Debate on the draft constitution bill will top issues to be considered by the Senate as the Red Chamber resumes tomorrow from a two-week break following the end of the second session of the seventh National Assembly.
The Senate may just have only enough time to consider the draft bill before it will again proceed on its annual vacation, which commences in the third week of July.
Before the Senate proceeded on the two-week break on June 7, it received the report of its Committee on Constitution Review headed by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
Some of the recommendations contained in the draft bill include a single six-year tenure for the President and the governors, separation of the office of the Attorney-General from that of the Minister of Justice, abolition of the joint states and local governments' accounts, establishment of mayoral status for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, financial autonomy for state Houses of Assembly and other state officers and offices, etc.
The Senate President, David Mark, gave the indication that the Senate would devote the greatest part of its resumption period to the debate of the draft constitution bill emerged on the last sitting day.
Mark had said that on resumption, the Senate would devote ample time for every senator to contribute to the draft bill without any limitation.
The Senate president also said that after very extensive debate on the draft bill, there would be personal and not voice vote on all the proposals in the draft bill to enable the Senate take very informed position on the bill.
He said: "You are going to take the copies home so that during the recess you will have enough opportunity to read through, digest and consult more with members of your constituents.
"When you come back from the recess, then senators will make individual contributions.
"You need to have these copies to go home with; the debate on it will commence when we come back. We are going to devote many days or weeks to the debate on it because every senator will be given an opportunity to make a comment.
"I want to remind all of us that the voting on it is not by voice vote; everybody will need to answer his father's name when the voting comes.
"So, prepare your mind and make up your mind where you stand on each of these issues."
National Mirror