Skip to main content

The Minority Leader House Of Reps Calls For Removal Of Section 44 (3) of Constitution To Restructure Nigeria


Hon. Leo Ogor (PDP-Delta) said section 44 (3) of 1999 Constitution must be expunged for the country to be restructured. Ogor, in an interview on Friday in Abuja, said that removal the section from the Constitution would ensure that challenges Nigeria was currently grappling with were addressed.



 He explained that the section erroneously placed the control of all resources in the hands of the Federal Government, adding that the position adversely affected economic diversification and exploration of numerous mineral resources in the country.
 “I draw you to the provision of section 44 (3) of the Constitution where the resources of the whole country was placed in the hands of the Federal Government, and that is an abnormality. “The only reason why it was so is because of the sole dependence on oil, but that has been the major setback we have today as a nation,’’ he said. 

Ogor said that the situation had negatively affected the exploration and exploitation of numerous mineral resources as well as encouraged illegal mining in different parts of the country. “Some foreigners have decided to do their own business taking away billions of naira that can come into the hands of state governments. “Name one state that God has not bestowed with some mineral resources.
 “Unfortunately, because of the selfish nature of those who probably thought that oil was it all, they decided to place all mineral resources in the hands of the Federal Government.

 “They created a scenario under section 162 of the Constitution where we come at the end of the month to share money from the Federation Account,’’ Ogor said. He expressed worry that the section created a distributable pool account that distributed money on monthly basis to the tiers of government. 
“People come in every month, just share whatever they can share then go back home and sit down, because they know that at the end of another month they come again to Abuja and share money. “Today, there is a drop in price of crude oil, and so they can’t pay salaries, and the gold is sitting there idle; other people are stealing it.

 “But, if not for that section in the Constitution, by today you would have imagined the level of specialization that would have happened. “Nigeria would have been competing with countries like Malaysia, Singapore and host of other countries.
 “Those that are not ready to work will be forced to work because they will be forced to look inward, he said. “Remember the great groundnut pyramid, remember the cocoa era, the palm oil era; everything has gone all because we mistakenly placed all the resources in the hands of the Federal Government.
 “This is something that is quite alien in a federalism,’’ Ogor stated.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Security Alert; Bart Ransomware Bypasses Corporate Firewalls

A new ransomware variant has emerged that’s similar to widespread threats such as Dridex 220 and Locky Affid=3, but uses a security-evading technique that may allow it to attack organisations protected from other malware, according to computer security researchers. Ransomware has spread quickly in the last few months, as a number of payouts have attracted cyber-criminals to the technique.
Post a Comment
Read more

US Demands Immediate End To South Sudan Fighting

The United States demanded an immediate end to renewed fighting in the capital of South Sudan on Sunday, ordering all non-essential personnel out of the troubled country. "The United States strongly condemns the latest outbreak of fighting in Juba today between forces aligned with President Salva Kiir Mayardit and those aligned with First Vice President Riek Machar Teny, including reports we have that civilian sites may have been attacked," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.
Post a Comment
Read more

Prisoner escapes in Benin city

An inmate on Wednesday morning escaped from the court where he was taken to for his trial. The unidentified inmate, escaped from the watchful eyes of prison officials who took him and other inmates to court. The prisoner, an awaiting trial inmate in Oko medium prison, Benin, escaped at the premises of the state high court, Benin. A prison official who spoke with The reporter under the condition of anonymity, said prison warders have been sent to go after the escaped prisoner. Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Edo command of the Nigerian Prison Services (NPS), Mr Aminu Suleiman declined speaking to journalists on it. The spokesman, who could neither deny nor confirm the report, said he was not in a position to speak on the issue. Suleiman said that the state commander of the NPS, Mr Effiom Etowa, was out of the state on official assignment.
Post a Comment
Read more