By Henry Umoru, Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Proposals to alter the Nigerian constitution to, among others, devolve more power to  states, strengthen the hand of the Senate in the confirmation of ministers, and create the legal framework for a compulsory saving culture were unfolded before the Senate yesterday.

The proposed alterations to the 1999 Constitution would also deny undemocratically constituted local government authorities access to the Federation Account, compel the President to present an annual address to the National Assembly on state of the nation, grant financial autonomy to state legislative houses and reduce from six to three months, the period within which the President and governors can utilise funds from the public purse without an approved budget.

It also proposed that the  political parties which failed to win an elective office at any of the levels of government should be deregistered, that 35% of all cabinet positions at the federal and state levels be reserved for women and the provision of an elected mayor to administer the Federal Capital Territory.

Under the proposals, the President would also be stripped of his lawmaking powers and his supervision of the Code of Conduct Tribunal.