Anambra State House of Assembly on 26th July 2022 approved the 2022 constitution alteration bills transmitted to it by the National Assembly. Introducing the bills on the floor of the House, the Majority Leader Hon. Nnamdi Okafor representing Awka South 1 Constituency told the House that the National Assembly comprising the House of Representatives and the Senate had set up a committee that looked into the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. The committee after due consultations came up with 68 alterations. The alteration required that 2/3 of the houses of assemblies of all the states of Nigeria to concur with the amendments before they could form part of the constitution after been signed by the president.
According to the Majority Leader, the National Assembly has already done their part and has now transmitted to the state houses of assemblies the altered bills for approval. The Anambra State House of Assembly would take today to consider the bills for approval or rejection
The House was also required to carry out the approval by means of a resolution. It was required to go through each of the alteration and vote for rejection or approval. The Majority Leader subsequently moved a motion requesting the House revert to the “Committee of the Whole” to consider the bills. The motion was seconded by Hon. Onyebuchi Offor, representing Ekwusigo constituency and adopted forthwith.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Uche Okafor led the House through the “Committee of the Whole” to review the bills in turns. All 47 altered bills approved and transmitted to the Anambra State House of Assembly by the National Assembly were approved.
After going through the bills, the Speaker of the House Rt. Hon Uche Okafor, explained that the Fifth Alteration Bills of the 1999 Constitution as sent to the House by the National Assembly were adopted on Tues, 1st March, 2022 and Tues, 8th March 2022, by the Senate and House of Representative respectively. The adopted Alteration Bills were then transmitted to all states houses of assemblies in Nigeria with letters requesting approval by means resolutions. “On the Committee of the Whole,” of the Anambra State House of Assembly, the alterations have been considered one after another, during which members took turns to deliberate on the amendment. Eventually all the alterations bills as sent by the National Assembly have been adopted by the House.
The Majority Leader Hon Nnamdi Okafor, subsequently moved a motion calling on the House to adopt the resolution of all the alterations as read out by the Speaker to be passed as part of the constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria. The motion was supported by Hon. Ejike Okechukwu representing Aniocha II Constituency and adopted by the House. Finally, the majority Leader again moved a motion that the House be adjourned to reconvene on Thursday 28th of July, 2022 at exactly 10 am. The motion was supported by Hon Ejike Okechukwu and the session was adjourned.
