Anyaoku, Adebanjo, Attah, others demand new Constitution at colloquium in honour of Ben Nwabueze
L-R: General Ike Nwachukwu, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, former Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu
L-R: General Nwachukwu, Senator Tambuwal, Chief Anyaoku, Sanwo-Olu, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Arc. Victor Attah and representative of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi
By Emma Ogbuehi
Eminent Nigerians under the auspices of The Patriots, a group of non-partisan political leaders of thought working towards the constitutional equilibrium, political stability, unity and good governance of Nigeria, on Monday, set the ball rolling on the modalities for a new people’s constitution for the country.
The event, National Constitutional Dialogue, which held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos, with the theme, “Lawful procedures for actualising a people’s constitution for Nigeria” was a colloquium in honour of Prof Ben Nwabueze, Nigeria’s foremost constitutional lawyer, who died recently.
Until his death, Prof. Nwabueze was the chairman of The Patriots, a pan-Nigerian group of eminent national leaders of thought, now headed by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth.
At the event, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, joined Anyaoku, Afenifere leader, Pa. Ayo Adebanjo, members of the National Assembly, former governors and eminent national leaders to demand for a new Nigerian Constitution that would reflect true federalism and address the problems of the country.
They said Nigeria has two options in getting a truly federal constitution by either adopting the recommendations of the 2014 National Confab or go for a relatively inexpensive Constituent Assembly on a non-party basis for producing a widely desired constitution for Nigerians.
They resolved to meet with President Bola Tinubu to get his buy-in and also liaise with the leadership of the National Assembly on the matter.
Welcoming the participants to the colloquium, Anyaoku who chaired the National Dialogue said Nigeria is a pluralistic country that is still struggling to become a nation with assured political stability and progressive socio-economic attainments.
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He said Nigeria had failed to develop like other pluralistic countries in the world because of its inability to devolve powers to federating units.
According to him, other pluralistic countries are far ahead of Nigeria in terms of development because they have implemented true federalism.
“First, Nigeria is a pluralistic country that is still struggling to become a nation with assured political stability and progressive socio-economic development.
“The fact from across the world is that some pluralistic countries have succeeded in becoming developed nations while other pluralistic countries have failed and disintegrated.
“The lesson from this is that pluralistic countries, which have succeeded in becoming nations, have generally practised true federalism with considerable power devolved to the federating units.
“This fact was acknowledged by our founding fathers who negotiated painstakingly and agreed on the Independence Constitution of 1960-1963,” Anyaoku said.
He said Nigeria’s present constitution lacked the legitimacy that should flow from a democratically-made constitution.
The diplomat added that the constitution had proven to be unsuitable for tackling many of the serious challenges confronting our country.
He said: “It is a widely recognised fact that the crucial areas of the country have significantly deteriorated and continue to deteriorate.”
Anyaoku said Nigeria had suffered deterioration in many fronts in security, healthcare, education, economic well-being of the citizens and infrastructure.
He said that the country had equally suffered in the area of social cohesion, social values and the sense of national unity.
He said that Nigeria had the option of getting a truly federal constitution by adopting the recommendations of the 2014 National Confab organised by President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Or we go for a relatively inexpensive directly elected constituent assembly on non-party basis for producing such widely desired constitution,” he said.
In his welcome speech, chairman of the organizing committee, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, former Minister of Finance, lamented that after 64 years of independence so many issues such as citizenship, unwholesome North/South divide, political rights, religion and freedoms, accountability in governance, security, etc., still remain outstanding.
The keynote speaker, Prof Mike Ozekhome, said the 1999 Constitution is leprous and “even one million amendments by the National Assembly cannot cure it of its leprosy.”
Ozekhome tasked the National Assembly to set up a National Referendum Commission that would collate all recommendations towards driving a new constitution.
He said: “We must take this conversation and make it very effective. It’s for the National Assembly to constitute a law where these people would come together. It’s something very simple. Why do we have a federal agency controlling waterways in Lagos?
