By Our Reporters, 02.24.2006

But the JCRC Chairman, Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu, assured Nigerians that his committee had no hidden agenda and that the resolutions to be adopted would represent the views of the people on the contentious issues.
But the public hearings in all the zones disolved into secret meetings yesterday as proponents of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term plan lost out at the hearings. (The secret meetings THISDAY sources said were held to strategise on the way forward.
North-East
Despite opposition to the idea, civil society groups, governors of the North East geo-political zone have recommended the amendment of the constitution to extend the tenure of the President and the state governors.
At yesterday’s hearing, Nyame who was the only governor to make the state submission argued that since he had won election to govern the state three times, he was best placed to recommend the amendment to the constitution. He, therefore, suggested that the tenure of the president and state governors be extended to a two term of five years each.
Except the Adamawa State Governor, Mr. Boni Haruna, who neither made an appearance nor sent a representative to the two-day public hearing for the North East zone held at Maiduguri, THISDAY gathered that Alhaji Sherrif Modu Alli of Borno State, Alhaji Muazu Adamu of Bauchi, and Alhaji Danjuma Goje of Gombe state advocated a third term in their presentations which were not read to the public.
Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Abba Ibrahim, in his presentation on the first day of the public hearing had suggested that the clause stipulating two terms of four years each that is currently in the constitution should be expunged so that no tenure will be fixed for the President and the governors.
Similarly, the Deputy National Vice Chairman of the PDP North East, Mr. Paul Wanpana, joined the governors to push for the third term option arguing there was need for continuity and sustainability of the country’s democracy.
Wanpana, whose remarks were punctuated with loud shouts of No! No! No! from the delegates, said he had the mandate of his party and the governors from the zone to present a proposal that the government and people of the zone supports third term. He announced, “they (governors) have made a case to continue because of their performance but that the people should vote them out if they fail in their promises through a democratic process.”
But representatives of civil societies and most of the individuals who made presentations yesterday opposed the option for an extension of tenure for the president and the state governors.
Alhaji Abdulkadir Mijin-yawa from Bauchi State, in his presentation said “We oppose any attempt to review or alter the 1999 constitution for now. It has not been allowed to work and six years is too short a time to discover genuine shortcomings. The framers of the 1999 Constitution did not envisage king-presidents."

