New Telegraph

APC: Constitutional amendment based on society’s dynamism

The Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Atiku Bagudu has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) constitutional amendment concept is based on the dynamism of the society and not on the need to address wrongdoing or cheating.

 

Bagudu, who spoke at a book launch: “APC Litmus test”, written by the Director General of the PGF, Salihu Lukman, said if amendment is based on those wronged or cheated agitation would not stop.

 

 

He said: “The party is not shy to acknowledge that our Constitution is not perfect and again under John Oyegun, the El-Rufai Committee on True Federalism was created to look at those issues that we should do better about.

 

The APC belief is let us amend the Constitution because society is dynamic not because somebody has been wronged and cheated. If that is the basis for correction, then the agitation will never stop but if it’s based on let us make it better, I believe the proposal which has been submitted to the National Assembly will help to produce an amended Constitution that will meet most of the aspirations.”

 

On the effort being made by APC to address some of the challenges, he made a comparison with the situation in the USA. He said: “When one compares Nigeria to the United States, a country with 331 million people he will understand the challenges.

 

“In 2019, the United States federal budget was over $3.5 trillion. and 1% of $3.5 trillion is $35 billion.

 

That means our budget is less than 1% of the United States budget and yet, we are looking after a population that is about 70% of the United States population.

 

“If one considers the actual distribution of revenue, it even reflects the truth. For example, from January this year to May, the Federation Allocation Account Committee meetings, there is no month yet, where the equivalent of $2 billion has been distributed.

 

So if things go this way that means $24 billion will be distributed by the three tiers of government and our spending per person is about 98 to $103 which is in the same league with Niger and Chad

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