SENATE SPOKESMAN, SEN ENYINNAYA ABARIBE
ABUJA, October 16, (THEWILL) – The Senate on Wednesday applauded President Goodluck Jonathan’s position on the National Conference, saying his pronouncement that the recommendation of the confab would be subjected to legislation by National Assembly is in tune with the Senate position that the National Assembly is the custodian of Nigerians sovereignty.
Senate spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said in a statement in Abuja, that President Jonathan stated the obvious, when he said the National Assembly will decide the final outcome of the National Conference.
He said the President, by that assertion, has confirmed Senate’s position that everything that concerns legislation for the people of Nigeria resides with the National Assembly.
“For the President to declare that the final outcome of the proposed National Conference would be subjected to National Assembly’s ratification is in recognition of the fact that there cannot be two sovereigns at the same time”, he said.
The Senate, he added, remains consistent to the fact that it welcomes national dialogue of any kind, but that in doing that, the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended must be taken into cognisance.
Consequently, the Senate, according to Abaribe, welcomes the President’s pronouncement and assures that the wishes of majority of Nigerians would always determine the constitutional review process, which is ongoing.
The Senate, he said, still believes that whatever will be done to uphold the unity of Nigeria will always be welcomed.
It could be recalled that President Jonathan had, while welcoming guests at the State House on Sallah day, affirmed that the recommendations of the proposed National Conference would be forwarded to the National Assembly to be incorporated in the on-going constitution review process.
The issue of who the final arbiter will be in the circumstance has generated doubts in the minds of a cross section of Nigerians.
But the position of the President has put paid to that and perhaps opened a new vista of argument for cynics who believe that the outcome of the confab must be subjected to a national referendum.
The National Assembly, particularly the Senate, had insisted that while it welcomes the national conference, it will still not abdicate its constitutional responsibility.
BY EMMA UCHE, ABUJA
