The House of Representatives has disowned a viral “bill” seeking the reintroduction of regional government among others in Nigeria.
The document which has gone viral on social media was tagged, ‘A Bill for an Act to Substitute the Annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with a New Governance Model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria’, the document proposes that Nigeria should return to regional government structure that would be led by a prime minister and his/her cabinet.
The bill also allows for individual ethnic groups to aggregate or disaggregate as provinces, divisions and districts while being in control of their affairs, as well as increase the tenure of the president from four years to 6 renewable term.
Reacting to the document, the House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi, said there was no such bill before the lower legislative chamber.
“The Committees on Rules and Business and Constitution Review have confirmed that there is no such bill before them,” Rotimi announced.
Similarly, the chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, said that the said bill was not before the committee.
He said, “There are two routes to making presentations for constitutional amendments.
“One is by members proposing an amendment bill during the plenary. The second is by memoranda from individuals and groups to the Constitution Review Committee.
“Please, note that memoranda submitted should eventually come by way of bills sponsored by a member of the committee.
“On this specific memo (draft bill) under reference, I doubt if it has come before the Rules and Business Committee for listing. I speak as chairman of the committee”, he said.
