Home / News / Local / Senate names Chairmen of zonal public hearings, states position on Constitution Review; Wants maximum punishment for rail line vandals 
Senate President, Ahmed Lawan

Senate names Chairmen of zonal public hearings, states position on Constitution Review; Wants maximum punishment for rail line vandals 

Senate President, Ahmed Lawan

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has said that the National Assembly holds no predetermined position on any issue of interest to Nigerians ahead of moves to amend the 1999 Constitution.

Lawan made this known during plenary on Wednesday, in his remarks after reading a letter signed by the Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to announce the chairmanship composition to oversee a two-day public hearing across the six geo-political zones on proposals to alter the provisions of the 1999 constitution.

According to Lawan, the exercise would avail Nigerians the opportunity to make submissions on any issue of interest, adding that the National Assembly on its part, would prioritize such issues to enhance the welfare and security of citizens.

He said: “Distinguished colleagues, this is a very important exercise for our country, and I’ll take this opportunity to appeal to all Nigerians who have one issue or the other  that they think the Constitution review of the senate should know and take note and address.

“It’s an opportunity to go to the Centre nearest to you. We are open, we are plain, we don’t have any preconceived or predetermined position on anything.

“The numerous issues that Nigerians feel should be addressed to make Nigeria better, to make citizens secure, and enhance the welfare of our people are topmost in our consideration.

“Because of this so important assignment, by this very important Committee of the Senate, the Senate will suspend plenary throughout next week.

“This is to enable not only the committee members, but the rest of us who are not even members of the Constitution Review Committee to participate in the exercise.

“Once again, we wish our committee on the review of the constitution the best of outing, and Nigerians should take every possible opportunity to be there to present whatever they feel strongly about on how this country could be better. [And] we are welcoming every suggestion and issue.”

The zonal public hearing on proposals to alter the provisions of the 1999 constitution, according to the Senate President, would commence next week and is scheduled to hold in two Centres in each of the six Geo-political zones in the country, from Wednesday 26th to Thursday 27th of May, 2021.

In North Central, the Jos Centres consisting of Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue States would be chaired by Senator Abdullahi Adamu; while the Minna Centre consisting of Niger, Kwara, Kogi and FCT is to be chaired Senator Abdullahi Sabi Aliyu.

The North-East Centre, which is split into the Bauchi Centre (Bauchi, Yobe and Borno); and Gombe Centre (Gombe, Taraba and Adamawa) are to be chaired by Senators Abubakar Kyari and Mohammed Danjuma Goje.

In the North-West, the Kaduna Centre which covers Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa and Katsina States, has as its Chairman, Senator Kabiru Gaya; and the Sokoto Centre covering Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States, to be chaired by Senator Muhammed Aliero.

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, is expected to chair the Owerri Centre which covers Imo and Abia States, while the second centre in Enugu to cover Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra states under the South-East Geo-political zone would be chaired by Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

In the South-South Zone, the Asaba Centre which caters for Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states has as its Chairman, Senator James Manager; while the Port Harcourt Centre covering Rivers, Cross River and Akwa-Ibom states would be chaired by Senator Betty Apiafi.

Additionally, the South-West zone has the Lagos Centre (to cover Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states); and the Akure Centre which caters for Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states.

Both Centres are to be chaired by Senators Oluremi Tinubu and Ajayi Boroffice, respectively.

Maximum punishment for rail line vandals 

In another development, the Senate called on the Federal Government and the relevant Security Agencies to ensure that those responsible for dismantling rail lines across the country are charged with economic sabotage, as well as dealt maximum punishment without option of fine.

This was just as the chamber urged the relevant authorities including the Nigerian Railway Corporation to engage the services of Local Security Guards along all the Railway Lines in the country.

These were resolutions reached after the upper chamber considered a motion on the “urgent need to curb the dismantling of the standard/narrow gauge rail lines by some disgruntled elements in Nigeria”.

Sponsor of the motion, Senator Buhari Abdulfatai (Oyo North), in his presentation, “notes that the railway boosted the Nigerian local content through employment of indigenous workers from the various ethnic groups in the country, and was therefore acknowledged as having a diversified work force;

“Aware that the Nigerian rail has been neglected for decades but in recent time, the government has stepped up the rehabilitation, revitalization, reinvigoration and construction of railways across the country;

“Acknowledges that the Warri-Itakpe standard gauge rail line was commissioned by President Mohammadu Buhari on 23rd September 2020 with freight services further commissioned on 16th April 2021;

“Considers that the rail transport system is the most cost effective, affordable, energy saving and environmentally friendly form of transportation;

“Also considers that the economic level of traffic can be consolidated to enable the railway provide efficient services for high density flows of homogenous traffic over relatively long distance, particularly the high volumes of containerized cargo or bulk freight such as oil and gas, coal, steel or agricultural products;

“Concerned that recently some unscrupulous persons damaged, vandalized and maliciously cut some portions of the newly constructed Warri-Itakpe rail line at about Kilometre 30 in Adogo, Kogi State;

“Aware that in Niger State, the Nigerian Police Force intercepted trucks loaded with tail tracks and pieces of rail sleepers along Kataeregi-Minna road;

“Alarmed that the newly completed Lagos-Ibadan rail line was vandalized in 2019 where clips, bolts and knots of the rail tracks were carted away;

“Further alarmed that the same incident of theft of rail clips that hold the sleepers and rail together happened in Zaria, Kaduna State, even as it would be recalled that in May, this year, a train loaded with water pipes from Lagos to Zaria derailed along Kanawa axis, opposite Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna due to vandals’ activities; and

“Worried that all the aforementioned rail vandalism can cause acute train mishap, resulting in loss of precious lives which is tantamount to murder and destruction of properties.”

Accordingly, the upper chamber urged the Federal Government, particularly the Federal Ministry of Transport and the relevant Security Agencies to ensure that the perpetrators, including the saboteurs are charged for economic sabotage with maximum punishment without option of fine.

It also urged the relevant authorities including the Nigerian Railway Corporation to engage the services of Local Security Guards along all the Railway Lines in the country.

The Senate also mandated its Committee on Police Affairs to liaise with the hierarchy of the Nigeria police Force (NPF) and the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to work out modalities towards regular patrol and surveillance of rail tracks within the country.

 

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