danlami Ikenya ( Taraba State ) Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan ( Yobe State ), Suleiman Nazif ( Bauchi State ) Smart Adeyemi ( Kogi State ), Gbemisola Saraki ( Kwara State ), Awaisu Kuta ( Niger State ), Gyang Dalyop Dantong ( Plateau State ), Abubakar Sodangi ( Nasarawa State ) and Adamu Sidi Ali (FCT

(Article from This day Newspaper 9th may 2008)