Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has commended the National Assembly’s efforts to reform Nigeria’s constitution.
Gov Mbah disclosed this after receiving members of the Senate Committee on Constitution Amendment, led by Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi, at the Government House, Enugu, on Thursday.
The committee is in Enugu ahead of the South East Zonal Public Hearing scheduled to hold in Enugu this weekend.
Gov Mbah, who made the commendation in a post on his Facebook page, restated Enugu State’s strong support for key constitutional reforms to promote equity, security, and unity across the country.
According to him, “One that excites us most is the idea of state policing. We have ardently advocated for states to create state police services, just like the federal police, but with defined jurisdictions and operational parameters.
“We think that this is overdue, and there could not be a better time for it, given the fragility in our communities.”
He also stated that the reforms would correct what he called “the long-standing injustice of the South East having only five states, unlike all other geopolitical zones.
“That is something we believe ought to be corrected through the current constitutional amendment process”.
He expressed his conviction that the constitutional reforms would also address adopting rotational presidency in Nigeria “to provide the South East and every other region in the country a fair chance at the presidency”.
According to him, “The Enugu State Government will participate in the public hearing and will formally present our position on these and other matters listed for amendment. We see this process as a vital opportunity to create a more balanced, inclusive, and just federation.”
He thanked the Committee for choosing Enugu as the host of the regional engagement. In his view, “Their choice is in tandem with the rich history of Enugu, not only as the home and political headquarters of the Igbo nation, but also given its long history of hosting the regional legislative assembly since the 1940s. It is a tradition of leadership and legislative engagement that we are proud to continue.”