• Anyaoku, Tambuwal, Daniel, Obi of Onitsha, Nwachukwu, others make case, call for urgent overhaul
From Idu Jude, Abuja
Eminent Nigerians including former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, former governor of Akwa Ibom, Obong Victor Attah, Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Achebe and others have called for a total overhaul of the 1999 constitution, emphasising that it was an instrument of the military and its components did not blend with the democratic principles.
The group, The Patriots, at its national constitution summit in Abuja, yesterday, noted that the constitution had, over the decades, forced the country into retrogression and underdevelopment, and expressed a resolve to begin the march for a brand new constitution through a national confab or referendum.
Chairman of the group, Chief Anyaoku, said Nigeria needs a new inclusive and democratic constitution that accommodates the country’s plurality. He said the 1999 Constitution was not democratically formulated and was not in sync with the plural nature of the country. Anyaoku said only a constitution that accommodates the plurality of Nigeria, could address the country’s myriad of challenges.
“As a background to this summit, it is important to state the following indisputable facts that are recognised by all citizens, except of course those who want to continue to live in denial.
“Nigeria is a pluralistic country. Like all successful pluralistic countries around the world, for its political stability and maximal development, its constitution must address its pluralism by being formulated by elected representatives of its diverse peoples
“Our present 1999 Constitution (as amended) is not such. It was not democratically-formulated. It was, instead, imposed on the country through a decree by the military administration.
“And the governance system derived from it is not only non-inclusive but also induces over-expenditure of the country’s resources on administration rather than on capital development. Hence, the need for a new Nigerian peoples’ democratic constitution.”
According to the elder statesman, the rising cases of insecurity, high poverty, lagging infrastructure and lack of confidence in the future among the growing youth population have necessitated a new constitution.
“Overall, the present 36 federating units are obviously incapable of generating and sustaining the pace of national development achieved in the early years of the country’s independence.’’
Anyaoku expressed the view that all the challenges could be more effectively reversed if Nigeria was given a more credible and truly federal constitution, democratically made by the Nigerian people and in sync with the pluralistic nature of the country.
“To those who said that the fate of a country depends primarily on its leadership, I say that the constitution from which the system of governance is derived largely determines the character of the people who get elected or appointed to govern the countr y from the three arms of government,’’ he said.
Anyaoku said the summit would produce recommendations on key elements of the desired new constitution and the process of its actualisation.
He also said the summit would discuss key elements and questions, such as the presidential or parliamentary system; tenure and rotation of the heads of government at the national and sub-national levels and unicameral or bicameral legislature.
Other issues, according to him, include the number of federating units, powers of the national and sub-national governments, structure of the security agencies, political parties and their organisation, management of the country’s resources and other important features of the constitution.
“In considering the process of actualising the new constitution, I hope that there would be due emphasis on ensuring that it is formulated by representatives specifically elected for that purpose by the Nigerian people,” he said.
In order to give the new constitution the necessary legitimacy, the former veteran diplomat said it would have to be endorsed by the people through a national referendum.
In a goodwill message, Obasanjo stated that the idea to amend the constitution must be sacrosanct, emphasising that as a former president, he would be the first to point out some areas of the constitution that need amendment.
Obasanjo said while a nation’s constitution must reflect the history, the constituents and the aspiration of its people, no constitution is perfect. He, however, said the operators played key roles in the implementation and promotion of the wellbeing of the citizens.
“From my experience in operating our constitution, I will be the first to point out some areas of our constitution that need amendment. However, for me, no constitution can ever be regarded as perfect.
“But, whatever the strength or weakness of a constitution, the most important issue, to my own understanding and experience, is the operators of the constitution.
“The best constitution can be perverted and distorted by the operators and we have experienced that all over Africa, Nigeria is not exempted.
“I am more concerned about the operators of the constitution to lead in good governance and promotion of welfare and wellbeing of the citizenry.
“No matter what you do to the Nigerian constitution, if the operators of the constitution, for the past one decade and a half, remain unchanged and continue in the same manner, the welfare and wellbeing of Nigerians will continue to be sacrificed on the altar of selfishness.