South-west
In Osogbo, the event in the South-west geo-political zone ended with most of the individuals and groups, including Yoruba Council of Elders vehemently opposing the third term plot for the President and the governors in their presentations.
Yesterday's session was devoid of the glamour that characterised the opening event on Wednesday as people who commented on the exercise argued that unlike the first part of the event, it was the original public hearing, because it presented the people with the opportunity to air their own views.
The venue, however, became charged when human rights activist, Mr. Bamidele Aturu attacked the governors of the South-west who canvassed the amendment of the constitution to accommodate third term.
Aturu who stood up to represent the association of labour lawyers and coalition of civil society organisations, lambasted the governors, saying, "I sympathise with you governors here . I know that all of you have been handed to the Economic and (Financial Crimes Commission) EFCC. That is why you support third term."
The comment of Aturu hit the governors, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume who presided and the entire participants, most of whom okayed third term for President Obasanjo and governors.
Aturu, vexed by an attempt to shout him down, said the entire programme had been rehearsed while the entire auditorium was thrown into pandemonium until the time allotted to him expired and he had to leave the stage without being allowed to express his views.
Aturu, while condemning the entire exercise, described it as a charade. "You see, these are PDP people. When the President went to Abeokuta, they were all dancing. For me, it is immoral, it is unconstitutional for anybody to say that except a 70 year old man rule Nigeria, Nigeria can't progress.
"The truth is that these governors are being hounded by the EFCC to support third term and I stand by that. Their records are unclean. They can sue me, if they want. I'm opposed to this and I want it to be known to the whole world that there are people in the South-west who are opposed to this charade," Aturu said.
On its own part, the Yoruba Council of Elders, (YCE) yesterday dissociated itself from the purported support for the review of the constitution to accomondate a third term office for the present political office holders in nigeria
YCE after a stormy debate in Ibadan yesterday dissociated the council from the paper presented by its secretary general, Dr Kunle Olajide, during the Constitution review conference held in Osogbo last Wednesday where YCE was said to be in support of the Third term agenda
The Council's President, Major General Adeyinka Adebayo said yesterday in Ibadan that the Council was not in support of the third term agenda. The YCE position contradicted the position of the South west political office hoilders who canvassed for the third term in office during the conference in Osogbo.
The council in its communiqué issued at the end its emergency Central Working Committee meeting in Ibadan signed by Adebayo emphasized that YCE stands by the two term for President and governors as stipulated by the 1999 constitution.
Said he "YCE hereby categorically states that its position of two terms in any executive position of government for governors and president as enunciated in the 1999 constitution remains unchanged and is hereby reaffirmed".
According to YCE, its position on the two term agenda was firm and such be taken as the authentic stand of the council on the issue.
In Oshogbo, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, who represents the Lagos West senatorial district, described Wednesday's event as an organised one by both the federal and the state governments, all in an alleged pursuit of the third term plot. He added that only the individuals and groups who presented memoranda yesterday represented the feelings of the people on the third term agenda.
Speaking on behalf of Yoruba Ward in the South-west, Mr. Ade Osuntoyinbo said the third term agenda was uncalled for, asking: "Why do we need to extend the tenure of the President? The constitution is explanatory enough. We 've seen enough prejudice in the system. Political sentiment must be cast out," he said.
While presenting his memorandum on behalf World Farmers' Association of Nigeria, Ogun State chapter, Chief Femi Coker, who asked for the inclusion of the allocation of 15 per cent of the annual budget to agriculture, in the proposed amendment to the constitution, condemned the National Assembly's approach to the review exercise, saying "the issue of one personality has been brought into this review. Let the people of Nigeria decide what they want. Tying the review of the constitution to one personality is diversionary."
The National Conscience Party (NCP), represented by Alhaji Waheed Lawal lamented the high degree of poverty ravaging the land and canvassed the suspension of the review exercise till the next tenure of government.
According to him, in as much as the President and governors swore to an oath to uphold the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates two terms of four years, reviewing the constitution at this time to accommodate a fresh term amounts to a breach of the oath they swore to, stressing that "two terms of four years is enough for them."
In his closing remark, Hon. Bawa Bwari who presided over the exercise assured participants that the National Assembly would ensure that the wishes of the masses form the basis for the emergence of a reviewed constitution.
Meanwhile, about 32 persons including the leader of United Action for Democracy (UAD), Comrade Abiodun Aremu arrested by the Police on Wednesday, over anti-third term protest were still being detained yesterday.
Reacting to the development, the Oranmiyan group of Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the state condemned the arrest and called on the police to forthwith release the detainees or charge them to court. Also, Afikuyomi condemned the brutal act of the police, who stripped the protesters naked and tied them with their own dresses, saying it was never that bad during the regime of the late General Sani Abacha.

North-Central
In less than one hour, the public hearing on the review of the 1999 constitution holding in Lafia, Nassarawa State for the North Central geo-political zone ended following the dismally low turn out of people to the venue.
Outside the Governor of Nassarawa State, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu and the National Assembly members of the Senator Iyabo Anisulowo-led constitution review committee who arrived the venue of the sitting at about 10:30 am, not more that 100 people attended yesterday's short-lived sitting.
The few people who made presentations had only five minutes to make their contributions. Like Wednesday, the presenters who criticised tenure extension or third term attracted the regulation bell signaling the end of their presentation.
But Governor Adamu in response to a question on the absence of his colleague governors from the zone, affirmed that the exercise was a civic responsibility which did not require mandatory attendance of his colleagues.
"One, it is a civic responsibility. There is nothing compelling anybody or any senator, businessman or farmer from attending any public hearing. If you do not want to attend, it is not compulsory. If you are going to vote tomorrow, you can decide to vote tomorrow or not. Nobody is going to force you to vote. It is the same way that nobody is going to ask any governor why he did not come", he said.
Adamu added "but as a leaders, we have a moral responsibility and we must pass that moral pedestal to show example to our followers and you teach a lot of people and they learn from it. I also do not deceive myself that there are grumbles here and there by some of my colleagues, you cannot take that away from them, they have the right to think the way they want to think", he said.
In his closing remarks, Senator Patrick Osakwe representing Delta State commended the governor for the security arrangement during the exercise in spite of the pre-event security report.
"You will agree with me that we are doing our national duty. Our job as lawmakers is to either amend an existing law or make a new one. This is an example of participatory democracy. It is us and the people that should amend the constitution and at the end of the day, you will see what we will come out with. It is not something you dump in the dustbin", he said.

