THE Patriots, a pan-Nigerian group of eminent national leaders of thought, has stated that what the country needs now is a brand new ‘people’s constitution,’ not amendment of the existing.
General Secretary of group, Mr. Olawale Okunniyi, disclosed this in a communique on Monday, March 25, in Lagos at the end of its National Constitutional Dialogue, 2024, on the future of Nigeria, recalled that Nigerians, governors, legislators, leaders to thought, traditional rulers and others have demanded a new democratic people’s constitution for Nigeria instead of amendments.
It said that the group, now led by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a former Commonwealth secretary general, hosted a national dialogue (Colloquium), at the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (NIIA) Lagos on March 18, to commemorate 10 years anniversary of the 2014 National Confab, organised by former President Goodluck Jonathan, in honour of the late Prof. Ben Nwabueze (SAN), its immediate past chairman.
According to it, the focus of the dialogue was on a prosperous future for Nigeria through the prospects of a new democratic people’s constitution, which would offer assured hope and prosperity to the diverse peoples and citizens of Nigeria in the face of the current socio-economic miseries, political instability and worsening insecurity in the country.
It said that the national dialogue concluded that the prevailing 1999 Constitution and its brand of presidential system fostered politics of alienation and had increased appetite for state capture among the ruling elite, to the exclusion of a large section of Nigerian citizens, while also leading to disenchantment across the country.
According to it, the constitution, by its flawed origin, lacks legitimacy, “which it cannot acquire from any number of amendments.
“The dialogue also affirmed that the Draft Constitution of the 2014 National Conference and the 1963 Republican Constitution of Nigeria, by their representative and popular character, are generally acceptable national documents.
“This is a platforms for popular deliberations and consensual recommendations towards birthing a new democratic people’s constitution for Nigeria through an elective Constituents Assembly or national referendum to be initiated by the federal government through relevant provisions of the extant laws of Nigeria.
“The dialogue resolved that to move forward, the renewed advocacy for the actualisation of a new democratic constitution for Nigeria, an inclusive team be set up by The Patriots to embark on strategic and constructive engagements with the Nigerian peoples and citizens, the Presidency and National Assembly of Nigeria.
“It is to get their full buy in and support towards achieving the dialogue agenda for the cohesion, stability, good governance and prosperity of Nigeria under a new democratic people’s constitution of Nigeria.”
It said that the colloquium requested that some recommendations be submitted to the Presidency and the National Assembly for their expeditious consideration and appropriate action.
It highlighted the submissions as including that: “The challenge of governance has become profound and should necessitate circumspection from political leadership in their decision-making process.
“Overwhelming majority of Nigerians are genuinely yearning for an end to the prevailing challenging situation in the country.
“There is need for a genuine commitment to ending the culture of political impunity which engenders corruption, promotes monetisation of politics and undermines competence and commitment to patriotism.
“There is the need for urgent holistic appraisal of the security situation in Nigeria to engender decisive and robust intervention in the pervasive insecurity ravaging the country.
“There is the need for a reform of existing security infrastructure through the creation of state police and localisation of police command structure to enhance inclusive participation in community and neighbourhood security across Nigeria.”
It stressed the need for a reconfiguration of the country’s governance system and structure to address the imbalance in the existing federalism, saying this had become necessary to guarantee fiscal responsibility and accountability in governance as well as enhance accelerated development across Nigeria.
It called for strengthening of existing democratic institutions to safeguard democracy, guarantee pro-people governance and make political actors accountable to the people and advocated deepening of democracy and governance at the grassroots to give a sense of belonging to the mass of Nigerian stakeholders.
It listed participants at the national dialogue to include elder statesmen, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, former governors, serving and former senators, former ministers, traditional rulers and constitutional lawyers.