“You would see state officials fighting the same course, the moment they get to federal, they change 360 degrees. I’m wondering what is going on, what’s happening. I don’t know what’s happening.”
According to him, there is a mystery about the central government which must be unravelled.
“There’s something about the federal that shocks everybody, we need to be bold to unravel this. Let us be able to make the change we desire. Let the soul of Prof. Ben Nwabueze rest in peace.”
The event was attended by Governor Sanwo-Olu, Chief Anyaoku, Pa Adebanjo, the Secretary to the Lagos State Government; Senators Aminu Tambuwal and Gbenga Daniel; former Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Donald Duke (Cross River), James Ibori (Delta), Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom) and Rauf Aregbesola (Osun).
Others are constitutional lawyers Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and Mr. Tunji Abayomi; Prof Anya O. Anya, General Ike Nwachukwu, President of Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Alhaji Yerima Shettima; former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, Prof. Anthony Kila, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, Elder Solomon Asemota.
Speaking at the event, Governor Sanwo-Olu backed the agitation for a true federal constitution for Nigeria to devolve power to the states and charged the National Assembly to put a legal framework in place for the birth of a new constitution that would be determined by the Nigerian people.
He said the conversation around the making of a new constitution should be driven further. “If eminent Nigerians; people who have used better parts of their time serving this country have a conversation and we cannot take it forward and make sure that we have a complete solution, then we are wasting our time. Given the number of people that are here, we should make this conversation very effective. Many speakers have said that it is not the National Assembly that will make those amendments and it makes a lot of logical sense. It is for the National Assembly to constitute a law where people will come together and make those amendments themselves.
“I stand here as a leader of the largest state. How well do we see the anomalies that we have in our country? Why would a federal agency come to control the water in front of Ozumba Mbadiwe? Why would a federal agency of 1,000 kilometers away come to see the needs of my people in Ozumba Mbadiwe? Those are some of the things that we need to take forward and say that indeed we need to have a true federating state and be able to amend this constitution.
“I am a willing convert. Whatever we need to do now, there are so many serving and former governors here, let us make the changes that we desire and let the soul of Prof. Ben Nwabueze rest in peace because this is something that he fought for over 60 years of his life. And we are still here talking about it. We have the opportunity to make those changes now and I stand here to say to you that we are willing to work with you to make those changes.”
Elder statesman and Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo called for the implementation of the 2014 National Conference, which according to him represented how the people of Nigeria want to be governed considering the representation of the people from different parts of the country that attended the national conference.
He said what Nigeria needs is a brand new constitution and not the amendment of the current constitution, which the National Assembly wants to embark on.
Senator Aminu Tambuwal said “it is unfortunate that we have lost a learned elder when we need him most in the country.
“The scholar wrote a lot of books related to constitutional matters, even on the present one we all gathered here for today, we can find it. It showed we have lost someone great in person of Ben Nwabueze. I pray God gives us such personality in Nigeria again.
“I have participated in several constitution amendments, some succeeded, some failed. I must confess that I have been enriched particularly on the way forward. If you say the Constitution lacks legitimacy and beyond repair, a gathering like this is making a ray of light.
“We are going to collaborate with well-meaning Nigerians to have a better constitution for the future of Nigerian people”.
Chief Olabode George also advocated a total restructuring of the country, politically, economically and in the areas of policing and security.
“I am not a lawyer but, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has won my heart today. You are here today. If by tomorrow, you leave the office, what would you tell the people? For the governor to volunteer himself to champion the course of new constitution, I want to urge whoever has the president’s contact to visit him. Call Akpabio along, he will answer you. There is no job, food and people have been coming to my office to do something for them.
“I can’t say this country has given me the fulfilment, I am close to 80 years. Whatever it’s you want us to do, we should do on time. I want to commend the organisers of the event in remembrance of the constitutional lawyer.”
Prof. Nwabueze, the pioneer Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, died on October 28, 2023 at 92.
