The Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has approved the separation of the office of the Minister of Justice from that of the Attorney-General of the Federation as part of the recommended amendments to the 1999 Constitution.
The matter and about 54 other proposed amendments are expected to be tabled before the legislative arm by the end of this month.
If it is passed by the two chambers and endorsed by at least two-thirds of 36 State Houses of Assembly, Nigeria will join the league of countries with a similar practice.
The joint committee similarly proposed that independent candidates be allowed to contest elective posts.
Such candidates will not need to go through the rigour of consensus or direct/ indirect primaries.
For more representation in elective offices, special seat concessions were recommended for allocation to women at all levels.
Besides, the lawmakers resolved to effect a change in the constitution to outlaw parading of suspects by the police, Department of State Services (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other agencies before arraigning them in court.
They were of the view that Nigeria should not subscribe to such an “act of torture” of its citizens.
