Senate Deputy President Barau Jibrin  said yesterday that Nigeria now has an opportunity to produce  a constitution that meets the wishes and aspirations of the people.

He said the 10th  National Assembly was poised to do just that.

Jibrin who doubles as Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, spoke at a joint retreat for the NASS  secretariat staff and consultants to enhance the successful consideration and ongoing process of amending of the Constitution in Abuja.

 Both chambers of the  National Assembly are already receiving  memoranda on amending  the provisions of the  Constitution.  

Currently, 40 Constitution alteration bills are before the two chambers for their consideration.

 Both the Senate and House of Representatives have tentatively fixed December 2025 for the completion of the assignment. 

The ongoing exercise to amend the constitution is to give more power to  the states.

 The last alteration deleted power, correctional facilities and railways from the exclusive list. Those items were moved to the concurrent list. With the alteration, both federal and state governments can now legislate on these matters.

 The issue of state policing is expected to top the priority of both chambers in view of clamour that establishment of state police would help curb rising insecurity across the country. 

The House of Representatives had also said it would revisit some of the alteration bills rejected during the last exercise especially those dealing with gender and women issues as well as creating a role for traditional rulers in the governance of the country.

 In his remarks at yesterday’s  retreat, Jibrin called for collaboration among all stakeholders to drive the ongoing constitution amendment process to a successful conclusion.

 Barau, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, commended the synergy between the constitution review secretariat and consultants to the Senate and House of Representatives committees, saying this would engender harmony in the workings of both committees.

 He pledged  that the National Assembly would carry out the review  of the constitution  through a thorough aggregation of the yearnings of  Nigerians from all walks of life through public hearings and collection of memoranda from various interests throughout the country.

He said the committees would also embark on a  progressive engagement with state governments and legislatures and the federal government to achieve consensus on all issues.

 Barau said: “We must work together. Our country is facing a lot of challenges and this is the right time to fashion out a constitution that will go in line with the wishes and aspirations of the people of this country.

 “The world is dynamic and this compels all serious countries to go  with modernity and fashion their laws in accordance with contemporary happenings within their peculiarities.

“We have started on a progressive note of collaboration and let us add momentum to this very important collaboration within our ranks in order to achieve a result that will help in driving the process of making prospective peace, justice and fair play in the way we run our affairs as a nation.”