“It will continue to be sacrificed on the altar of self-centredness, corruption, impunity and total disregard for the constitution, decency, morality, integrity and honesty.’’
He noted that at this crucial time, the operators mattered more and that the searchlight should be on them.
Attah, in his remarks, stated that the 1999 Constitution was not a people’s constitution. He said the summit was not another routine conference, but an opportunity to confront the fundamental contradiction that Nigeria was governed by the will of the people, but by a constitution that robbed the citizens of their sovereignty.
He described the 1999 constitution as a military decree, imposed without the consent of the people
“The military suspended the 1963 Constitution, which remains the last legal expression of our people’s collective will and agreed terms of condition for staying together.”
The former governor said the 1963 Constitution was suspended, repealed, proscribed or abrogated. “We, from the South-South region, join other zones across this country who now agree that this union is not working as it is. It can only be sustained if it is restructured on the basis of equity, justice and mutual consent.”
According to him, Nigeria’s democracy is not working, while people’s trust in the government has also declined. This, he said, was due to the country’s departure from a functional federal system to an imperial, presidential, unitary system of government.
“We, in consultation with other leaders and The Compatriots, a group I chair, believe the following must be addressed.
“Sovereignty must return to the people. We must get rid of this unitary system and reinstate the federal system of governance that our founding fathers had agreed to. True federalism must guarantee maximum autonomy to the federating units.
“Cost of politics must be brought down to open space for inclusiveness and real leadership. Unicameral legislature with ministers appointed only from elected representatives.”
Attah advised Nigerians to take advantage of the summit to address contending issues, saying, “We must not be afraid to change, rather be afraid not to change.
“Nigeria’s unity will only be preserved through fairness and justice, not force or fear. And if we miss this opportunity, the next chapter may be one of irreversible fragmentation. I believe and I know many of you also believe that time is running out,” he said.
Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, in a brief history of The Patriots, remarked that the motive of putting together the group in 1998 during General Sani Abacha was to move for a new constitutional gap under the military regime.
Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Achebe, also suggested a constitution that provides equal rights to all citizens of Nigeria. He reminded that a country is built on a constitution that protects and provides for all citizens equally.
On his part, Senator Gbenga Daniel, co-chairman, Organising Committee of the summit, described the occasion as a significant step in Nigeria’s journey toward unity, progress and national development.
“This summit is a citizen-driven constitutional intervention, stemming from months and even years of relentless advocacy, extensive consultations and a growing sense of public urgency.
“We are here because the existing structure, established by the 1999 Constitution, has consistently proven to be inadequate in effectively addressing the core issues related to governance, equity, inclusion and national cohesion.
“Our agenda for the coming days is ambitious but aims to be straightforward and focused.”
The former Ogun governor said the summit would scrutinise vital themes, including the organisation and structure of the Nigerian federation, the role and functioning of local governments and traditional institutions and resource control and fiscal federalism.
He said it would also look at electoral and judicial reforms, security concerns nationwide and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a 21st century democracy.
“More importantly, we will work diligently to ensure that no voice is too small and that no group is left behind.
“This summit is multi-generational, spanning different regions and inclusive of various sectors, truly embodying the Nigeria we aspire to build,” he said.
Daniel, who is the Senate Committee Chairman on Navy, urged Nigerian youths, women and civil society actors, as well as traditional and religious leaders to be involved in discussions.
Their involvement and voices, he said, were crucial in building a brighter, more inclusive and resilient future for all.
Daniel said the resolutions and proposals arising from the summit would be carefully documented, further refined and subsequently presented to both the presidency and the National Assembly for their considerations.
“Our intention is not to foster confrontation but to promote constructive collaboration and mutual understanding.
“It is imperative that we persuade our leaders, through reasoned argument, consensus-building and compelling evidence, that Nigeria is in dire need of a new constitutional framework that reflects the aspirations and realities of all its citizens,” he stated.
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