By Ben Agande, Tordue Salem & Inalegwu Shaibu
DISAGREEMENT between the Senate and House of Representatives over amendment of the 1999 deepened, yesterday, as both chambers traded words over the genuineness of the document. While the House faulted the Senate for sending a wrong version of the document to state Houses of Assembly, the Senate  described the House’s comments as unfortunate.

Senate President, David Mark, described claims credited to a member of the House of Representative, Mr. Ita Enang, that a doctored version of amendments to the 1999 Constitution was sent to the State Houses of Assembly instead of the harmonized version as “mischievous and immature.”

He spoke yesterday when the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu drew the attention of the Senate to statement credited to Enang  that the version of the constitutional amendment sent to the state Houses of Assembly was not the harmonized one.

Senator Mark said: “What is going on in the media now is rather unfortunate. I think it would have been handled in a much more mature manner. There was absolutely no need for anybody to go to the press to ask that what was handed over to the State Assemblies should be withdrawn.

I think that this is the height of mischief, and anybody who is going round saying that whatever has been sent to the State House of Assemblies should be withdrawn is certainly not saying the correct thing. They will not be withdrawn and I advise that those who have the documents must endeavor to read them. Every state assembly was given a comprehensive file. This was just to make sure we are running an open exercise.”

Mark who is also the chairman of the National Assembly directed the Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa to disregard the order allegedly from Bankole calling for the withdrawal of the draft copy of the amendment before the State Houses of Assembly, insisting that it will not be withdrawn.