CONSTITUTION REVIEW: Akure NSE Wants Executive Order 5 Incorporate Into Constitution among other items
By Collins Dupson
29th May, 2021
The Akure Branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers has proposed incorporation of Executive Order 5 to the constitution as an addendum to the proposal of the National body of NSE presented across the 12 centres of the Constitution Review.
The position paper submitted to the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on the 1999 constitutional review by the Nigerian Society of Engineers proposed amendment to a lot of issues of national interests at the Public Hearing held in Centre 2 of the Southwest Zone in Akure.
While presenting the paper at The Dome, the Akure Branch Chairman of NSE, Engr Ezekiel Oloruntola emphasized the need to incorporate the content of the Executive Order Number 5 which provided opportunity to indigenous Engineers, Local Contents in award of contract and anything relating to Engineering and Technological development for the advancement of the country into the constitution.
According to him, ” the Executive Order 5 as of today is not a law but if embedded into the constitution, the National Assembly will use it as oversight and ensure all government agencies respect local contents and indigenous Engineers in award of contract and anything relating to Engineering contents”.
In the proposal signed by the President of NSE, Engr Babagana Mohammed, part of listed matters for constitutional amendment includes gender equity and increased participation of women and vulnerable groups in governance.
” Preventing girls from being forced into early marriage, equality in the number of women serving in executive offices, parliament and position of leadership, stiffening punishment for physical or sexual abuse and violence against girls and women”.
The body demanded for Federal Structure in Governance and power devolution where federating units will be regional and states shall remain as administrative centres; jettison of Federal Character Principle and go for merit.
In line with popular demand, NSE proposed Local Government Administration and Local Government Autonomy where fund meant for Local Government should not go to the state but go direct to the local government and administered by the Board of Trustees.
Also, Public Revenue, Fiscal Federalism and Revenue Allocation should be amended, discarding the revenue sharing at the center; state government should be allowed to manage their resources and remit a certain percentage as royalty to the center.
NSE further demanded for constitutional provision for the establishment of state police, saying if state and community based security architecture is embedded into the constitution, the security challenges bedevilling the country will be resolved.
Judicial reform where time limit will be given for the complete resolution of court cases, room for alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and granting judiciary direct budgetary allocation at the Regional, State and Federal Level.
Electoral Reforms that will make INEC deliver transparent, credible, free and fair elections, political parties, independent candidature and election management; INEC should adopt the use of ATM cards by electorates to vote and the voting should be done 100% electronic online real time.
They also proposed abolition of State of Origin, Federal Character Principle saying every Nigerian shall exercise full citizenship where he lives and works.
“Other listed items for amendment were socio-economic right as contained in Chapter 2 of the constitution, removal of immunity for President, Vice President, Governor, Deputy Governor, Timeline for Assent of Bills and Passage of Appropriation Bill, state and local government creation( regional responsibility and local government funding and creation should be left to the states), Strengthening the independence of institutions, FCT administration.
The legislature and the legislative bureaucrac( unicameral legislature, part time lawmakers), constitutional roles for traditional rulers, Mandatory Universal Basic Education, ownership of television or wireless broadcasting station, equality and justice, referendum should be inserted, compliance with Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), expatriate (Nigeria First before any foreigners), Self reliant economy and anti corruption laws shall be on concurrent list to enable both the state and federal agencies to fight it.
NSE proposal stipulated that, there is no agency for engineering except COREN, thereby proposed that all engineering institutions to be headed by Engineers, an institution, agency or ministry should be created for Engineering headed by an Engineer General of the federation, charter status for the Nigerian Society of Engineers and key engineering MDAs to be headed by Engineers.
On the eutourage of the chairman to the public hearing were Engr O J Adegbola MNSE, Engr Adeyemi Adeyonu MNSE and Engr Segun Adepo MNSE.
