National Conference delegates on Wednesday demanded for states to have their own constitution that will address their peculiar complexities.
Both Mike Ozekhome and the Obasuyi of Benin Kingdom, Chief Charles Edosomwan, made the proposal known while speaking separately on the report of the Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government, which recommended that states, rather than geopolitical zones, should serve as federating units.
Edosomwan said that states should have their own constitution.
The legal luminary, who applauded the committee for doing a good job, said it was a shame to those who have seen nothing in the conference.
His words: “I praise the report of this committee, especially where they recommended that states rather than the geopolitical zones should be the federating units.
“But l want to suggest that states should be allowed to have their own constitution to tally with their state’s competence.”
Edosomwan, who supported the recommendation for the creation of an additional state in the South East geopolitical zone, also backed the adoption of a unicameral legislature, which representation he said must be on equity basis.
He said it would cut the cost of governance.
On the proposed modified presidential system, which mandates that 70 per cent of the cabinet members should come from legislature, Edosomwan stressed that it will make the executive representative in nature.
Ozekhome, who supported the position of Edosomwan, stressed the need for states to have their own constitution that will cater for their special needs.
He said: “The states as federating units should have their own constitution as was the practice in the First Republic where the three regions had their constitution.
“Even the Mid-western Region, which was created in 1963, had its own constitution.”
In the report of the committee, it was recommended that states should be the federating units and that a modified presidential system with 70 per cent ministers coming from the legislature should be adopted.
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