South-south
As the hearing on the review of the constitution in the South-south geo-political zone ended yesterday in the Rivers State capital, Port Harcourt, the Chairman of the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu said the National Assembly would remain as transparent as possible in handling all issues relating to the review of the 1999 Constitution.
Mantu who gave the assurance yesterday while speaking at the South-south zonal public hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution held in Port Harcourt, said those holding the wrong notion that there was a hidden agenda underlining the exercise should better do a rethink.
Mantu explained that all the processes involved in the amendment exercise were being done under the full glare of the public with the National Assembly acting as unbiased umpire.
He said when the report would be taken to the National Assembly the process would also be conducted in the open, stressing that their interest is to give Nigerians an enduring Constitution that would enhance and promote democracy in the country.
“The time has come for us to remove all those clauses that still have traces of military handover in the Constitution”, Mantu said and thanked the people of the South-South Geo-political zone for conducting a well attended, most organized and very peaceful public hearing and for showing what he called “sufficient interest” in the exercise.
Mantu told the people of the zone that they have the inalienable right to decide how they should be governed, emphasising that the issue of control of resources must be in the constitution. According to him, the constitution review exercise has given the people of the zone the opportunity to say how much they want to have and how much to be given to others, saying that such an understanding was bound to engender peace and unity in the country.
Mantu, who maintained that if the abundant human and natural resources were managed prudently, poverty would have no place in Nigeria, added that the responsibility for Nigerians now was to fashion a constitution that would be truly Nigerian in content.
In his remarks, the Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili, told members of the committee to adequately reflect the views of the people of the South-south geo-political zone in the report to be submitted to the National Assembly, particularly the issue of resource control.
“Every speaker after speaker has made it clear to you that the issue of resource control is very dear to the hearts of the people”, the governor stressed, contending that their position is borne out of the God-fearing nature of the people.
He explained that the people’s absolute belief in God has given them the conviction that by being kept in the area with such a difficult and harsh terrain, God also decided to put the resources there to ameliorate their difficulties, insisting that in line with the aspiration of the people, God’s intention for them must be reflected in the upcoming constitution.
The Cross River State Governor, Mr. Donald Duke, while aligning himself with the position of some states in the zone on the three terms of four years for President and governors, contended that the argument should not be on tenure but on consistency and sustainability in governance.
Duke noted that the greatest pitfall in the Nation’s Constitution was the complete adoption of the American constitution without regards to the social economic development of both countries and enjoined Nigerians to look for a model that is most suited to its present circumstances.
Delta State governor also made a presentation proposing third term for President and governors.

South-East
Requests for where the additional state recommended for the South East zone by the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) would be located in the zone dominated the memoranda presented on Thursday at the public hearing of the Sub-Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution at Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital.
In his presentation, President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Prof. Joe Irukwu, said the creation of an additional state for the zone would make for equity and fairness among all the six zones in the country.
While Irukwu would not be drawn to the argument about location, Senator Arthur Nzeribe, representing Orlu Senatorial Zone of Imo, canvassed that the additional state should be carved out from Imo and Anambra and called Orashi State. But Enugu State Deputy Governor, Mr. Okechukwu Itanyi, said the new state, he said should be named Adada State should be carved out from the Nsukka area of his state.
Meanwhile, delegates from Abia and Anambra states, also canvassed that the proposed state should be carved out from their states and named Aba or Ihiala respectively.
Former Senate President, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, in his memorandum requested for the creation of Equity or Etiti state from the five existing states in the zone. According to him, “Equity state is neither an agitation nor a movement. It represents the consciousness for equality, progress, peace and development.”
He said the proposed state should be centrally located with each of the five states of the South East contributing a part of the new state. He suggested that the whole or part of Awgu Division should be taken from Enugu; Okigwe from Imo; Isikwuato from Abia, Orumba from Anambra and Ohaozara from Ebonyi state.
Adding weight to Anyim’s proposal, the National Vice President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ozichukwu Fidelis Chukwu supported the creation of the Etiti state, but said that it should not be called Equity state; rather it should be known as Obigbo state.
He said that the proposal for additional state in the South East is not an agitation for state creation, but the resolution of Nigerians who agreed at the NPRC that Ndigbo have been shortchanged, adding that is when the new state is created in this part of the country, “we will have a sense of belonging and we will know that the South East is part of this country.”
However, other groups in the South East advocated for the new state to be carved out from their own states, instead of each of the five states contributing a part to make up the new state.
For instance, the Adada State Movement from Enugu state wanted the new state to be located in the Enugu North Senatorial zone comprising Nsukka, Isiuzo, Udenu, Igboetiti, Igoeze and Uzouwani local government areas.
But Aba people in Abia state insisted on the actualization of the creation of Aba state, which agitation was started by the late Jaja Nwachukwu, pointing out that the state was among the state listed for creation in 1983 by the then National Assembly.