Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; former governors, erudite scholars and nationalists, yesterday, called for a new constitution, saying that the current one is faulty, flawed and does not reflect the yearnings and aspirations of the people.
They noted that an amendment of the current constitution would not cure the fundamental flaws, but that there is urgent need for a people-oriented constitution, which will be subjected to a national referendum.
The charge was given during a national constitutional dialogue tagged: “Lawful procedures for actualising a people’s constitution for Nigeria,” organised by The Patriots, under the chairmanship of Emeka Anyaoku, in honour of the late Prof. Ben Nwabueze, held at the National Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos.
Among the attendees were Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, former governors of Osun (Rauf Aregbesola), Ogun (Ibikunle Amosun), Cross River (Donald Duke), Ekiti (Kayode Fayemi), Delta (James Ibori), Rivers (Rotimi Amaechi) and Akwa Ibom (Obong Attah) states.
Others were Senators Gbenga Daniel and Aminu Tambuwal, Olabode George, Ayo Adebanjo, former Minister of Finance, Idika Kanu; Gen. Ike Nwachukwu (rtd), constitutional lawyer, Tunji Abayomi and Mike Ozekhome (keynote speaker).
Sanwo-Olu berated those elected in federal offices for saying one thing before they get to power and doing another at their emergence in office.
On his part, Attah noted that the underpinning principle that guided the drafting of the current constitution had turned out to have been misguided.
According to him, instead of unity, the country is battling disunity and in place of true federalism, the country has a dictatorial unitary system.
Attah, who pleaded with the National Assembly to reject the call for referendum for the review of the 1999 Constitution, urged the lawmakers to make a new constitution for the country.
In his keynote address, Ozekhome stressed the need for Nigerians to own their constitution through a referendum, saying that without that, the country would be on a journey to no destination.
He noted that the problems of insecurity, mutual distrust and banditry are mere symptoms of a larger ailment, saying that the country is operating a system that is not meant to be operated.
He, therefore, urged the National Assembly to promulgate the National Referendum Commission to aggregate the decisions of the 2014 national conference.
Earlier, Anyaoku, in his opening remarks, said Nigeria had deteriorated and is continuing to deteriorate in the areas of security, social cohesion and values, economic, among others.
Tambuwa promised to support the process that would enable the promotion of the bill for the establishment of the Referendum Commission.
While Fayemi stated that the consensus we have to build is on the legislative and executive sides, Nwachukwu said Nigeria needs a new constitution.
Daniel, Amosun and others said: “We all agreed that our constitution is faulty. What we should do is to work on what everybody has been saying. The outcome of this colloquium should be taken to the National Assembly. We can seek an audience with the President and all the ethnic groups. We have been on this since. Some of our elders died fighting for this. We should take this step and I am sure we will get there.”
