Bill To Change Presidential System Of Govt Passes First Reading In Reps

UBONG UKPONG
ABUJA

A bill to change the current Presidential system of government in the country on Thursday, passed first reading in the House of Representatives.

The bill, titled “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 ( Alteration Bill, 2018 HB 1590)”, was sponsored by Hon. Kingsley Chinda and seventy other lawmakers.

Briefing journalists on the bill, the lawmakers, who had already constituted themselves into a body, cutting across all political parties and interests in the House of Representatives, said that they were seeking to return the country to the Parliamentary system of government or a Hybrid system, and return the country to the path of prosperity..

Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai, who represented Hon. Kingsley Chinda, Chairman of the new group, at the briefing, said that they were resolved to ensure the new system for the betterment of the country’s economy.

He said that they were tired of a dysfunctional system and now need a Nigeria where the economic system is functioning properly.

They insisted that the Presidential system as introduced by the military juntas has being responsible for the many noticeable woes of the country and has not yielded any good fruit since its inception.

They insisted that the excessive powers domiciled in the President by the present system, has not allowed for consensus building, which was slowing down development.

The lawmakers stressed that the military foisted the Presidential system on the country since they were used to exercising absolute powers which they said also corrupted them absolutely.

They said that the present system was characterized by lower output growth, higher and more volatile inflation and greater income inequality relative to those under parliamentary ones.

The legislators who are hopeful that the bill will gain wide acceptance and support by other lawmakers, both at the National and State Houses of Assembly, said that they would persist in their campaign to continue to convince their colleagues and other Nigerians.

ENDS.

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Bill To Change Presidential System Of Government to Parliamentary Passes First Reading In Reps