Shehu Sani also noted that developmental issues are not taken seriously during the constitution amendment process
By Kehinde Okeowo
Human rights activist and former lawmaker, Shehu Sani has identified devolution of power and reform of the electoral system as priorities in the constitutional amendment process in the country, urging Nigerian legislators to make the needed changes.
He made this known on Sunday in Lagos during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to the former senator who represented Kaduna central in the Red chamber, since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, several constitutional amendment moves have been made.
He went on to lament that despite this laudable attempts, political interests have always frustrated moves to amend the constitution.
He further noted that developmental issues are not taken seriously during the constitution amendment process because of the interests of political leaders.
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Speaking during the chat, Shehu Sani said: “Since 1999, the national assembly has been inaugurating committees to amend the constitution of Nigeria, but the problem has been that the issues that are supposed to be amended are not amended because of interests.
“Each time we have this committee set up, the committee is inaugurated in good time, but the recommendations are hardly implemented.
“Take, for example, electoral reform, no president in Nigeria wants to reform an electoral system that will take him out of power.”
He, however, advised political office holders to implement reforms and vision that would outlive them, stressing that power was transient.
“If you think you are in a position of authority today and you have all the power to exercise, think of what happens to you tomorrow,” he added.
