President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law the Constitutional Amendment Bill sponsored by the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, granting states in the country powers to construct railways.
The law titled a Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended) to provide that the Federal Government and the State Governments shall have concurrent legislative powers on Railway and to provide for matters related thereto, 2021 was among the 16 Constitutional Amendments signed into law by Mr.President on Friday.
The Railway Constitutional Amendment is part of the Abia-North Lawmaker’s contribution to the fifth alternation to the Constitution, aimed at boosting the nation’s transport system which means states can now build their own rail tracks and introduce trains for Intra-State Transport among others, so as to decongest the roads.
Kalu’s contribution in reshaping the highest laws of the country will further relieve teeming commuters and reduce the number of accidents on the country’s roads. It will further reduce the cost of human and cargo transportation as rail transport is globally cheaper than road transport.
With the Presidential assent, the rail transportation has been removed from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List, making it possible for states to invest in the infrastructure.
According to a confirmatory statement issued by Senator Babajide Omoworare, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters-Senate, the President signed into law 16 bills including Kalu’s Bill which stood at No. 16.
The highlights of the assented Constitutional Alteration Bills, amongst others, are: ensuring financial independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary; regulating of the first session and inauguration of members-elect of the National and State Houses of Assembly and for related matters; and ensuring that the President and Governors submit the names of persons nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly; and for related matters.
Other highlights are: enabling states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid; and for related matters; excluding the period of intervening events in the computation of time for determining pre-election matters petitions etc; regulating the first session and inauguration of members-elect of National and State Assemblies; changing prisons to correctional service and re-designating correctional service in the concurrent list.
